If you can rely on one thing, it’s that publicly traded companies are always looking for ways to take every penny from you. In olden times, these companies would sell you a car, or a dishwasher, or a cart of groceries. The transaction was completed, and then we would wave goodbye.
Companies looked at this model and asked “how can we make money when the customer isn’t in our store?” And boy, did they come up with a way. The recurring subscription.
Now, these started small. Think about Costco, where your subscription is called a “membership” that gives you access to the store. Newspapers have been offering subscriptions for over a century. So it’s an idea we’re used to. But it has gone off the rails in the last 10 years.
You need not only to purchase an item but, most times, you need a subscription to continue to get features on your product.
Take cars. You’re already spending $20,000-$40,000 on a car. And you have built in recurring cost called “insurance.” But, again, companies asked… can we make more? And they did. Most of the dashboards on cars now come with basic features, but extra features like navigation and messaging comes for $100 or $200 a year. How long until it’s $29.99 a month if you want to make left turns?
Now all of the grocery stores are taking a page from Costco and Sam’s Club. Hy-Vee Plus gives you access to free delivery and cheaper prices to certain products. Price Chopper Shopper card has been giving you a few cents off most items for a decade or more.
Your computer used to be you spend $500 on a computer, another $150 for the operating system and whatever for software. Now, you basically need $1,000 every year between software updates, subscriptions to extra features and the recurring churn of technology. It’s built into the process.
Televisions used to be $30 a month for 40 channels. Now, companies have managed to splinter that into dozens of streaming services – all with monthly subscriptions. My favorite is that you have to pay $7 a month for Hulu but you have to pay $12 a month if you don’t want advertisements. Hulu is getting paid on the front and back end from the consumer and the advertiser. Genius.
How long until your Platte County Landmark goes over and above our normal subscription model? You’re already familiar that if you call The Landmark offices (816-858-0363) and ask for the “Kamler Special” you’ll be greeted by a hearty laugh but maybe they take pity on you and give you a deal on a subscription. But what if we make a Landmark Plus subscription? Sure, you get all the news that’s fit to print, but maybe it comes with a hidden camera of The Landmark newsroom? Or a livestream of me writing this column every week? (Hint: There is a lot of beer involved.) Anything to juice an extra $20 a month out of our wonderful readers.
It’s all gotten out of control and I feel that it’s only going to get worse. There is even an app (that you have to subscribe monthly to) that tells you all of the subscriptions you’ve signed up for. I expect in the next few years our dishwashers and toasters to have some sort of subscription. Want your toast golden brown? Well, that’s $3 per slice. Otherwise it comes out burnt.
In the meantime, try to cut back on your subscriptions – except for this one. This is the only one that will give you TRUE value. I promise. (Ask for the Kamler Special).
(You can follow Kamler on X without a subscription. At least we think you can. Find him on the machine formerly known as Twitter at @chriskamler)
