Why I Finally Paid for YouTube Premium (And Why “Free” Was Costing Me Money)

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The new normal: Unskippable double ads break your focus. Is saving $0.50 a day worth this frustration

For years, I was a proud member of “Team Free.”

I scoffed at the idea of paying Google $13.99 a month just to remove ads. I told myself, “I can just wait 5 seconds to skip the ad. Why would I pay for something that is free?”

I installed ad-blockers on my browser. I muted the volume during commercials on my TV. I thought I was winning the system.

But in 2024, YouTube changed the game. The ads got longer. They became unskippable. And worst of all, they started appearing in the middle of sentences.

I decided to run a “Time Audit” to see if the “Free” version was actually free. The result? I realized that by being “cheap,” I was actually wasting something much more valuable than $14.

Here is the mathematical breakdown of why YouTube Premium is the only subscription I will never cancel.

1. The “Ad Inflation” Reality

First, let’s acknowledge that the YouTube of 2020 is gone. In the past, you saw one skippable ad every 15 minutes.

Today, the “Ad Load” has tripled.

  • The Pre-Roll: Two unskippable 15-second ads before the video starts.

  • The Mid-Roll: An ad break every 8-10 minutes.

  • The End-Card: Another ad after the video.

I tracked my viewing habits for one week. On average, for every 60 minutes of content I watched, I was forced to sit through roughly 4 to 6 minutes of interruptions.

That doesn’t sound like much, right? Let’s do the math.

2. The Economics of Your Time (The Hourly Rate)

I watch about 1 hour of YouTube a day (tutorials, news, entertainment).

  • Ads per day: 5 minutes.

  • Ads per month: 5 minutes x 30 days = 150 minutes (2.5 hours).

Every month, I was spending 2.5 hours of my life staring at commercials for insurance and mobile games.

Now, apply your “Hourly Rate.” Even if you value your time at a modest $15 per hour (minimum wage in many places), those 2.5 hours are worth $37.50.

The Smart Price Calculation:

  • Cost of “Free” Version: $37.50 worth of lost time + frustration.

  • Cost of Premium: $13.99.

The Verdict: Paying the cash is mathematically cheaper than paying with your time. By paying $14, I am “buying back” 2.5 hours of my life for a very low rate.

3. The “Spotify Killer” (Value Stacking)

 

This is the feature that pushes the value proposition over the edge. YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music Premium for free.

Before I upgraded, I was paying $10.99/month for Spotify. When I got YouTube Premium, I realized I didn’t need Spotify anymore. YouTube Music has almost the exact same library, the same algorithm quality, and offline downloads.

So, I canceled Spotify.

The Net Cost Calculation:

  • Old Cost: $0 (YouTube) + $11 (Spotify) = $11/month.

  • New Cost: $14 (YouTube Premium) + $0 (Music) = $14/month.

The Real Price: I am effectively paying only $3 extra per month to remove all ads from YouTube forever. For $3, that is the best bargain in the entire tech industry.

4. The “Mobile” Factor (Background Play)

If you are strictly a PC user, you might say, “Just use an AdBlocker!” And yes, AdBlockers work great on Chrome.

But they do not work on:

  1. Your Smart TV: (Where I watch 50% of my content).

  2. Your iPhone App: (Where I listen to podcasts).

On the free mobile app, if you turn off your screen, the video stops. This makes listening to long podcasts or video essays impossible while walking or driving. With Premium, I can turn off the screen and keep listening. This transforms YouTube from a “Video App” into a “Learning App.”

I save mobile data (because I’m not streaming video when I only need audio) and I save battery life.

5. The “Learning Flow” State

This is harder to quantify, but it is real. When I use YouTube to learn (e.g., “How to fix a leaky sink” or “Coding tutorial”), concentration is key.

There is nothing more destructive to learning than being deep in focus, only to be screamed at by a loud car commercial. It breaks your “Flow State.” Removing ads isn’t just about saving time; it’s about saving your Attention Span.

Conclusion: When “Free” is Too Expensive

I started this blog, Smart Prices, to help you save money. Usually, that means telling you NOT to buy things.

But being smart with money doesn’t mean being “cheap.”

  • Cheap is saving $14 to waste 2.5 hours of your life.

  • Smart is spending $14 to gain uninterrupted focus, free music, and your time back.

If you watch YouTube for more than 30 minutes a day, the “Free” version is the most expensive subscription you have. Stop paying with your time.

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