The Ana Edit Issue #6:Reviewing My Subscriptions
Rating My Subscriptions and Ascertaining Which Ones Are Worth The Cash
Ana's Corner
This week, unfortunately, has not been the most pleasant, a reality that I brought upon by myself. One of my greatest foibles is my tendency to deride myself even if my remarks are unfounded. I believe the term is called "Imposter Syndrome", a condition in which a person does not believe they merit the status or position they have achieved and somehow "lucked into getting it". While I understand I am being irrational, I cannot seem to shake the negative thoughts. It is one thing to recognize an issue, and it is an entirely different, more difficult feat, to deal with it. What is worst of all is I have managed to become complacent with my insecurities in that I have accepted them as an inevitability rather than a reality I can change. That, my friends, is where I have to draw the line. Self- doubt or trepidation is more or less part of the human condition, but so is change. Paradoxically, the one thing on which we can rely is change. Therefore, it is wholly illogical and fatuous to claim that my pain will persist invariably. Now, I must note that when I speak of "pain", I am aware that I am not TRULY in excruciating agony. There are countless people out there who have it far worse than me; I recognize that. However, just because you fare better than another, it does not mean your suffering or qualms is not valid. After establishing I held the power in my life and should not succumb to my daft deprecations, I decided to focus on affirmations, relaxing activities, and journaling to quell my negativity. Truth be told, I have never subscribed to the preachings of self proclaimed "self -help gurus". When someone promises journaling or meditation to be the answer to their prayers, I usually roll my eyes. However, I read an article on www.thedailystoic.com about journaling and it galvanized me into downloading some pdf journaling books. Before beginning, I established my expectations. Although I was very skeptical about journaling after hearing the self-help gurus promulgate it as if it were the secret elixir of life, I tried my best to keep an open mind. After journaling for a few days, my findings are inconclusive, as would be expected. A few days is never enough time to plant the seeds of considerable change, but it is a start. What I will say is that it wasn't as odious as presumed. I wrongfully presumed it would be an epic waste of my time that would lead to me wallowing in a pit of my despair, but it was nothing of the sort. I did feel rather liberated after jotting a few thoughts down; the emotions were still there, but I felt I had a better grip on them. Next in my pursuit to lift my spirits was affirmations. Long story short, It failed. Do not be mistaken, I am not by any means claiming affirmations are horrid or useless. I just found that they simply did not work for me, which is okay. I encourage you to explore self-care activities rather than just reading about them, because you will not know what is most efficacious if you do not try. To conclude, this week my mind was laden with negative thoughts. To alleviate these thoughts, I tried journaling and affirmations, the former of which shows promise and the latter of which was ineffective.
What are Subscriptions?
For any one who is unsure of what subscriptions are, subscriptions are recurring payments one makes in order to receive a service more than once. Subscriptions range from beauty services to music platforms to contracts with Netflix so one may watch a movie whenever they please. The attraction to subscriptions is due to their relatively low price and convenience: if a company offers a subscription, the cost per unit is usually lower than the contrary and the convenience is handy when the service is something you want frequently, but may not want to constantly take the time to purchase such as magazines. Lastly, the frequency of subscriptions varies greatly depending on the service provided and the desires of the consumer. Some subscriptions are monthly; others are biweekly or yearly, so on and so forth. By and large, the subscription offered is usually available on a monthly or yearly basis, the latter of which is a personal favorite.
The Rating System
For each subscription, subdivided by categories, I will provide a little blurb on what the subscription is, as well as a rating on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the best and 1 being the worst. The following evaluations are based on my personal experiences and opinions; they are to be taken with a grain of salt and an understanding of the unique nature and affinities of every individual.
Entertainment Subscriptions
Apple Music
Apple Music is a subscription for, as the name suggests, music (shocker, I know). Three plans are offered which are Student ($4.99 a month), Individual ($9.99 a month), and Family ($14.99 a month). I am ambivalent about Apple Music due to its main contender Spotify. On its own, Apple Music is wonderful. There is a large selection of artists, albums, and songs that are enough to keep me satisfied. The only gripe I have with it is the automated playlist is creates for me, in the made for you category, are lackluster. The reason I am ambivalent is the experience and interface on the app is the antithesis of that of Spotify's. Despite their drastic differences such as Apple music having a lighter appearance than Spotify, I cannot choose a favorite! I have switched between the two innumerable times, and I can't settle on one. My recommendation would be to try a free trial for both and go from there.
