With so many online subscription products becoming available in seemingly all areas of life, it can be hard to distinguish between those that actually add value and those that simply drain precious pennies from your accounts.
Some demand a hefty up-front annual fee, whilst others coax you into sign-up with the devilishly small €2.49 per month. But as most of us eventually realise, it all adds up.
Tired of getting hoodwinked by compelling marketing copywriters, we commissioned Robert Kostov to create this shortlist of 20 online subscriptions & resources under €50 that are worth the investment as they actually will improve your life.
Ever check your bank balance and wonder where the heck all your money is, only to realise it went on an array of different subscriptions and services that you’re not even using?
In today’s world, it can be extremely difficult to manage your money because there are just too many things to subscribe to, and places where subscriptions take place: via app stores, websites, digital TVs and many other interfaces. Worse still, too many of us pay for services we rarely use.
In this article we’ll look at 20 online Subscriptions & Resources under €50, which will improve your life and are actually worth your money.
These 20 services are divided into four categories and we’ll also discuss how to manage your subscriptions better to make sure you actually use what you buy.
Also, many of these work as great gifts for any person who is appreciative of life and wants to grow. For a related topic check out our 16 zero waste gifts you can get last minute.
With all that said, let’s get into it…
The problem with online subscriptions
First of all, let’s identify why so many people have a problem with online subscriptions. Understanding this alone might shift your mindset in a direction where you’ll have an easier time managing the different payments you have. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.
The first issue you’re sure to be dealing with is the quantity of the services you pay for. There are just too many services in today’s world that require a subscription.
Most of these are everyday services like movies and music streaming and it’s incredibly easy to think “Well, of course I’ll be using this. Everyone does.” We’re talking about platforms like Netflix or Spotify that you have to pay in order to use at all.
Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying a movie, or listening to music. The problem comes when you blindly keep paying the monthly subscription, even if you’re not getting the full value from the service.
For example, even though a surprisingly high 19 percent of U.S. adults claim to watch or stream movies every day, most of us don’t. Yet we still continue with monthly payments, even if we’re only occasional watchers.
I know friends that hit Netflix especially hard during lockdown, exhausting the deepest content recesses of the platform. If that sounds familiar to you, maybe consider pausing your subscription for a few months whilst the Netflix teams work on the next series of Stranger Things or Narcos.
Also, did you know there’s a notification option for every time you get charged? It’s a good idea to turn this on since it’ll give you more awareness of when and what you’re paying.
The second issue is more of a psychological game you’re playing with the owners of these services, and the problem is, most of the time you’re on the losing side.
One of the reasons online subscriptions are so popular is because of the feeling we get from being subscribed. It takes some observation to notice but full-time access gives us a feeling of freedom – that we can watch a movie whenever we want.
And while that doesn’t seem like a big problem, it’s an emotion we experience, and emotions control our actions way more than our minds do. Thus, we agree to a subscription for that emotional feeling of being able to watch whatever we want, when we want, rather than a rational, return on investment consideration.
On the subject of which, when was the last time you totalled up your annual spend on subscriptions and asked yourself if it’s actually worth the money, when compared to other ways you might want to spend that money – such as a vacation, or education?
If you decide it is, then that’s great. As you’ll see below, there are many high value-add subscriptions to be found. But if there’s even a part of you that thinks it’s too much then it might be time to make some tough decisions.
Luckily, there are plenty of online subscription services that can actually have a payoff higher than their comparatively small subscription cost.
So without further ado, here are our top 20 online subscriptions & resources under €50 that will improve your life.
Personal Growth Resources:
The first type of online subscription that is sure to be a value bringer in your life is what we’ll call the personal growth category.
In this category, we’ll be including subscriptions that give you access to online courses, classes and new information on self-development.
Top Pick: Mindvalley
Our top pick for this category is Mindvalley. It’s only €21 if you subscribe yearly and it delivers enormous value, with a deep library of masterclasses on a range of topics.
Every one of their teachers is a high-level expert with vast amounts of experience and expertise. Their masterclasses are also incredibly professionally produced so you get real quality with everything you watch.
Mindvalley cover just about every aspect of self-development, including:
1. Mind
Mind classes cover the different success mindsets, as well as memory, activity, and health of the mind so that you can feel satisfied in what you do and not just chasing smoke.
