Posted on Sep 24

The Paradox of the Internet PRICE: Easy to Pay for Junk, Hard to Pay for Value

#frontend #programming #devops #webmonetization

The Strange Reality of Online Spending

We live in strange times. People swipe their cards every day for things that bring no lasting value — streaming another series they’ll forget in a week, buying overpriced lattes, or paying for digital extras that add nothing to their lives.

But the moment it comes to spending just $5 per month on something that could actually change their career, increase their skills, and even help them earn more money — suddenly it’s “too expensive.”

That’s the paradox of the internet PRICE!

My Perspective as a Blogger

I know this because I’ve been on both sides. As a front-end developer with over a decade of experience, I’ve spent years building real-world applications with React, Next.js, Angular, DevOps and more. Along the way, I started blogging, sharing lessons learned, and helping developers avoid the mistakes I once made.

Writing online showed me two things:

People crave practical, actionable knowledge.
Very few are willing to invest even the smallest amount to get some knowledge and many invest in stupid thinks.

Why I Continue Writing Front-end World

I started my newsletter, Front-end World, with one clear goal: to share the practical, real-world knowledge I’ve gained from production projects — knowledge you won’t find in generic tutorials or free blog posts — so you don’t have to struggle the way I once did.

I’ve spent years building my knowledge as a front-end developer. On top of that, I dedicate countless hours to writing blog posts, creating guides, maintaining open-source projects, and even speaking at conferences — all to share that knowledge with others.

And all I ask in return is $5 per month.

Now, let me ask you a question: How much is your time worth per hour?

For me, the time I spend crafting a blog post comes out to less than $5 an hour. And remember — platform fees take another 15% off that.

So next time you think $5 per month is “too much,” put yourself in the shoes of the writer. Compare it to the value of your own hour, and you’ll see just how small the investment really is compared to the effort behind it.

The $5 Question

Here’s the reality: $5 isn’t much. Most people spend more than that daily on coffee, snacks, or delivery fees without a second thought. Yet, when it comes to investing in themselves, $5 suddenly feels like a “big decision.”

But let’s put it in perspective:

$5 on entertainment is gone the same day.
$5 on growth can translate into $1,000 more in your career.

That’s the mindset shift I continue writing for — to show developers that small, consistent investments in learning can create outsized returns.

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💡 Right now, you can get $20 off your first year — that’s just $44 for 12 months, which comes out to less than $3.70 per month.

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Closing Thoughts

If you’re serious about your career as a front-end developer, stop treating learning as an expense and start seeing it as an investment. The paradox of the internet is that people often undervalue the very things that could transform their future, while pouring money into distractions instead of knowledge.