Most freelancers are paying $50-100/mo for tools they barely use. Here's what I see over and over:

1. Project management overkill — You don't need a $25/mo tool with Gantt charts and 47 integrations. A simple Notion board or even a spreadsheet handles 90% of solo project tracking. Save the enterprise tools for when you actually have a team.

2. Separate invoicing + proposals + contracts — Three subscriptions for what should be one workflow. There are free or cheap all-in-one tools that handle client docs end-to-end.

3. Stock photo subscriptions — Unless you're pumping out 30+ designs a month, you're overpaying. Use free libraries first, buy individual licenses when you need something specific.

The pattern: freelancers buy tools for the business they want to have instead of the one they currently run. Match your stack to your stage.

I'm building a free toolkit library for exactly this — practical templates and resources for freelancers who'd rather spend money on growth than software. Join The Digital Lab if that sounds like your thing.