MY MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS (THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORTH THE MONEY)

These days, subscriptions are everywhere — from apps we can’t live without to ones we barely use. So I thought I’d round up the ones I genuinely believe are worth the money — the ones I use constantly, rely on in daily life, and actually make my life better (not just drain my bank account).

These are the subscriptions I happily pay for — no regrets...

1. Canva Pro

If you know me, you know I live in Canva. I first discovered it during lockdown when I decided to start a podcast (yes, really) and needed promo graphics, episode covers, social templates — the whole lot. Canva Pro was instrumental in helping me create polished, professional visuals without a design degree.

Since then it has come on leaps and bounds. The templates are brilliant, the customisation options are insane, and yes — the background remover tool alone is worth the cost. I use Canva for:

• Blog graphics (everything you see here was made by me)

• Promotional assets for Instagram (@bychloemykel)

• Collages, thumbnails, reels cover art, and probably more

It truly is Photoshop for dummies — but chic, simple, and way less intimidating

Price: £11.99/month or £109.99/year

2. ChatGPT Plus

Okay, this one deserves its own celebration.Yes, I’m talking about me helping you help your readers, but on a subscription level.

I use ChatGPT Plus every single day for:

• Drafting and editing blog posts

• Brainstorming content ideas

• Writing emails or captions when my brain is fried

• Researching routines, ingredients, topics, trends

• Planning launches or strategy sessions

• Answering business questions with nuance and clarity

The Pro version (ChatGPT Plus) gives me faster responses, priority access even at busy times, and more accurate reasoning. It’s like having a bestie who’s always ready to help with writing, ideas, or strategy — without judgement.

Price: approx £20/month

3. Spotify Premium

This is one of the subscriptions I cannot ever see myself cancelling. I’m old enough to remember free Spotify before ads, and now that premium exists, I truly don’t know how people cope without it.

Music is more than background noise — it’s integral to who I am. Whether I’m:

• Driving

• At the gym

• Walking

• Cooking

• Getting ready

…I’m listening to something. Spotify’s features are unmatched — easy playlist making, algorithmic discovery (hello, Daily Mix), new releases tailored to my tastes, and of course, Wrapped every December (a highlight of the year).

We use the Spotify Premium Duo so me and my partner both have our own profiles under one plan — perfect for sharing a subscription but keeping our music separate.

Price: £17.99/month (Duo)

4. Club Pret

This one is worth its weight in gold for me. As a self-confessed matcha junkie, this subscription alone saves me an embarrassing amount of money.

I’m on the Club Pret monthly coffee subscription, which gives you half price coffee/barista made drinks  — and for just £5 per month, it’s honestly one of the biggest no-brainers on this list.

Pret is literally around the corner from Space NK, so every shift I treat myself to my go-to order:

• Matcha latte

• Coconut & rice milk blend

• A sachet of their Rowse honey

It’s the perfect little pick-me-up before a shift — a ritual, a reward, a non-negotiable. It’s very much “treat to self” energy, and I have zero regrets.

If you’re someone who grabs a coffee or matcha even a couple of times a week, this subscription pays for itself almost instantly. For me, it’s not just a convenience — it’s a daily joy.

Price: £5/month

5. iCloud Storage

Listen, this one comes with a story, and honestly it’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve had in digital life...

I pay for iCloud 2TB storage — and trust me, it’s worth every penny. Back in the Summer, my phone was stolen. And because I thought I had backups… I cancelled iCloud for a few months and forgot to turn it back on. I didn’t have a clue I’d lost backups from February through August — including all the photos and videos from my birthday (which was an emotional rollercoaster to lose).

As someone who documents everything, those photos and videos meant so much to me. Losing them felt like losing little pieces of my life — I genuinely grieved for about a week.

It was painful, but since reactivating iCloud 2TB, everything automatically backs up: photos, videos, notes, important documents… it’s a real digital safety net. If you rely on your phone for content creation like I do, losing that has taught me the value of backing up fully.

Price: £8.99/month

6. Sonagi Sheet Mask Subscription

For the sheet mask junkies out there (you know who you are), Sonagi is such a fun and worthwhile subscription. If you love Korean skincare like I do, this brings curated premium masks straight to your door.

Their subscription options include:

• Starter Box: 5 masks per month — £12.98

• Premium Box: 4 new masks + 1 overnight mask + 8 eye patches + curator’s note + Jade gua sha in first box — £20.00

• Fanatic Box: 20 masks per month — £47.00

I personally love the Premium Box — it feels like a little self-care ritual every month. The selection is always lovely, and the masks are honestly great quality.

My Sonagi Discount for You

If you want to try the Sonagi subscription for yourself, they’ve kindly gifted me a link and discount code for my readers:

Link: sonagi.co.uk/chloemykel

Discount Code: CHLOEMYKEL (enter at checkout)

What you get:

• 20% off your entire order

• Applies to subscription orders only

• Works on all recurring subscription renewals too

Price: starts at £12.98/month

7. Monzo Max

This one genuinely surprised me with how useful it is. I signed up mainly for:

• Phone insurance (joy from past experiences)

• Worldwide travel insurance

• Breakdown cover

• Purchase protection

• Uber Rewards + Uber Eats benefits

• Railcard included (which has been so useful for trips into London)

Because I travel often for work and play, and because insurance alone would cost way more otherwise, this subscription has paid for itself many times over.

Price: from £14.99/month (varies by plan)

SUBSCRIPTIONS I'M THINKING ABOUT REINSTATING...

SoundCloud Go+

I am obsessed with remixes — especially grime edits, DJ cuts, amapiano blends and obscure mixes that just don’t exist on Spotify. I even have an entire Drake remix playlist that goes HARD.

I’ve had Go+ in the past but let it lapse. The free version is fine, but ads kill the vibe, so I’m seriously considering paying for it again — especially for gym mixes...

Price: £9.99/month

YouTube Premium

I watch YouTube every single day. I watch vlogs, routines, story times, weird deep-dive content (hello near-death experience rabbit hole), reviews, tutorials… you name it.

Since I don’t really watch TV, YouTube is basically my daily screen time. I’ve had Premium on and off in the past — ads don’t bother me per se, but ad-free is tempting. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but it’s definitely something I think I’ll try again.

Price: £12.99/month

FINAL THOUGHTS

Not all subscriptions are created equal. Some are downright life-changing (looking at you, Spotify and iCloud), and some are just really nice-to-have (steps app and Sonagi masks). But every one of these adds value in a way that feels worth it to me.

What subscriptions do you swear by? Any you think I should try next? I’d love to know — drop a comment below...