It’s Sunday. Good time for an honest conversation.
Open your subscriptions page. Look at all those AI tools you’re paying for. ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, maybe Midjourney, probably Jasper or Copy.ai from that webinar six months ago, definitely a few you forgot existed until just now.
Add it up. You’re probably spending $150 to $300 monthly on AI tools.
Now ask yourself: Which of these did you actually use this week?
I did this audit on my own stack last month. Found $230 in monthly charges for tools I touched maybe once in 60 days. Canceled six subscriptions. Kept four. My AI output didn’t decrease. It increased, because I actually understood the tools I kept.
This week, we’re doing your audit. Takes 20 minutes. Saves you thousands annually. Clarifies exactly what you need versus what marketing convinced you to buy.
The Brutal Reality Check:
Most people’s AI stack is a mess. They signed up for tools because:
• A YouTuber said it was “game-changing”
• A colleague mentioned it casually
• They saw a demo that looked cool
• There was a limited-time discount
• FOMO
None of those are good reasons to pay for software monthly.
Good reasons to pay for a tool:
• It solves a specific, recurring problem you have
• You use it at least weekly
• It saves more time/money than it costs
• No free alternative does the job adequately
• It integrates with your actual workflow
Let’s audit your stack against those criteria.
The 20-Minute Audit (Do This Right Now):
Step 1: List Everything (5 minutes)
Open your credit card statements from the past 3 months. Write down every AI-related subscription. Include:
ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise
Claude Pro
Midjourney or DALL-E credits
Jasper, Copy.ai, or other writing tools
Automation tools (Make.com, Zapier AI features)
Transcription services (Otter, Fathom, Fireflies)
Design tools with AI features (Canva Pro, Adobe Firefly)
Email tools (SuperHuman, others with AI)
Industry-specific AI tools for your niche
That one tool you forgot about until right now
Write the monthly cost next to each one. Add them up. That’s your current AI spend.
Step 2: Usage Reality Check (8 minutes)
For each tool, honestly answer:
1. When did I last use this? (If you can’t remember, it’s been too long)
2. How often do I actually use it? (Daily, weekly, monthly, never)
3. What specific problem does it solve? (If your answer is vague, it’s not essential)
4. Could I do this with a tool I already have? (Be honest)
5. If I canceled it tomorrow, would I notice within a week? (The real test)
Be ruthless. “I might use it someday” isn’t a reason to keep paying.
Step 3: Calculate ROI (4 minutes)
For tools you use regularly, do quick math:
Time saved per week × your hourly rate = weekly value
Weekly value × 4 = monthly value
Monthly value - tool cost = net ROI
If net ROI is negative, you’re paying to go slower. Cancel it.
Example: SuperHuman saves me 10 hours monthly at $100/hour value. That’s $1,000 in value. Tool costs $30. Net ROI: $970/month. Obviously keep it.
Counter-example: That AI writing tool costs $99/month. You use it once a month to write a blog post that takes 20 minutes instead of 30. You saved 10 minutes monthly. At $100/hour, that’s $17 in value. You’re losing $82/month. Cancel it.
Step 4: The Cut List (3 minutes)
Move tools into three buckets:
Keep (Essential): Use weekly, clear ROI, no good alternative
Test (Unsure): Use occasionally, unclear value, might be replaceable
Cancel (Waste): Rarely use, negative ROI, or have better alternative
Cancel everything in the “Cancel” bucket today. For real. Not “I’ll think about it.” Cancel now.
For “Test” bucket, set a 30-day timer. Use it intentionally for 30 days or cancel it. No middle ground.
The 2025 AI Stack (What You Actually Need):
After auditing 40+ businesses this quarter, here’s what a functional AI stack looks like for most companies:
Tier 1: Essential (Everyone Needs These)
1. One Multi-Model Platform
Either Galaxy.ai ($50/month) for access to all models, OR individual subscriptions to ChatGPT Plus ($20) + Claude Pro ($20). Galaxy wins if you regularly use multiple models. Individual subscriptions win if you’re loyal to one.
2. Email Management
SuperHuman ($30/month) if email is your bottleneck. Gmail with SaneBox ($7/month) if you just need basic AI triage. Most people should upgrade to SuperHuman.
3. Meeting Intelligence
Fathom (free to $19/month) for recording, transcription, and AI summaries. Otter works too but Fathom integrates better.
Monthly cost: $50 to $99
Tier 2: High-Value Add-Ons (If You Need Them)
4. Automation Platform
Make.com ($9 to $29/month) if you’re building workflows. Skip if you’re not automating processes.
5. Data Enrichment
Clay ($149/month) if you’re doing lead gen or customer research at scale. Overkill for most small teams.
6. Content Scheduling
Monthly cost: $15 to $240 (depending on needs)
Tier 3: Specialized Tools (Only If Specific Need)
7. Image Generation
Midjourney ($10/month) if you need high-quality images regularly. Grok (included with X Premium $16/month) if you’re already paying for X. DALL-E credits if occasional.
8. Voice/Audio Processing
Audio SOS from Scaling.com for podcast/video creators. Skip if you’re not producing audio content.
9. CRM with AI
Go High Level ($97 to $297/month) if you’re an agency. Overkill for most individual operators.
Monthly cost: $0 to $300+ (highly variable)
My Actual Stack (What I’m Paying For):
Here’s my complete list, with brutal honesty about why I keep each one:
Galaxy.ai ($50/month): Replaced ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, and Grok Premium. Saves me $26/month and gives me model comparison. Use it daily for writing, research, analysis.
