I don’t mind paying for AI — I just refuse to waste money on things I don't use or that aren't working for me. As the AI Editor at Tom’s Guide, I test new AI tools constantly. Some of them are really good, some of them are just okay and some I never grow to love.
And for a while, that meant I was paying for a lot of them. So I did what most people avoid: I audited everything and started cutting. Now I pay for just four AI tools every month — and each one has a clear role. If it doesn’t, it’s gone. Here’s what made the cut — and what didn’t.