2. Body
Body classes feature different workouts, diets, and knowledge about everything body-related. They’re built to enhance your health and get you to your peak physique for your age. They cover workouts, sleep cycles, diets, immunity, heart rate tips, and more.
3. Soul
This category has many different spiritual and energetic classes, ranging from exploring your inner world and finding peace within yourself to using that inner peace to change the world, accessing inspiration and intuition and gaining clarity on your personal goals.
4. Career
Including many different business models, strategies, mindsets, and knowledge bombs from successful entrepreneurs who are sharing their secrets to help you achieve maximum results.
5. Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship classes help you discover your inner calling for the impact you want to have on the world and guide you in designing plans to achieve that goal.
6. Relationships
From learning more about human relationships, both romantic and friendly, to sexual interactions, attractiveness, and even parenting.
In short, Mindvalley covers just about everything you might need. It’s like the ‘Success Netflix’.
They’re also constantly developing new classes so you’ll always have something fresh to learn.
→ Link to subscribe: www.mindvalley.com
→ The monthly subscription is €50
→ The annual subscription is €257 which turns out to €21.41 a month
2. Udemy
Udemy is another great learning platform that’s sure to bring you a lot of value.
It’s full of online courses on different subjects such as Design, Development, Marketing, IT, Personal Growth, Business, Photography, Music, and more, and is designed in a way where you buy individual courses, usually around the price of €11 or €12.
The only reason it’s not our top pick is that anyone can create a course on Udemy and put it up for sale, so quality isn’t as guaranteed as it is with Mindvalley. But all classes are rated by users, which helps sort the wheat from the chaff, and you can watch preview classes for every course before you buy, so you get a feel for what you’re investing into.
Plus most have money-back guarantees too, so it’s overall still a great option.
→ Link to Subscribe: https://www.udemy.com/
→ On Udemy you buy each individual course, the most common price for an online course is €16.99.
3. Skillshare
Skillshare is an online subscription platform that offers varied online courses, just like Udemy. However, unlike Udemy, you get unlimited access to all classes once you’re subscribed.
Skillshare is best when it comes to abstract creative pursuits like art, music, photography, how to do presentations, and many more.
It’s amazing at what it does best and is a great resource for people who want to learn more and enhance their toolkit.
The monthly subscription costs only €2.16 so it’s great value. Also, you can get a month’s free trial to try before you buy.
→ Link to Subscribe: https://www.skillshare.com/
→ The monthly charge is €2.15
→ The annual charge is €25.80
4. Audible
Audible is a great online service that offers thousands and thousands of audiobooks in any genre imaginable. From fantasy to self-help, to non-fiction, to science, Audible has it all.
Most audiobooks are voiced over by the authors themselves, but even the ones that are not are done by professional voice actors, and the quality is exceptional.
An Audible subscription gives you a book credit every month that you can redeem for any book you choose. It works out at €13 a book if you do it monthly. If you have money in advance, however, you can buy 24 credits at once, which is basically 24 books. That works out at €10 per audiobook, which considering the Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings audiobooks are usually at least €20, it’s a great deal.
And any audiobook you buy, you also keep after the subscription ends so once you’ve paid for it once, it’s yours.
It’s an overall great resource for new information, or entertainment, that you can tap into when you’re driving, running, cycling, cooking, commuting, or any number of scenarios, so we rate it as one of the best online subscription services there is.
→ Link to subscribe: https://www.audible.com
→ Monthly Billing: €12.90
→ Annual Billing: €128.90 (€10.70 a month)
5. Duolingo
Last but not least we have, Duolingo.
Duolingo is one of the easiest and most non-boring ways to go about learning a new language. You don’t need a stack of books, or a teacher to test you, Duolingo has built a scientifically proven system of well-paced and well-crafted lessons to immerse you in a broad range of languages – from English and German, to Gaelic and Klingon.
The way it works is, you select a new language, and you choose what language you want to learn from. For example, you want to learn Spanish from English. And then off you go.
Duolingo is one of the best language learning platforms because it doesn’t feel hard work like traditional language lessons can. If you’ve ever experienced or heard a friend talk about how they learned a language just by watching cartoons when they were little, or from listening to music, that’s the feeling Duolingo gives you because, with its gamified features, it can be as entertaining as it is testing.