Overall, I would give Apple Music an 8/10.
Netflix
Netflix- I cannot believe I am defining it- is a platform that offers movies and shows. Members can sign up and binge as many shows and/or movies as they want out of the titles Netflix provides. Out of all of my movies and shows streaming subscriptions, Netflix is by far my favorite. They have wonderful originals they produce such as the show "Lucifer", popular titles such as "Gossip Girl", and a regularly updated selection from which to choose. If you do not have Netflix, and you do not steal it from your friends lol, for what are you waiting?
Overall, I would give Netflix a resounding 10/10.
Subscription Options:
Basic: $8.99 a month
Standard: $12.99
Premium: $15.99
*I am on the Standard Plan*
Hulu
Analogous to Netflix, Hulu is a streaming service for shows and movies. Unlike Netflix, I am not completely enamored of Hulu. Yes, I enjoy it. However, if I were forced to give it up, I would not be devastated. The reason for my lack of fervor is the expense incurred with Hulu. The price of basic plans is on par with the price of other services, but the amount you get for the price is not on par with the amount you get with other services. For example, many shows are off limits to those with remedial accounts. For the price of $60.99, you can access anything Hulu has to proffer! The value has been overshot, to put it simply. With that being said, I still subscribe to it because it offers some titles that Netflix does not and there is considerable versatility. Again, my recommendation for any and all of these subscriptions is to try a free trial before committing to anything.
Overall, Hulu gets a ranking of 6/10.
Subscription Options:
Basic: $5.99 a month
Hulu (no ads): $11.99 a month
Hulu + Live TV :$54.99 a month
Hulu (no ads) +Live TV: $60.99 a month
*I am on the Hulu (no ads) plan*
*The price of $60.99 hurt me to type*
Disney Plus
Disney Plus is a subscription streaming service for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic titles. Now, I beseech you to relinquish your preconceived notions about Disney Plus. When many hear "Disney", they promptly conjure up images of children and rudimentary content. While Disney's target demographic is obviously children, adults and families can enjoy the service as well. The nostalgia I experience when I rewatch "Full House" and "The Suite Life on Deck" is unparalleled. Additionally, I have grown to love the documentaries from National Geographic and the visuals provided. A service that is reminiscent of childhood and provides educational content, for what more can you ask? The cherry on the cake is the price. I went "splits" with 3 of my friends- Disney Plus allows 7 people to share an account, with 4 screens allowed to view the content at the same time. When I split the price with my friends, I paid for a one-year subscription, the cost came to less than $20 a year. What a steal! Needless to say, I adore Disney Plus.
Overall, I would give Disney a 9/10, the reduction of a point only because the demographic is more niche than other platforms.
Subscription Options:
Hulu, Disney +, and ESPN + Plan= $12.99 a month
Disney + Only: $6.99 a month; $69.99 a year.
Youtube
The Youtube premium subscription is seldom spoken about, and for good reason too. A premium subscription, the most basic level, allows users to download videos, eradicate ads, use youtube music (which sucks), and use background play. It is hardly a wonderful deal. The perks are nice, but there are so few of them. More than $10 a month for four features, are you kidding me? Nonetheless, I purchased a subscription for a month to try it out; I was underwhelmed. I hastily canceled the subscription, but truth be told I have had reservations about it. Today, for the first time in a month, I had ads in my videos and it was bothersome. I became accustomed to never having interruptions, so to go back to having them is awful (these are first world problems; I know). In the future, I would definitely re-subscribe if Youtube lowered the price. I would certainly shell out a few measly dollars for this subscription, just not upwards of $10.
Overall, Youtube Premium deserves, in my humble opinion, a 5/10.
