subscription for everything

[Anonymous]

Why does it feel like absolutely everything now requires a subscription? We have a 2 year old Hydrawise for our garden. In our previous house, we had something similar from another company. Neither required a subscription - but now Hydrawise says I have to pay a subscription fee for the app. I just want an old system where it turned on the sprinklers in the morning at the same time - without having to shell out in perpetuity for the thing I have already bought.

My printer wants me to sign up for a printer ink subscription. My water filter for my refrigerator needs a subscription. My list of monthly subscriptions is just out of control. How do I stop this?

[Anonymous]

For most products (not all) it is possible to find a version that does not require a subscription. Vote with your wallet.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, we don’t have any subscriptions outside of Netflix, etc. We have an old fashioned sprinklers timer in our shed, I buy printer ink at Staples and return cartridges for big savings, and we our water filter is on the sink, and I price shop when I need it every 6 months, by googling it because I want cheapest one and they are price gouging.

[Anonymous]

This probably doesn’t help, but I essentially default to the old school version of things. I don’t water my lawn, but if I did you can use a timer, a mechanical one. My fridge doesn’t have a water filter. We don’t sign up for the printer ink subscription. They can’t force you!

I still do end up with subscriptions, of course. Mostly software and news, but no subscriptions for products that should be stand alone things.

[Anonymous]

Because there's so much money to be made for with subscriptions. I only have HP ink subscription, but even that has given me more headache than necessary. Not the help I expected.
I also have only few bills like rent (all included), cellphone, internet bill, car insurance, and kid's health. They are all automated.
This is as clutter free as I can keep it.

[Anonymous]

I thought these new sprinkler systems were much smarter and are programmed to turn on only if they sense the ground is too dry.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if all these add on costs is partly how we end up with people making $300k/yr feeling poor. I’m not criticizing OP, just thinking out loud. Most nice fridges come with ice and water dispensers, and so now you need filters. Your house comes with an HOA that requires a lawn, which means a lawn service and subscription watering thingie. But the filter and the lawn don’t meaningfully make life feel nicer, richer, more joyful. They just are Things One Does.

But you don’t have to, at all. And then the drip drip drip of money out of your bank account slows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, we don’t have any subscriptions outside of Netflix, etc. We have an old fashioned sprinklers timer in our shed, I buy printer ink at Staples and return cartridges for big savings, and we our water filter is on the sink, and I price shop when I need it every 6 months, by googling it because I want cheapest one and they are price gouging.

This. We subscribe to nothing but streaming and even those we rotate. People are lazy. Millennials supposedly average 17 monthly subscriptions.

[Anonymous]

You can thank the McKinsey bros for that. Gotta monetize everything, profit, $$$$$, EPS, or else what’s the point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought these new sprinkler systems were much smarter and are programmed to turn on only if they sense the ground is too dry.

Yes. Smarter and now clearly endlessly expensive. I will not sign up for their subscription but I'll have to buy a new thing ...

[Anonymous]

Don’t subscribe.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Just don't do it it's that easy. I don't have one subscription.

[Anonymous]

Well to MAGA economics not only will it require subscriptions privatization of everything will be here in 5,4,3,2,11...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This probably doesn’t help, but I essentially default to the old school version of things. I don’t water my lawn, but if I did you can use a timer, a mechanical one. My fridge doesn’t have a water filter. We don’t sign up for the printer ink subscription. They can’t force you!

I still do end up with subscriptions, of course. Mostly software and news, but no subscriptions for products that should be stand alone things.

Absolutely! I've lived in the same home in Nova for over 25 years and never watered my lawn. A couple of neighbors do and spend an inordinate amount of time wandering their yards pulling weeds out with tweezers (I suspect to get away from the wife) and our lawns look no different from a few feet away. Saved a bunch of time and money over the years. Sure, the grass dies in bad summers with no rain but it comes back the next year. Teaches those little plants some resilience

[Anonymous]

My list of monthly subscriptions is just out of control. How do I stop this?

Shop more carefully. Don't buy products that require subscriptions when other options exist?

Nope. Just don't do it it's that easy. I don't have one subscription.

You don't have a telephone? Or electricity?