So my idiot roommate Jake decided to "invest" our shared grocery fund into every AI subscription he could find. I was pissed until I realized he basically became a human guinea pig for all of us.
Three weeks and a lot of ramen later, here's what actually works:
The Good Stuff:
ChatGPT Plus ($20)
Jake's go-to when he's stuck on literally anything. Helped him not fail calculus (barely). Never says "usage limit reached" which is honestly life-changing when you're cramming at 3am.
Perplexity Pro ($20)
This thing is scary good at research. Jake used it for his poli sci paper and the prof asked where he found sources that recent. Automatically does citations too so you don't have to format MLA at 4am.
Claude Pro ($20)
The "smart kid" AI. Better at complex thinking but kinda pretentious sometimes. Jake swears it made his philosophy papers sound less stupid.
The Meh:
Gemini Advanced ($20)
Cool Google integration but gets weird about controversial topics. Jake tried writing about gun policy and it basically gave him a kindergarten-level response.
Grok Premium ($30)
Basically expensive Twitter with attitude. Jake cancelled after one month because who has $30 for AI sass?
Plot twist:
Jake's grades went from C average to mostly B's. Not because AI did his work, but because he could actually understand wtf was going on in his classes for once.
What I learned lurking over his shoulder:
- STEM majors: ChatGPT Plus. Math explanations don't suck.
- Liberal arts: Claude Pro for deep stuff, ChatGPT for everything else
- Need citations: Perplexity Pro or you'll cry formatting references
- Actually broke: Rotate free versions like Jake should have done initially
Real talk:
Is paying for AI worth skipping meals? Probably not. But if you're using it daily during hell weeks, yeah it pays for itself in sanity points.
Jake's still alive, his GPA isn't trash anymore, and we learned to budget better. Win-win?
Anyone else's friends do dumb financial decisions that accidentally worked out? Or am I the only one living with a human AI tester?
PS: We got our grocery money back by tutoring other people using Jake's new AI setup. Modern problems, modern solutions.
Submitted August 29, 2025 at 12:13AM by Fun-Bet2862 https://ift.tt/QL6hfXU
