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For a long time, I avoided paying for tools.
I told myself free versions were enough.
I told myself I’d upgrade “later.”
I told myself subscriptions were a trap.
The truth? I was afraid of wasting money.
What I didn’t realize was that I was already paying — with my time, my focus, and my slow progress.
Once I started spending money intentionally, things changed. Not overnight. Not magically. But steadily.
Here are the 10 tools I paid for — and why they were actually worth it.
Why I Was Skeptical About Paying for Tools
I’ve bought tools I never used.
I’ve signed up because someone on X/Twitter said, “This changed my life.”
It didn’t.
The mistake wasn’t the tools.
The mistake was expecting tools to do the work for me.
Once I stopped chasing shortcuts and started buying tools that removed friction, everything clicked.
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🚨 OKAY, BACK TO TOPIC 🚨
Cost vs. Return: The Only Way I Judge Tools Now
I stopped asking, “Is this expensive?”
I started asking:
Will this save me time?
Will this make my work clearer?
Will this help me publish or sell faster?
If the answer was yes, the price didn’t matter.
The First 3 Tools That Gave Me My Time Back
1. ChatGPT (Paid Plan)
Image Credit: BEUK
I don’t use this to replace my thinking.
I use it to:
Unblock my thinking
Structure ideas faster
Explore angles I wouldn’t think of alone
It’s like having a thinking partner who never gets tired.
Time saved here turned into more writing, more experiments, and more income.
Why to Use:
If your work involves thinking, writing, or planning, this is one of those tools that becomes useful faster than you expect.
2. Grammarly
Image Credit: Grammarly
This one is simple — and powerful.
It catches:
Small mistakes
Clunky sentences
Repetition I don’t notice anymore
It doesn’t change my voice.
It just makes my writing easier to trust.
Better writing gets read more. That alone pays for it.
Why to Use:
If you write regularly and want fewer mistakes without overthinking every sentence, this quietly earns its place.
3. Notion
Image Credit: TechCrunch
This is my second brain.
This is where everything lives.
Ideas. Drafts. Notes. Plans.
Before Notion, my thoughts were scattered across apps and notebooks.
Now:
Nothing gets lost
Old ideas become new posts
I waste less time searching
Organization isn’t sexy — but it’s profitable.
Why to Use:
If your ideas are scattered across apps, notes, and screenshots, this helps bring everything into one calm space.
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The Next 3 Tools That Improved My Work Quality
4. Perplexity AI
Image Credit: Perplexity
Research used to drain me.
Opening dozens of tabs. Reading endlessly. Forgetting half of it.
This helped me:
Get clear summaries
Understand topics faster
Focus on what matters
It’s one of those tools you don’t realize you need until you use it.
Why to Use:
If research feels overwhelming or time-consuming, this is worth trying just to see how much faster clarity comes.
5. Trello
Image Credit: Chanty
I used to keep everything in my head.
Bad idea.
Trello helped me:
Track what I’m working on
Break tasks into small steps
Stop overthinking what’s next
When your plan is clear, execution gets easier.
Why to Use:
If you keep tasks in your head and feel mentally cluttered, this gives you a simple way to see what actually matters today.
6. WriteStack
WriteStack helped me write more consistently.
Not by forcing output — but by making writing feel lighter and more structured.
What it helped with:
Turning rough thoughts into usable drafts
Staying focused while writing
Showing up daily without overthinking the process
Instead of fighting the page, I started working with it.
Why to Use:
If you want writing to feel less chaotic and more repeatable, this is worth trying for yourself.
The Tools That Helped Me Earn
7. Beehiiv
Image Credit: Beehiiv
Publishing consistently used to feel heavy.
Beehiiv made it:
Simple
Clean
Stress-free
Once publishing became easier, I showed up more.
Showing up more changed everything.
Why to Use:
If you’ve been thinking about publishing but keep putting it off, this makes starting feel surprisingly light.
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8. Google Analytics
Image Credit: Google
Guessing what works is expensive.
This helped me see:
What people actually read
Where they drop off
What brings repeat visitors
Once I stopped guessing, results became predictable.
Why to Use:
If you want to stop guessing what works and start seeing patterns, this gives you quiet but powerful insight.
9. Stripe
Image Credit: Tilda
This didn’t magically bring money in.
It removed friction.
Payments became:
Simple
Fast
Trustworthy
When people can pay easily, they do.
Why to Use:
If you ever plan to sell anything online, this removes friction you don’t want to deal with later.
The One Tool I Almost Didn’t Buy
10. Zapier
Image Credit: Zapier
I thought this was unnecessary.
Turns out, it removed dozens of tiny tasks I hated doing.
Small automations saved me:
Time
Mental energy
Frustration
That extra energy went back into work that actually mattered.
Why to Use:
If small, repetitive tasks drain your energy, this is worth exploring once your workflow starts growing.
What Didn’t Work (And Why That’s Important)
Some tools didn’t stick.
They were:
Too complex
Solving problems I didn’t really have
Cool, but unnecessary
Canceling them wasn’t failure.
It was learning.
How I Decide What to Pay For Now
Before buying anything, I ask:
What problem does this solve?
What am I replacing?
Will I use this every week?
If I hesitate, I don’t buy it.
Simple rules save a lot of money.
Advice If You’re Just Starting
You don’t need all of these.
You need:
One problem
One tool
And consistency
Add tools as your work grows — not before.
Final Thoughts
Tools didn’t make me successful.
They removed just enough friction for me to move faster, think clearer, and show up consistently.
Spending money isn’t the real risk.
Staying stuck because you’re afraid to invest in yourself is.
Disclaimer: *some links are my affiliate links; I will receive a small commission if you purchase the tool.
If this helped you, I’d really appreciate it if you could recommend Sell Ideas to someone who’s trying to get paid for their ideas.
You don’t need to grow louder. You just need to grow clearer.
-Azhar
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