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If you feel like these days, almost everything requires a membership or subscription, you aren't wrong. We live in times some call the "subscription economy", where even the most useless memberships are for up for grabs.
Yet, there are still some subscriptions that are worth paying money for. When someone online asked "What membership is worth every single penny?" plenty of netizens provided examples, so we decided to put them in one list, like a handbook of useful ways to spend money. Let's check it out, shall we?
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Library cards are the ultimate life hack; free books, movies, audiobooks, and even online courses. Feels like cheating the system in the best way.
JayWantsACat 9 months ago
I wholehearted endorse for access to the libraries themselves, but also because you can use your membership to access books, films, audiobooks, etc. for free ONLINE through sites like Hoopla. Having a card gives you much more than the ability to check out a physical book.
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#2
Your UNION membership!
Unionize and fight back. They have Citizens United. Unions ARE citizens, united.
Source: This IBEW JIW.
Regina Holt 9 months ago
I wish unions were more prevalent. But the powers that be fight against them with all they've got.
#3
AAA - they've towed my car for free within the hour twice when I've been in a bind, that's worth the $5/month for me.
DeoManus Argentem 9 months ago
AAA is awesome! There are so many perks most people don't even know about - like they'll reimburse you for a locksmith if you lock yourself out of your home, and reimburse you for a lawyer if you get a ticket, and so much more - I learned a lot just reading through the handbook while waiting for a tow once (it was a Sunday so took a long time, other times it's been like 15 minutes.) Heck, years ago I called because I locked myself out of my car while shopping - they said my membership had been expired for over 3 years! But they dispatched a guy to unlock my car right away while I was signing back up on the same call - nothing but awesome things to say about AAA! (American Automobile Association, for those unaware, they operate as CAA in Canada, dunno about elsewhere)
You may have (or may have not) noticed that nowadays, almost everything we use has its own subscription or membership form. Especially apps or programs. Some have dubbed this situation the "subscription economy” and we can’t say we disagree with such a name.
In the last couple of years or so, many things that we used to buy with one-time purchases have now become subscription-based. That means that now, instead of buying a product to own, you have to constantly pay in order to have access to it and when you stop paying, you no longer have it.
As an example, let’s take music CDs. Back in the day, you used to buy and have it for all time (or at least until you decided to give/throw it away). So, one sale and that’s it, the companies had no way of knowing how much you listen to that CD or make money from those listens.
#4
In Michigan when you get your plate sticker you can get the "Recreation Pass" for $14 that lets you park for free at all state parks. Most state parks are $8 for parking so you use it twice its already paid for itself.
Regina Holt 9 months ago
This is a really good idea. But I hope our national parks survive the chainsaw of elon muck
#5
Costco and National Park Annual Pass.
Tiffany 9 months ago (edited)
I used to avoid Costco membership saying $60ish is too much. It's about $5 a month. I actually save money 💰 with the cat litter alone. The savings pays for the membership in the first 2 or 3 months. I enjoy the $10 food court pizza. It's HUGE. I freeze slices for my husband. The hot dog combo is fun too. Food sales in bulk are fantastic! They do have healthy food for a good deal. I get a giant watermelon in the summer for a flat price. The $5 rotisserie is great for easy nights. I rarely go out to eat anymore after getting Costco membership. It's like Disneyland for us. I love Costco. They have good stuff! My husband is a sour boy with shopping 🛍 . Costco he gets excited too. 😊 Even on a strict budget we still enjoy picking out 1 or 2 things outside the cat litter. The $7 organic frozen blueberries 🫐 is a staple. It's hard to pick out needs vs wants on a tight budget. We make a list and stick with it on those months. We're happy with it. I can barely go out to eat and be happy about the cost and quality. I make my own crab legs now. They're delicious. We get a lot more too price wise. Same for anything else. He's enjoying learning new recipes with me.
#6
Columbia House Records. You gotta be old to get it.
Now, buying CDs isn't that common, as people usually stream music on various platforms. While some of these services are paid, others are free, but come with ads (that the app makes money from) and other inconveniences that make people consider a subscription. And, well, we don’t have to tell you that this option is profitable for the companies.
Besides, with streaming services, artists can see how much their music is listened to, what songs are the most popular, and things like that. Still, that doesn't mean that they no longer try to sell CDs or vinyl records – oh, they surely do. And they keep coming up with various ways to draw fans’ interest in buying.
For instance, selling different versions of vinyl. Some fans, driven by the desire to collect things from their favorite artists, buy at least one version, if not more, driving up the sales of the record. Artists such as Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and many others have done similar things in recent times.
#7
Dolly Parton Imagination Library Book Club.
Catlady6000 9 months ago (edited)
Her husband, Carl Dean, died Monday. They were together almost 60 years. I often forget how old she is. I'm sad for her and will be heartbroken when she follows him.
#8
I have a toddler, so right now, the zoo is the best membership. $90 for year covers two adults and a child. You can also bring a friend (child). If you go more than once it’s already paid for itself. It’s a fun thing to do after school or the weekends.
st4x2gt974 9 months ago
Wholeheartedly agree! That and museum memberships. You will foster a love for our planet and a thirst for knowledge in your children that will follow them throughout all of life. My happiest memories were spent with the kids I nannied for and later my own 3 kids in zoos and museums on the weekends before sports and life got in the way. Fairly certain my oldest son will become a paleontologist one day, too!