Subscription Options:
Youtube Premium ($11.99/month)
Youtube Music ($9.99/Month)
Youtube TV ($64.99/Month)
Hulu + Live TV ($64.98/Month)
Traditional Services ($109.30)
Miscellaneous
Apple News +
Apple News is a subscription offered by Apple to get access to all the magazines they offer on their free app. I will keep this sweet and succinct: only purchase Apple News + if you are a staunch news reader. Most people seldom read the news-most just watch it- so I do not feel this is a pressing purchase to be made. As an avid news reader as of late, I enjoy having access to all of the articles and magazines my heart can desire in one place, but I recognize it is superfluous for some.
Overall, Apple news + is worthy of a rating of 7/10.
Subscription Options:
Apple News +: $9.99 a month
Canva
Canva is a wonderful editing and design platform that allows those with little to no graphics or editing experience to create sublime visuals and presentations. If you ever wondered how social media warriors and regular Instagrammers make their accounts so visually appealing, the answer is likely Canva. Most of Canva's features are available for free, but to access all of the possible shapes, pictures, and other trinkets as well as the ability to save brand relics such as logos, customers would have to pay for a premium subscription. Similarly to Apple News +, there is a niche demographic for this subscription in that the premium version is not meant for beginners. I would only recommend the premium version for experts as the added features are by no means necessary for wonderful creations and can be overwhelming for those just beginning to toy with design and Canva in particular.
Overall, Canva Premium is bestowed with a 6.5/10.
Subscription Options:
Canva Pro: $12.95 a month; $119.40 a year.
Zoom
Zoom is a communications platform that allows users to host calls and webinars. This is not a subscription on which I can say much, because it is not really a choice of whether to get it. Allow me to explain. A basic zoom account allows users to access 40 minutes of talk time per conference and a maximum of 100 participants. If someone were to own a company or organization, chances are they would need to accommodate more than 100 people and need more than 40 minutes of interaction. I am one of these people due to the fact I run a community service club and I am loquacious, so I need much more than a meager 40 minutes :). Ergo, Zoom paid plans are not for the run of the mill individual, but are quasi compulsory for companies.
Overall, I rate Zoom a 7/10. I hate paying for it, but It is very useful to have, and I need it.
Subscription Options:
PRO
Great for Small Teams$149.90 /year/license
BUSINESS
Small & Med Businesses$199.90 /year/license
ENTERPRISE
Large Enterprise-Ready$199.90 /year/license
*The prices are per year which is why they are astronomically high. I use the Pro Plan for Small Teams*
iCloud Storage
iCloud Storage is a subscription that simply gives you more space to store your photos, files, documents, etc on your iCloud (a storage system for Apple users). I would HIGHLY recommend upgrading your storage to a paid version, because you never know when a glitch could occur, leaving precious memorabilia and documents deleted. This is a case of it is better to be safe than sorry, and having tons of storage allows me to comfortably use my phone to my heart's desire without having to perpetually delete content.
Overall, a 9/10.
Subscription Options:
50GB: $.99 a month
200 GB: $2.99 a month (can be shared with your family)
2TB: $9.99 a month (can be shared with your family)
*I, along with my family, use the 2TB tier*
Notion
Notion is a project management, note-taking system, and organizer all in one. It is the pinnacle of all management systems and by far the best investment I have made insofar as subscriptions go. I use Notion to keep my schedules, plan projects, take notes for classes, and keep track of my short term goals and long term aspirations. In an alternate universe where I could only keep one subscription, I would unequivocally choose Notion. The platform does have a free version with a cornucopia of features, but I strongly believe with utmost conviction the premium is worth the splurge. Moreover, Notion allows you to accumulate credit that can be applied to your total price of the plan you choose. Users can earn credit through simple tasks such as downloading the Notion web extension or linking a google account.
Overall, Notion deservedly receives a 10/10 from me.
Subscription Options:
Personal Pro
$4 a month on a yearly plan; $5 a month on a monthly plan
Team
$8 a month per member on a yearly plan; $10 a month per member on a monthly plan
Enterprise
$20 a month per member on a yearly plan
*I use the personal pro plan, yearly version*
Conclusion
Subscriptions bring me immense joy, but they can quickly get out of hand. While a $1 here and there may not seem like much, it quickly racks up. I hope my opinions and comments shed some light on popular subscriptions and have better equipped you to make smart decisions for your economic future. Thanks for reading!
