Step 1list
Write every paid AI tool
List each AI subscription, API, extension, automation tool, and workspace add-on. Include owner, monthly cost, renewal date, and the job it is supposed to do.
Tiny product
AI Stack Waste Mini Checklist
Use this before paying. If it helps you catch even one wasteful AI subscription or duplicate tool, send $1 through PayPal. No support, no custom report, no promise beyond this checklist.
10 minute audit
Find one small leak before buying another AI tool.
Step 2duplicate
Circle overlapping jobs
Mark tools that solve the same job: writing, meeting notes, search, coding, image generation, CRM enrichment, support replies, or summarization.
Step 3usage
Check the last 14 days
Any paid tool with no meaningful use in 14 days needs a reason to stay. If nobody can name the workflow it protects, schedule cancellation or downgrade.
Keep
Keep tools that own a repeated workflow, save measurable time, generate revenue, reduce support load, or replace a more expensive tool.
Cancel or downgrade
Cut tools that are only "nice to have", duplicated by another subscription, used by one inactive user, or kept because the team forgot the renewal date.
Decision table
Score each tool with four questions.
Would work break this week if this tool disappeared?
If the honest answer is no, it is not critical. It may still be useful, but it should not survive without a clear reason.
Does another tool already do 80% of this job?
Most stack waste hides in overlaps. Do not compare features; compare the job people actually use.
Is the paid tier necessary?
Many teams need the tool but not the plan. Downgrade seats, remove unused users, or move occasional work to a free tier.
Can the tool prove value in one sentence?
Write: "We pay for this because it saves/earns/reduces ___ every month." If that sentence is vague, review it first.
Copyable template
Use a spreadsheet before deciding.
Open the AI subscription audit template, download the CSV, and fill one row per AI tool. The example rows show how to turn vague subscriptions into keep, downgrade, cancel, or review decisions.
Pay after value
This is not a donation pitch.
Use the checklist first. If it helped you find a real cancellation, downgrade, or buying mistake, pay $1 at paypal.me/goofytoday. If it did not help, pay nothing.