Here’s a test for you. Without asking the other half, sneaking a peak at your bills or resorting to wild guessing, can you, hand on heart, say you know exactly how many online subscriptions you have?
There’s those meal-kit boxes; they keep turning up on your doorstep. You’ll probably have a TV streaming service, though it’s more likely to be two or three. Oh, and you’ll subscribe to Spotify so you can listen to the same playlist over and over in the car. Isn’t there some cloud storage thing? And what about those apps on your phone? Haven’t the kids got one for their gaming console?
If you’re struggling to remember exactly how many subscriptions you have, you probably don’t know how much it’s costing you each year, either.
In the old days, subscriptions were a great way for consumers to save money. This model still exists for some businesses, such as magazines, which offer regular consumers a significant discount in return for their loyalty (the Listener, for example, is astonishing good value - Ed). But ever since the gurus in Silicon Valley cottoned on to “software as a service” as a way to make even more money, set-and-forget subscriptions have, in a decade, fundamentally reshaped our thinking around consumption. Instead of outright ownership, we now have multiple cash-for-access arrangements just so we can watch TV and listen to music.
Because subscriptions promise steady, predictable cash flow, all kinds of businesses have since jumped on the bandwagon, from those selling undies to cosmetics and meal kits.
Denne historien er fra June 25 - July 1, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra June 25 - July 1, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.