It’s a great option for people who want to learn a third language. That’s less than a Netflix subscription, and far more useful.
→ Link to subscribe: https://www.duolingo.com
→ Monthly billing: Duolingo itself is free, Duolingo PLUS is €11.20 Monthly
→ Annual billing: €69
Health & Fitness Resources
In this category, we’ll focus on resources that are health-related, Fitness, nutrition, meditation, and so on.
These types of subscriptions are usually underestimated since effectively tracking your Fitness (for example) can help get you better results in the long run, and free up time wasted with ineffective workouts.
There are tonnes of free fitness and health apps, but most either don’t offer the value the paid ones do, or even if they do, research shows us that we’re more likely to use something we’ve paid for.
Top Pick: Headspace
Headspace is a Meditation app that focuses on mindfulness-based meditation, which helps underpin lasting inner changes.
It’s designed in a way that helps your inner growth and awareness with every passing day. The transformation to a calmer, more relaxed state happens so gradually that other people start noticing the change even before you do. Headspace helps improve things like:
1. Finding more joy:
In the first 10 days you’ll start feeling more relaxed, you won’t snap at people as much and you’ll likely find more joy or contentment in what you’re doing – even the most everyday boring tasks.
2. Getting better sleep:
The calming effects on our minds from meditation helps improve the quality of our sleep and relaxation time. You’ll feel more refreshed, with fewer blue bags under your eyes and no more yawning all day.
3. Feel happier and lighter
After meditating consistently many people report positive feedback from those around them such as: “You look happier”, “You look brighter”, “Are you in love?” and the like.
Overall Headspace is a great app and a great way to calm your nerves, enjoy life more, and be a brighter soul for the people around you.
It costs only €10 a month and for that payoff, it’s pretty amazing.
→ Link to subscribe: https://www.headspace.com/
→ Monthly billing: €4.90
→ Annual billing: €58.60
2. Unimeal
Unimeal is a €17 monthly personalised nutrition program.
Take a quiz, and based on YOUR lifestyle, you’ll get a tailored meal program and meal prep tips to get you into the best shape possible.
→ Link to subscribe: https://unimeal.com/
→ Billing: Completely free. Premium is €17 monthly and people report 10x the results from it.
3. adidas Training apps
adidas Training app is a fantastic app that lets you choose different muscle groups and pick workouts suited to your training goals.
The workouts are guided and there are even challenges so you can compare your results with other people to push yourself more. It’s great for building strength and living a happy and healthy life.
→ Link to download: https://www.runtastic.com/
→ Usual: Free
→ Pro monthly billing: €8.60
→ Pro annual billing: €43.10
4. Myfitnesspal
No workout can replace a bad diet. Myfitnesspal is a service that offers meal plans and solutions for every weight class and it only costs €8.60 for the premium usage.
Usually, people find it difficult to keep up with different meal programs but Myfitnesspal helps by giving you a food diary to keep your progress in check, an online community to help out if you ever start struggling, and last but not least, it’s connected to other training apps like map my run and others to ensure that you’re making progress in both your diet and your workouts.
It’s an amazing tool and many people have seen great results from it.
→ Link to subscribe: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
→ Monthly billing: €8.60
→ Annual billing: €43.10
5. Jefit Workout planner & gym log
Jefit workout planner is a free app that costs only €4.30 for its Pro version. It’s the “Ultimate all in one strength training tracker”, helping you track your sets, reps, even down to the number of moves you make during exercise.
It also lets you track rest intervals and rounds for whatever you’re doing. By comparing to past workouts you can assess your strength improvement for the month and you’ll be shocked at the results.
→ Link to subscribe: https://www.jefit.com
→ Monthly billing: €6
→ Annual billing: €34.50
Productivity Resources
Top Pick: IFTTT
IFTTT is a “Home automation service” that helps you cut the time you spend on everyday home tasks.
IFTTT stands for “If This Then That”, which is a programming term that essentially automates a next action based on a condition being fulfilled.
For example, you might set a condition: “When I walk in the room”, and the action as “The air conditioning turns on”. So when you walk in the room guess what happens? That’s basically IFTTT in a nutshell – albeit just one example of thousands of possible ‘Applets’ you can browse and implement when you sign-up.
