To be honest, I realized I might be using it a bit too much. A few dollars a month turned into about $20. Looking only at the numbers, that’s a decent amount.
But after reviewing the last few weeks of logs, my thinking became clear.
This is not waste — at least not in the way I’m using it now.
What am I actually paying for?
You’re not buying “answers” or “finished copy.” What you’re buying is:
- the speed of turning thought into language
- a time shortcut in trial and error
- the process of converting failures into reusable assets
For example:
- organizing why something failed technically
- putting into words why you chose a given architecture
- drafting the core of an article or summary first
I can do these myself, but they consume a lot of time and mental focus. It feels like outsourcing those steps.
When does it stop being consumption and become investment?
It’s clear: when something remains after the use.
What I’m doing now always connects to one of these outcomes:
- it becomes an article
- it feeds into a hub/summary design
- it remains as a reusable thought log
Conversations that just end in chat and disappear are almost nonexistent. So the feeling of "spending" is usually outweighed by the sense that assets are increasing.
About the $20–30 per month line
In sober terms, ¥3,000–4,500 per month buys:
- a few more articles
- clearer structure
- a persistent log of my thinking
If that’s what you get, it’s a healthy investment — like a server or domain fee. It won’t break anything if it’s gone, but having it accelerates things.
For this phase, I don’t see a reason to be stingy.
Conclusion
For now, I judge AI usage as an offensive investment. The goal is not to exhaust the budget, but to create an environment where you can throw ideas in without hesitation.
Use it. Shape it. Publish it.
That’s the loop I’ll keep running for a while.
