The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Thanh Pham says he kept using a journaling app he disliked because he had already paid for an annual subscription. His story is a useful reminder for anyone stuck with a technology tool: money already spent is gone, so the decision should be whether the tool is worth the time and effort it will take from here.
Why keep using an app you dislike?
Pham’s short account is not an app review: he does not name the journaling app or the tool he later switched to. He describes an unpleasant interface and says opening the app had become a chore. The annual subscription payment kept him using it for a year, even though he did not enjoy the experience.
That is the trap often called the sunk cost fallacy: allowing a past expense to dictate a future choice. The subscription payment could not be recovered by continuing to use the app. The relevant question was whether the app still offered enough value to justify the time and friction of using it.
Pham’s account is personal, not a measured comparison of journaling apps. Its practical point applies more broadly to subscriptions, tools, and other commitments: a past investment is not, by itself, a reason to keep investing.
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Three questions to assess a commitment
Pham suggests asking these questions when a commitment is no longer working:
- Does it bring joy or value? Consider what you actually get from using the tool, not just what you expected when you signed up.
- Is it helping me reach my goals? A tool may be familiar or feature-rich but still fail to support what you want to accomplish.
- If I had not already invested time or money, would I still choose to keep this? This removes the past investment from the decision and focuses attention on the choice ahead.
A “no” is a reason to consider letting go, not an automatic order to cancel. You can weigh the remaining value against the time, effort, and other costs of keeping the commitment.
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How to try the exercise without overhauling everything
Start with one low-stakes commitment
If reviewing every subscription or obligation feels daunting, pick one easy example. Pham suggests possibilities such as an unused subscription or a recurring meeting that does not help you make progress.
Ask what stopping would make possible
Alongside the three questions, consider what you would do with the time, attention, or money no longer tied up in the commitment. Naming that alternative makes the decision more concrete than simply dwelling on what you have already spent.
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What happened with Pham’s journaling app?
Pham says he eventually switched to a tool he enjoyed. He does not identify either app, so his story does not establish which journaling app is better or recommend a particular replacement. Its value is the decision principle: choose based on the value and experience you can still get, rather than trying to justify a past payment.
In Pham’s words, “I used a journaling app for a year that I couldn’t stand.” His central question is equally direct: “If I hadn’t already invested time or money, would I still choose to keep this?”
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Source: Thanh Pham, Asian Efficiency.
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