I want you to do something right now. Open your credit card statement — or your bank app, or whatever you use — and look for subscriptions. Count the ones with "AI," "automation," or software tool names you vaguely recognize.
If that number is more than three, you have a problem. And if any of those subscriptions is something you signed up for after watching a YouTube video six months ago and haven't touched since — I'm talking to you specifically.
The average small business owner I work with is paying for 2–3 tools they're either barely using or completely duplicating. At $20–$50 a pop, that's $500–$1,500 a year evaporating with nothing to show for it. Let's fix it.
Write down every software tool you pay for. Every single one. ChatGPT Plus, Zapier, Make, Notion AI, Jasper, Copy.ai, Calendly, Loom, whatever scheduling or CRM tool you signed up for. If it's a recurring charge, it goes on the list.
Don't filter yet. Just list them.
For each tool on that list, answer this question out loud — don't write an essay, just answer it in 10 seconds or less: "When did I last use this, and what did I use it for?"
This sounds harsh. It's not. You can always resubscribe if you find you actually need it. What you cannot do is get back the $40/month you've been auto-paying for a tool that's been sitting untouched since January.
Look at your remaining list and ask: are any of these doing the same thing? The two most common culprits:
ChatGPT Plus vs. ChatGPT Free: ChatGPT Plus costs $20/month for access to GPT-4o and some advanced features. If you're using ChatGPT primarily to write emails, draft social posts, or answer questions — the free version does this. The paid version is worth it if you're using Advanced Data Analysis, building custom GPTs, or generating images. If you're not doing those things, downgrade.Calendly free: Calendly's free plan gives you one event type with unlimited bookings and automated confirmation emails. That covers 80% of what most solo operators need. If you're paying $10–$16/month for Calendly Pro or a competitor like Acuity or SavvyCal, check whether you're actually using the paid features. Most people aren't.Beyond duplication, there are two patterns I see constantly that are specifically wasteful:
Jasper for writing, then Copy.ai for a different project, then ChatGPT because everyone said to — and now you have three AI writing tools running simultaneously. Pick one. Use it for everything. You'll get better at it, faster."One tool you use well beats three tools you use badly every time."
I've consulted with enough one-person and small-team businesses to say this with confidence: the right stack for most of you is exactly three things.
ChatGPT (free or Plus depending on your use case) handles the overwhelming majority of writing, answering, and thinking tasks.Zapier if you're new to automation, Make if you've outgrown Zapier's pricing. Not both.Calendly free tier for most people. Paid if you need multiple event types or team scheduling.That's it. Three tools. Probably $20–$30/month total depending on your Zapier plan. Everything beyond that needs to earn its spot by solving a specific, recurring problem that none of these three tools can handle.
Do the audit today. Seriously — it takes 20 minutes and the savings are immediate. Every dollar you stop paying for something you're not using is a dollar you can put toward something that actually moves your business forward.
If you want a second set of eyes on your specific tool stack — what to keep, what to cut, and what's missing — book a free call and I'll give you a clear recommendation. No sales pitch. Just the honest answer.
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