{"article":"/posts/first-post/","blocks":[{"id":"block-0","needsReview":false,"text":"I didn't start with a plan.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-1","needsReview":false,"text":"I just decided that for one month, I would stop hesitating and actually use AI — every day, for real work.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-2","needsReview":true,"text":"I was building an online lingerie brand called [LaceMoods](https://lacemoods.com), writing content for a crypto publication, and trying to figure out how to make the internet work for me instead of the other way around.","translate":false,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-3","needsReview":false,"text":"Here's what $100 a month in AI tools actually got me.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-4","needsReview":false,"text":"The Tools I Paid For","translate":true,"type":"heading"},{"id":"block-5","needsReview":true,"text":"- **Claude** — for writing, strategy, and thinking through problems\n- **ChatGPT** — for translation and quick research\n- **Midjourney** — for product visuals and Pinterest content","translate":false,"type":"list"},{"id":"block-6","needsReview":false,"text":"What I Actually Built","translate":true,"type":"heading"},{"id":"block-7","needsReview":false,"text":"I built more than I expected. Not because AI did the work — but because it removed the friction that always stopped me before.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-8","needsReview":false,"text":"The brand is still growing. The content is still publishing. And I'm still learning.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-9","needsReview":false,"text":"The Real Lesson","translate":true,"type":"heading"},{"id":"block-10","needsReview":false,"text":"AI doesn't replace thinking. It amplifies whatever clarity you already have.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-11","needsReview":false,"text":"If you don't know what you're building, AI will just help you build the wrong thing faster.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-12","needsReview":false,"text":"But if you have a direction — even a messy one — AI becomes the most useful collaborator you've ever had.","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-13","needsReview":false,"text":"---","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"},{"id":"block-14","needsReview":false,"text":"*I write about building with AI, one honest experiment at a time. Follow along.*","translate":true,"type":"paragraph"}],"count":15,"date":"2026-05-23","description":"What actually happened when I committed to AI tools for a full month — the builds, the fails, and what I learned.","tags":["AI","side hustle","tools"],"title":"I Spent $100 a Month on AI and Built More Than I Expected"}