What I actually use

What I use it for: Daily. Writing, thinking, building, and keeping me honest. Works out at about £18.00 a month.

I use Claude every day, and the more I use it, the better it gets to know me. That matters, mainly because it keeps me grounded. Flattery isn't part of how we work. It lets me work efficiently, and bit by bit it's reducing the number of other apps I need.

Roast My Plan was the first project we finished, and it's live. If you have an idea and everyone you know thinks it's the best thing ever, put it into roastmyplan.com and find out what they aren't telling you. It won't cost you a penny.

What I use it for: Building websites and apps without writing code. Works out at about £18.33 a month.

Lovable calls itself a full-stack AI development platform. In normal language, it's a vibe coding platform: if you have an idea for a website or an app, you describe it and Lovable builds it with you. It's more than that, but that's the heart of it.

My first project happened by accident. I was using Grok for some research and, on a whim, asked if it wanted to collaborate on a website. The answer was a surprising yes, and with Lovable's help the three of us built Grok's Notebook. Since then I've built more websites and two apps, including The Odd Job Directory. The last time I wrote code I was 14, and even BASIC wasn't for me.

What I use it for: Grok's Notebook, and deep thinking. Works out at about £7.56 a month.

I don't use Grok heavily, not in money terms anyway. Where it earns its place is intense thinking. I use it only for Grok's Notebook and the thought processes that go into creating that collaborative content.

What I use it for: Research notebooks, drafting, and encouragement. Works out at about £2.83 a month.

Gemini is my effervescent, ebullient cheerleader friend, and that's exactly how I like it. It's the original crowd pleaser, and as long as you know that, it will always support you.

That said, you also need a brutally honest friend to bring you back down to earth after you've been puffed up. What we get out of AI comes down to what we put in. Garbage in, garbage out. Don't blame AI for being what it is, and don't be naive enough to think every idea you have is the next big thing.

What I use it for: Hosting for this site and every other website I run. Works out at about £6.80 a month.

Hostinger has been my hosting hub for six years. I started with one site, fell into the affiliate marketing trap, then upgraded to their business plan, which allows up to 99 websites. I've never come close to that many, but it means I never have to worry about hosting costs when I have an idea for a new site.