#9
AA. Alcoholics Anonymous saved my life and while it isnt a membership fee, the dollar i put in the basket is the best money I spend.
Different versions aren’t the only way to sway the fans to buy physical albums. In the South Korean entertainment industry, selling limited edition photocards of artists, a common collectible among the fans, isn’t uncommon.
For example, recently rapper, singer, and songwriter G-Dragon released his new album Übermensch. There were various versions of it for fans to buy, which included photocards, as well as the photocard book with an NFC chip. This made fans to want to purchase at least one (or often more than one) version of the album, so they could get their hands on limited edition photocards.
While current artists get slammed for finding ways to sell various versions of their records, it should be noted that this concept isn’t new. Back in 1979, Led Zeppelin released their album In Through the Out Door with different versions of the cover. Other artists like The Beatles and David Bowie have made different versions of their records too.
#10
Tsa Precheck. 100 bucks for 5 years is 100% worth it if you even fly once a year. Especially if that annual travel is over the holidays.
Jumping Jellyfishes 9 months ago
It was $85 my first five years, and then $70 to renew. So nice to just breeze through. Even getting flagged for a random check goes pretty fast.
#11
Vpn subscription. Then fly the black flag.
john doe 9 months ago
Been a pirate for 20 years, I've saved thousands and thousands on media. There is a new show you want to check out, screw paying some streaming service to see it, pirate that and now you also own a digital file that you can keep on a hard drive forever. F**k the streaming model
#12
The membership that I use on the most consistent basis is Spotify.
The only difference between artists back then and now is that the music fans buy with physical objects is reachable via streaming nowadays. Yet, as we already acknowledged, it’s dependent on programs which have the ability to limit, alter or remove the product.
That’s why physical media is important. Purchasing an album means you own it, you will always have access to it, and no service can delete it on a whim. Additionally, quite often, physical media has better quality than streaming, only adding worth to physical objects.
#13
Health insurance that covers all medical costs.
Edit: I'm European so it's just a small fee, or for free if your income is not high enough :).
#14
My gym membership is great as long as I actually use it often enough .
Even so, that doesn’t mean that all subscriptions are worthless - there are definitely some worth paying money for and we have collected a full list of them. All of these options were suggested by netizens in an online thread under the question “What membership is worth every single penny?”.
And let’s just say the list is diverse – some of them you might have heard about or even subscribe to, while others might surprise you and maybe make you consider becoming a member.
Do you have any other examples of memberships that are worth paying money for? Share with us in the comments!
#16
Kindle unlimited. I usually read 2 or 3 books a week and can always find something on unlimited. For things I want to read that are not part of unlimited, I use the library.
DeoManus Argentem 9 months ago
A must for me too! I've read so many good things I never would have if their algorithm didn't recommend them based on my history!
#17
Honestly, YT red or whatever it's called now. music streaming and zero commercials on YT,and if you spend a lot of time there it's worth it.
#18
Barkbox- my dog knows the box and the day it’s delivered is my favorite day of the month. He gets so excited!
#19
If you travel a lot, Global Entry is worth the $20/year. Comes with TSA Precheck. Some credit cards will reimburse you for the cost.
Wang Zhuang 9 months ago (edited)
I might look into this. Are any of you enrolled in it? Does it help you get through immigration faster?
#20
I like my humble bundle membership...I get games every month...usually 1 is worth the sub.
Nitka Tsar 9 months ago
Who needs a new game every month? I AM a gamer, but normally I don‘t play x games at the same time. I like games that are not done after just a month or less.
#21
AMC A List/Regal Unlimited
I have the Regal one. I pay $22/month. A movie ticket here in Chicago is $15-$17. I love going to movies so it's insanely worth it if you use it twice a month or more in certain months.
Everybody jokes about MoviePass and how they completely imploded at the end. But they truly changed the industry. The subscriptions would not exist without them and for that, I'm grateful.
#22
This is Reddit so I'm going to get my account sent into oblivion but... Amazon prime. Amazon music, prime TV, and free delivery, for one payment.
Peter Parker 9 months ago
"this is Reddit".. well no, this is BP stealing all the content of Reddit..
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Victoria 9 months ago (edited)
YouTube premium is really worth it just for no ads. Plus YouTube music is included in the no ads, although it's not as good as Spotify.
Floeckchen 9 months ago
Also you can shut down your display on your smart phone and the audio keeps on playing.
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Auntriarch 9 months ago
In England, National Trust and English Heritage. You've saved your membership fee after a couple of visits, and it encourages you to visit things you might have thought twice about
Victoria 9 months ago (edited)
YouTube premium is really worth it just for no ads. Plus YouTube music is included in the no ads, although it's not as good as Spotify.
Floeckchen 9 months ago
Also you can shut down your display on your smart phone and the audio keeps on playing.
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 9 months ago
In England, National Trust and English Heritage. You've saved your membership fee after a couple of visits, and it encourages you to visit things you might have thought twice about
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