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Money Question: How much do MacRumors users spend on software and subscriptions per year?

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BeautifulWoman_1984

macrumors demi-goddess
Original poster
Sep 5, 2016
543
70
Hey guys,

I know this may be a big question to ask, but it's been on my mind so much recently.

My current problem is that there it seems like there are more and more monthly subscriptions... 😧 I remember in the old days when Apps could be bought for one payment of say, $70, and not require an on-going monthly or yearly fee... Also, there are so many monthly streaming services like Amazon, Apple+ and Hulu etc etc.

I much prefer the "one off payment" like I do when I buy new Apple hardware.

I'm just worried about my financial expenses getting out of control and me not knowing the best value software to buy because of all these little monthly/yearly subscriptions for Apps and streaming services...😢

I thought this would be the best sub-forum to ask because it's such a relevant and important topic for all Mac users and computer users in general...

Thank you for any advice!
 
What apps are you using on your Mac now? The real bang for your buck option would be to subscribe to Setapp, but you might end up just using stuff that will cost you a one-time $25 like every 3 years otherwise.

There's no real best value software. Some people prefer Things, others OmniFocus, others just the built-in Reminders, but they're all different takes on the to-do list.
 
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Strange that when people complain of software subscriptions. I never hear mention of anti-virus. Which unless you use free products with annoying popups or Windows Defender. It's something you have to pay for yearly. More of a Windows problem. But still never hear it on Windows forums either.

Anyways, around $350 per year. For MS Office, Anti-Virus, TurboTax and various minor things. Minor things like ad removal from free apps. I include TurboTax since you have to buy a new version each year. Basically stuff where the subscription makes more sense than buying outright. Along with stuff where there is no alternative one time purchase.

There's plenty of computer related stuff I have to pay subscriptions for every year. Such as a VPN, Website Hosting and domains. Not software but computer work related.

------------------------------

If you want to get it under control and start figuring out how much you spend. Look through your receipts and bank statements. Setup a spreadsheet of expenses. Categorizing it and breaking it down. I prefer using a chart of accounts as the number codes make it easy to setup SUMIF statements. To summarize amounts for each account.

Sure it'll take a while. Especially if you don't normally use Excel, or the free LibreOffice;). But don't be too daunted. Break it down a little each day.

For any finance site (banking, credit cards, &c). There is usually an option to download the prior year or any date range you want in a CSV file. Although they don't make it easy to find. Then you'll have all your transaction. I then move the columns to match my preferred format and import them into my workbook. With a separate sheet for each. Which makes it easier to assign account codes to transactions.

Once you have it all done. You can look at categories and individual services and products. Then decide if it's really worth it? Is it a need or a want? What else could I have if I didn't spend on this? What are the alternatives to this specific service/program?

By breaking it down from one task to the next. Rather than one big looming project. You'll eventually get it done and have something easy to manage.

With Excel. Once you have it done. You'll also be able to make duplicate spreadsheets. Which you can then play around with the numbers. To see how your alternatives and cuts affect your overall yearly expenditure. It's amazing how quickly a few minor changes can slash your yearly budget by $1,000. Perhaps a lot more. Without any real difference in your quality of life.

So, maybe start there. Then move onto the bigger elephant. All your yearly expenses.

Also you can make fancy pie charts and bar graphs. If you need visual aides.

While their is home finance software. I've always been unimpressed with them. They don't allow the kind of control I get with Excel.
 
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Jessica Lares said:
What apps are you using on your Mac now? The real bang for your buck option would be to subscribe to Setapp, but you might end up just using stuff that will cost you a one-time $25 like every 3 years otherwise.

There's no real best value software. Some people prefer Things, others OmniFocus, others just the built-in Reminders, but they're all different takes on the to-do list.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply Jessica!

I've also needed to buy software for my iPad Mini and Windows 10 PC's as well so it's all really starting to become a big financial drain... 😢

I wish I could just buy software like I do with my hardware: one payment...
 
About $230 for software, more for media content and services like Netflix and BackBlaze. Just ended my Microsoft 365 subscription as I’ve found Pages & Numbers more than adequate for my current needs.
 
If you are having difficulty figuring out financial priorities and what does and does not work within your monthly income perhaps it would be a good idea to consult a financial advisor rather than people on an internet forum who all have different financial situations, different priorities, and different internet devices that they use to achieve their goals and follow their interests. Meet with someone who deals with finances, lay out your current income and outgo and what you'd like to see happen over the next year, the next two years, the next five years....and then work within whatever structure he or she develops in collaboration with you.
 
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BeautifulWoman_1984 said:
Hey guys,

I know this may be a big question to ask, but it's been on my mind so much recently.

My current problem is that there it seems like there are more and more monthly subscriptions... 😧 I remember in the old days when Apps could be bought for one payment of say, $70, and not require an on-going monthly or yearly fee... Also, there are so many monthly streaming services like Amazon, Apple+ and Hulu etc etc.

I much prefer the "one off payment" like I do when I buy new Apple hardware.

I'm just worried about my financial expenses getting out of control and me not knowing the best value software to buy because of all these little monthly/yearly subscriptions for Apps and streaming services...😢

I thought this would be the best sub-forum to ask because it's such a relevant and important topic for all Mac users and computer users in general...

Thank you for any advice!
Click to expand...

Well, I've just transitioned to the wonderful Apple eco system so there's some software i bought that I'll have for many ears to come.

Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro. One time fee(s)

Other than that, I have Apple iCloud 2 TB and Apple family, TV, Music and all that stuff, some of it that I got for free the first year due to buying a new Mac mini M1.
Dropbox Pro (3 TB), Adobe all bells & whistles, Google Drive, HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime, som local / swedish streaming sites as well.
I actually don't know how much it all sums up to, approx. $150 or so per month.
I pay for 12 months at a time if possible. That's sometimes cheaper per year.
 
Since I'm a don't upgrade unless it's a must have feature, I'm still using old software. $0 spent on new software for the past 4 years. I have yet to find new features in the software I use that I can't replicate via scripts/macros or stuff that I'd never use.

MS Office is a major offender. Words has bloated so much with useless desktop publishing features. Hail, I've got InDesign CS2 for that and it's so much better. Excel offers a lot of tempting new functions/forumlar, but I've been using VBA to rig up ghetto versions--ain't purdy, but it works.😁 One of these days, they're gonna add a function/formular that I must have. Then I'll upgrade. Non spreadsheet geeks might find it ho-hum, but the last killer feature that make me upgrade Excel was pivot tables. The greatest thing since Visicalc.
 
BeautifulWoman_1984 said:
Hey guys,

I know this may be a big question to ask, but it's been on my mind so much recently.

My current problem is that there it seems like there are more and more monthly subscriptions... 😧 I remember in the old days when Apps could be bought for one payment of say, $70, and not require an on-going monthly or yearly fee... Also, there are so many monthly streaming services like Amazon, Apple+ and Hulu etc etc.

I much prefer the "one off payment" like I do when I buy new Apple hardware.

I'm just worried about my financial expenses getting out of control and me not knowing the best value software to buy because of all these little monthly/yearly subscriptions for Apps and streaming services...😢

I thought this would be the best sub-forum to ask because it's such a relevant and important topic for all Mac users and computer users in general...

Thank you for any advice!
Click to expand...

What's fine for one person is totally unsuitable for the next.

I spent a fortune on apps - but then my job depends upon them. Therefore how does my spend change your spend?

I also earn a very nice salary and have zero debt (aside from my monthly watch payments that I could pay off instantly if I wanted to but might as well take advantage of the 0%) and max out my retirement every year and also throw a huge chunk of change into savings.

So, my situation differs than probably a majority of Americans (whom have cc debt, mortgages and minimal savings).

Don't spend money to meet someone else's spend. You do what feels right for your personal situation.
 
My average annual software expenditure over the last few years is close to $0. I don't have any subscriptions, or streaming services. I used to upgrade some utility software, but stopped doing that.
 
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glenthompson said:
About $230 for software, more for media content and services like Netflix and BackBlaze. Just ended my Microsoft 365 subscription as I’ve found Pages & Numbers more than adequate for my current needs.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply Glenthompson!
Clix Pix said:
If you are having difficulty figuring out financial priorities and what does and does not work within your monthly income perhaps it would be a good idea to consult a financial advisor rather than people on an internet forum who all have different financial situations, different priorities, and different internet devices that they use to achieve their goals and follow their interests. Meet with someone who deals with finances, lay out your current income and outgo and what you'd like to see happen over the next year, the next two years, the next five years....and then work within whatever structure he or she develops in collaboration with you.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply Clix Pic!

I thought asking the MacRumors Community would be an ideal place to ask because there are so many experienced wise and experienced PC/Mac/iOS users here.

What frustrates me is that I often need to pay a separate payment for two different platforms: for example: buying an iOS version of the App PLUS a PC version.

I'm starting to think it's cheaper to just have an all Mac/iOS device environment for my home...

It's amazing to me how many services/products are monthly subscriptions now... 😵 😵 😵
 
BeautifulWoman_1984 said:
Thank you for your reply Glenthompson!

Thank you for your reply Clix Pic!

I thought asking the MacRumors Community would be an ideal place to ask because there are so many experienced wise and experienced PC/Mac/iOS users here.

What frustrates me is that I often need to pay a separate payment for two different platforms: for example: buying an iOS version of the App PLUS a PC version.

I'm starting to think it's cheaper to just have an all Mac/iOS device environment for my home...

It's amazing to me how many services/products are monthly subscriptions now... 😵 😵 😵
Click to expand...
Unless you absolutely have to have a Windows computer at home, there really is no reason not stick with Apple only.

Write down all your monthly expenses that are not critical (anything that doesn't fall into mortgage, rent, utilities, car, food, etc.) Look at the new list and determine whether or not the stock Apple apps suffice to accommodate your current need. If stock apps suffice, that will drastically reduce your monthly subscription bill, unless you don't use more than 5GB of iCloud storage, or Apple Music etc. Anything left on the list needs to go, unless it is mission critical (e.g. password manager subscription.

More than likely, you are spending way more than you really need to, given your posting history.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
Unless you absolutely have to have a Windows computer at home, there really is no reason not stick with Apple only.

Write down all your monthly expenses that are not critical (anything that doesn't fall into mortgage, rent, utilities, car, food, etc.) Look at the new list and determine whether or not the stock Apple apps suffice to accommodate your current need. If stock apps suffice, that will drastically reduce your monthly subscription bill, unless you don't use more than 5GB of iCloud storage, or Apple Music etc. Anything left on the list needs to go, unless it is mission critical (e.g. password manager subscription.

More than likely, you are spending way more than you really need to, given your posting history.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply Apple_Robert!

You're definitely correct about me spending more than I need to and this is something I really need to address...

However, it's so hard to reduce monthly spending when more and more services/Apps are switching to this monthly payment option and do not accept one large payment... 😢😢😢
 
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