SuperHuman ($30/month): Cuts my email time from 3+ hours to under 90 minutes daily. Worth every penny. Would pay double.
Fathom ($19/month): Records all client calls, generates summaries and action items. Saves 45 minutes per call on note-taking and follow-up. Process about 15 calls monthly.
Make.com ($29/month): Powers my lead automation workflow (the one from Monday’s edition). Processes 500+ leads weekly. Replaced a $800/month VA.
Clay ($149/month): Enriches all those leads. Could probably get by with cheaper alternatives, but Clay’s data quality is worth it for our volume.
Buffer ($12/month): Schedules social posts. Saves about 3 hours weekly versus manual posting.
Beehiiv ($49/month): Powers this newsletter. Better deliverability than Mailchimp. Worth it for the growth tools alone.
Total: $338/month
That sounds like a lot until you calculate ROI. These tools save me roughly 25 hours weekly. At my hourly rate, that’s $10,000+ monthly in value. I’m paying $338 to generate $10K in time savings. ROI: 2,858%.
What I Canceled (And Why):
Jasper ($99/month): Wrote better headlines than I did. Problem: I wasn’t writing headlines often enough to justify the cost. ChatGPT does this adequately when I need it.
Midjourney ($30/month): Beautiful images. Rarely needed them. Now using Grok (included with X Premium I already pay for). Quality is 80% as good, cost is $0 extra.
Otter ($17/month): Fathom does everything Otter did, better and cheaper.
Fireflies ($10/month): Same reason as Otter.
Copy.ai ($49/month): Bought it after a webinar. Used it twice. Waste.
Notion AI ($10/month): Seemed cool. Never integrated it into my workflow. ChatGPT does what I need.
Total saved: $215/month or $2,580/year
That’s a nice vacation. Or reinvestment into tools I actually use.
The Consolidation Strategy:
Most people can consolidate down to 4 to 6 core tools and get better results than they’re getting with 15. Here’s how:
Instead of: ChatGPT + Claude + Grok + Gemini ($76/month)
Use: Galaxy.ai ($50/month)
Savings: $26/month
Instead of: Otter + Fireflies + manual note-taking
Use: Fathom ($0 to $19/month)
Savings: $27/month + hours of time
Instead of: Midjourney + DALL-E credits + Canva Pro
Use: Grok (with X Premium) + Canva free tier
Savings: $30+/month (depending on usage)
Instead of: Multiple automation tools
Use: Make.com for everything
Savings: Variable, often $50+/month
The pattern: Fewer tools, used better, with clear integration between them.
Common Mistakes When Cutting Tools:
Mistake 1: Canceling everything in a panic
Don’t go from 15 tools to zero. Cut the obvious waste first. Test life without the “maybes” for 30 days. Keep the essentials that have proven ROI.
Mistake 2: Keeping tools “just in case”
If you haven’t used it in 60 days, you won’t suddenly start using it next week. Cancel it. If you desperately need it later (you won’t), you can resubscribe.
Mistake 3: Replacing premium tools with inferior free alternatives
Free is expensive if it costs you hours of frustration. If a tool saves significant time and works well, keep paying for it. Optimize cost, don’t race to zero.
Mistake 4: Not tracking usage after the audit
Set a monthly reminder to review what you actually used. Tool you thought was essential but haven’t touched in 6 weeks? Time to cut it.
The 90-Day Optimization Plan:
This week: Do the audit. Cancel obvious waste. Feel immediate savings.
Week 2 to 4: Test life without the “maybe” tools. Track if you miss them.
Month 2: Optimize the keepers. Learn keyboard shortcuts, watch tutorials, actually use advanced features you’re paying for.
Month 3: Measure results. Are you faster? More productive? Actually using the tools you kept? If not, cut more.
Your New Stack (Recommendations by Business Type):
Solopreneur/Consultant:
• Galaxy.ai or ChatGPT Plus ($20 to $50/month)
• SuperHuman ($30/month)
• Fathom free tier ($0)
• Buffer free tier ($0)
Total: $50 to $80/month
Small Agency (2 to 10 people):
• Galaxy.ai team plan ($150/month for 5 users)
• SuperHuman for leadership ($30/month each)
• Fathom Pro ($19/month)
• Make.com ($29/month)
• Buffer or Beehiiv ($12 to $49/month)
Total: $210 to $310/month
Scaling Startup (10+ people):
• ChatGPT Enterprise (custom pricing)
• Fathom for all client-facing roles
• Make.com or Zapier for automation
• Clay for data enrichment
• Go High Level if selling to SMBs
Total: Variable, $500 to $2,000+/month
Want the Full System?
The audit is step one. Step two is building a stack that actually works together instead of a pile of disconnected tools.
I’ve documented our entire setup inside the AI Business Accelerator ($97):
• Every tool we use and why
• How each tool connects to the others
• Workflows for lead gen, client delivery, content creation
• Templates, prompts, and automation scenarios you can clone
• Monthly tool evaluations (we test new stuff so you don’t have to)
It’s for operators who want a system that works, not a pile of subscriptions that look impressive on paper.
Details - Comment ACCELERATOR.
Now go audit your stack. Cancel the waste. Keep what works. Build something lean.
Jordan Hale
The AI Newsroom
P.S. After you cut the waste, reinvest some of those savings into the tools that actually deliver ROI. SuperHuman is giving $80 credit through this link. That’s almost 3 months free to test if it’s worth keeping. Start there.