You can even make your own applets and work personally with IFTTT to create your own home automation system.
It’s an amazing way to save time so you can do more of what you love without having to distract yourself with mundane chores. Here are some examples of applets you can set up:
– Air conditioning starts at a certain time so when you get back home from work you’re at the right temperature (saves a lot of money in the long run)
– Automate the lights in your home to switch on and off via clapping or voice.
– Automate watering plants so you save more water and time
It’s an amazing service and only costs €3.50 so it’s way worth the money for something that will save you so much time and energy.
→ Link to subscribe: https://ifttt.com/
→ Lowest price: €3.50 a month
→ Highest price: €8.60 a month
2. Evernote
Evernote is an app that helps you keep notes, organise tasks, and archive important information. The app is only €7 and does work worth a lot more – like a second brain, and personal assistant rolled into one.
It’s a powerful tool whether you’re a business associate capturing meeting notes and research clippings, a writer capturing thoughts and drafting stories, or visual creatives capturing inspiration.
With syncing across the cloud, it allows you to work anywhere, remember everything, find things fast, and get work done more easily.
It’s a great tool for people who need to be a little more organised and also saves a lot of mental capital.
→ Link to subscribe: https://evernote.com/
→ Basic price: Free
→ Monthly billing PRO: €6.90
→ Annual billing PRO: €60.35
3. Todoist
Todoist is another one of those apps that clear mental space by giving you a place that isn’t your brain to manage your to-do list.
Categorise, prioritise and set up reminder notifications so you’ll never miss a deadline again. Manage your work, home, social and hobby to-dos in one simple interface that also syncs well with other common apps like Gmail and Calendars.
And all this is just €2.60 for the pro bundle.
→ Link to subscribe: https://todoist.com/
→ Monthly billing: €3.45
→ Annual billing: €31
4. Pocket
Pocket is a great app if you’re surfing the web a lot but you don’t have time to read or watch everything you find immediately.
Instead, simply store it in your ‘Pocket’, then whenever you have the time, head to your pocket and catch-up on your saved list.
It’s basically the ‘Watch Later’ Playlist on Youtube, but works for any website.
Tag and categorise your saved links so they’re easy to find for key projects or themes.
If you’ve ever been frustrated because you can’t find an article or video that you’d previously stumbled upon. Or you do lots of research for professional, academic, or personal interest, then try Pocket out.
It’s actually free to use and only €4.30 a month if you decide to go premium.
→ Link to subscribe: https://getpocket.com/
→ Monthly: €4.30
→ Annual: €39
5. Last Pass
Passwords can be a real pain to remember sometimes, and you don’t want to use the same password for every website because of the high chances of being hacked.
Last Pass solves this issue for only €2.60 a month by becoming your own personal Password Manager. You can now generate complicated passwords that are incredibly difficult to remember and store them in LastPass. After this, whenever you try to enter a website, LastPass logs you in automatically and you don’t have to remember a thing.
→ Link to subscribe:
→ Monthly billing: €2.60
→ Annual billing: €31.20
Other Resources
In this final category we’ll be going over just a few final miscellaneous resources that might help make your life a little easier.
Top Pick: Hair Health Channels
There are too many channels on Youtube that claim to know a lot about hair, and specifically hair loss for men. Many simply say “Well… Genetics”. And that’s just not a satisfying answer.
Here are three Youtube channels that that have a huge amount of free information about men’s hair so you can learn how hair actually behaves, and the science behind it.
Trav White
Trav White’s channel is full of scientific research about hair follicles, the different phases hair goes through, and different hair products and the ingredients in them. He also offers a free hair type pdf that helps you find what your hair type is, in order to find the best products for you.
→ https://www.youtube.com/c/TravWhiteStyle
Jesse’s Barbershop
Jesse has been a professional hairstylist for a long time and he shares his secrets, going over different hairstyles and how to achieve them with your specific hair. It’s a newer channel but it brings tons of value to the table.
