# We're all getting hooked on cheap AI

> $20 monthly, $140 worth of compute

- **Published:** 2025-07-08
- **Tags:** ai, opinion
- **Canonical:** https://nbarwicki.com/blog/03-we-are-all-getting-hooked-on-cheap-ai/

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## The $120 wake-up call

Got this notification from Cursor yesterday: **"We saved you $120 this month."**

I'm paying **$20**. Using **$140** worth of compute.

My first thought wasn't "sweet deal." It was _"oh fuck, this can't last."_

Here's what's happening. I pay for Claude Pro and Cursor. Used to pay for ChatGPT Plus too. Every time I've tested the API pricing for my actual usage, I blow past those monthly fees in days.

We're all getting **subsidized by investor money**. Just like Uber in 2015. Just like DoorDash when they started.

## We're walking into the same trap again

The scary part isn't the eventual price hikes. It's realizing _how dependent I've become_.

I used to think through problems first, then code. Now I catch myself asking Claude to debug random shit I could figure out in **5 minutes**.

That's **"vibe coding."** Mindless prompting. And it's expensive as hell when you're paying per token.

The companies burning investor cash to get us hooked aren't charities. They're **building dependency**. Once we've restructured our entire workflow around these tools, they've got us.

## How I'm fighting back

So I'm changing how I work. Instead of asking AI to fix small bugs, I spend time understanding the whole feature first. Plan the implementation step by step. Then give **one massive, detailed prompt**.

Get working code on the first try instead of going back and forth **10 times**.

But what scares me most? _Junior developers learning to code with AI from day one._ When these subsidies end and prices spike **5x**, do they even know how to think through problems without Claude?

**Keep your raw coding skills sharp.** You're gonna need them when the _free lunch_ ends.

What's your backup plan when AI gets expensive?