→ https://www.youtube.com/c/JessesBarbershop
The Hair Loss Show
This channel is created by two actual Certified Hair Doctors who have decided to bring hair education to the surface. They explain all about hair loss, the science behind it, and look at various solutions, as well as giving examples from their own work with real patients. It’s one of the best ways to learn about hair loss as they give raw true information without selling anything, unlike many articles that are just trying to get you to buy some new gel or serum.
→ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Z6GxYsW9EdvnUjqpGIbQA
2. The Power Up
The Power Up is our very own free newsletter subscription, in which we curate advice and practical wisdom on how to prime your mind, boost your body, charge your growth, and lead a more conscious and fulfilled life.
It’s completely free, and you can sign-up here.
3. Newsletters about your job
The next thing that would be extremely beneficial is subscribing to a newsletter that’s connected to your work.
Now, I don’t know what your job is, so I can’t recommend a specific newsletter for you, but whatever your niche, by now you can be sure that there are at least a few newsletter creators out there researching and sharing the latest news, happenings and research that might help you stay on top of your industry and wow your clients or boss with your cutting edge knowledge.
Sites like Letterlist are great listings resources for discovering new newsletters on any topic.
4. The Essential Man
The Essential Man is a style guide for men that gives incredible advice concerning men’s style. They talk about everything from clothing to watches to other accessories like hats and bracelets. They also give great advice like “Dressing up well is a skill” and showing examples of celebrities. They have both a newsletter and a blog, so be sure to check them out.
→ Link to subscribe: https://theessentialman.com
5. Paired
Paired is the #1 app for couples to improve communication, stay connected, and deepen intimacy.
The app combines fun daily questions and quizzes that partners swap answers to with relationship tips from leading therapists and academics.
Suitable for everyone, whatever your sexuality and whether you’re in a serious relationship, married, or a new couple, researchers from The Open University and the University of Brighton found that couples who used Paired for 3 months saw a 36% improvement in relationship quality, among other benefits.
→ Link: Paired.com
And that’s it for the 20 online subscriptions and resources under €50 that will improve your life. These are all incredibly valuable and will surely be worth the investment. However, keep reading to the end to see the best ways to get the most out of any subscription. It’s time to finally answer the problems posed at the beginning of the post.
Final Thoughts
At the beginning of the article we identified three problems that lead to the feeling of money just flying away on subscriptions. Let’s solve these problems right now.
1. Do you really need this subscription right now?
The first problem was with the high number of subscriptions you have.
This happens because it’s incredibly easy to get the feeling that “I need both this service, but also Netflix. And how will I listen to music without Spotify? And, well, I need my to-do list…”
The best way to fix this is to have an understanding of what you actually need at this specific point in your life and to UNSUBSCRIBE when you don’t need something. The unsubscribe option is there for a reason.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a movie every once in a while but if you subscribed to Netflix because you wanted to watch Troy – and now you’ve completed it, don’t just keep the subscription going in case something else comes along next month. Unsubscribe until it does. No one will take your spot, I promise.
2. Might pay-per-view be a better option?
The second problem was that you subscribe for the perceived freedom of being able to watch everything whenever you feel like it.
Isn’t everything available 24/7, 365 online anyway, and it would be just a few clicks to still watch whatever, whenever anyway, just without the monthly drip feed of $$$s from your bank account?
As in point one above, it’s easy to subscribe when you wanna watch something, and then if you have no more business there, you unsubscribe. If you want to watch something afterward just subscribe again when you need to. Schedule the few things you want to watch and after you’re done, you’re done.
3. Quality Vs Quantity
Last but not least, consider the quality of the online subscriptions and services that you pay for.
As said earlier, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a movie or a music album every once in a while. It’s an essential part of being human to experience art. But it’s also not something to take lightly when you’re paying lots of money for it.
Many of us feel obligated to keep watching new movies just because we’re subscribed – even if the selection isn’t great at that moment.
That’s why we advocate for life enhancing subscriptions like Mindvalley or Skillshare. Rather than wasting 90 minutes watching a trashy, cookie cutter action movie, why not invest that time to learn new skills or perspectives?
That’s all for now. While online subscriptions can be problematic if we neglect to manage them properly, and be objective about whether we really need them, I hope we gave you some insights on how to deal with these issues and think more critically about your subscription choices.
Also, if you found this helpful you might want to check out this article on 8 mobile apps that are adding not detracting from the quality of our life.
