Imagine this...you open the fridge while making dinner and discover that you don't have any onions. So, you speak a command to the Cook'n app on your watch and a few minutes later a drone delivers an onion on your front porch!
You speak to a Cook'n device on the wall and say "Tea, Earl Grey, hot" and a hot cup of tea appears instantly!
It's hard to believe something like this could be possible but advances in technology are changing the world at an exponential rate. The software company Uber is now the biggest taxi company in the world and they don't own any cars. The software company Airbnb is now the biggest hotel company in the world and they don't own any properties.
New technology has changed my mom's kitchen. She speaks to the Amazon Echo that we gave her for her birthday and says "Alexa...play some 50's music" and it does! "Alexa, what's the weather going to be like tomorrow?" "Alexa, when is the next BYU basketball game?" Until recently, many believed something like this was only possible on the starship Enterprise!
Technology advances are changing everything we know about the automobile industry too. Last month, a friend of mine took me for a ride in his new Tesla. I was amazed when he showed me the auto-pilot feature. A car that will drive itself? Fascinating!
Technology advances in Cook'n are transforming the way you buy, prepare, and eat food in a most delicious, fun, and healthy way! I just sent this video demo a few days ago of a feature that is simply amazing! And...you won't believe what we have coming up for Subscribers in the next few months!
These technology changes are affecting everyone. You may have noticed that just about every technology company has switched to a SaaS (Software as a Service) business model and is now charging a monthly fee for their service. There's a good reason for this and it will probably come as no surprise to you that, Cook'n has changed to a subscription-based service as well.
The good news is that you won't have to pay money for upgrades again! Yahoo! That's right! Last fall, we released Cook'n Version 12 and all those who wanted it had to pay $63.96 to upgrade. From now on, there are no more paid upgrades for subscribers.
Premium Members get a free cookbook download each month (a $14 value!), a 5-Day Meal Plan each week (a $10 value!), the Cook'n Weekly Newsletter, and access to the Cook'n Forum. Premium members can use Cook'n web services and sync to an unlimited number of devices, capture and scan an unlimited number of recipes, gain access to premium features, and more (including free tech support)!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sign up?
The easiest way to sign up for is to launch the Cook'n Desktop App and click the black banner at the top of the screen. Alternatively, if you know your Cook'n Cloud credentials, you can also subscribe by clicking here.
Can I still use Cook'n if I don't subscribe?
YES! You can still use Cook'n to organize an unlimited number of your personal recipes. You can make menus and grocery shopping lists. You can analyze the nutritional value of any recipe. You can e-mail recipes to family and friends, print a family cookbook, and scale your recipes. You can type in what you have on hand and Cook'n will tell you what you can make for dinner, etc.
What happens if I don't subscribe?
Non-subscribers can use Cook'n forever. But, they cannot sync to the Cook'n Cloud. They can only capture up to 5 recipes per day and they can only scan up to 5 recipes per day. They do not have access to free tech support. And, when Premium Features come out, they will not have access to these new features.
What do subscribers get?
Standard Subscribers get free upgrades (a $63.96 value). They can sync to an unlimited number of devices. They can use the Cook'n Cloud as an off-site backup to protect their valuable recipe collection from data loss. They can capture and scan an unlimited number of recipes. And, they have access to free tech support and can get the help they need when they need it.
Premium Subscribers get everything Standard subscribers get PLUS a free cookbook download each month (a $15 value), 5-Day Weekly Meal Plans (a $10 value), the Cook'n Weekly Newsletter, access to the Cook'n Forum, free upgrades (a $64 value), and free tech support. And, when Premium Features and upgrades come out, subscribers will have full-access to these new features for free. Premium Membership is a terrific value.
Sounds like a tremendous value. I'm skeptical...will this price of $4.95, $9.95, and $14.95 per month go up?
We do not have plans to raise the price. We introduced the Cook'n Club in 2006 at a $9.95 price and never increased. The price of $79.95 for the Cook'n Desktop App hasn't changed since then either. We're pretty consistent with our pricing.
What if I can't afford this?
I understand that the idea of paying $14.95 every month forever may seem out of reach for some and can be daunting to others.
I also understand that some people don't need the free cookbook, the newsletter, the forum, and all the other fantastic perks that come with the Premium Membership Plan. Some just want sync and capture. No problem. We just released a Basic Plan for only $4.95.
So, don't ask yourself if you can afford to pay $14.95 or $9.95 or even $4.95 per month for the rest of your life because the price won't be $14.95, $9.95, and $4.95 for the rest of your life.
Instead, just ask yourself if you can afford to pay $4.95, $9.95, or $14.95 THIS month.
How much does it cost for you to eat out, $15, $20, $30? If you eat at home instead of eating out just one time this month because of Cook'n, then your membership just paid for itself.
If you download one cookbook this month, then your membership just paid for itself.
How much did you spend on the last Cook'n upgrade? $60? Well, subscribers won't ever have to pay that again.
How much did you spend at the grocery store last month, $600, $800, $1,000? The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that food is the third-largest household expense. Wouldn't it be great to have a tool that could help you reduce your third-largest household expense? Do you think Cook'n could help you cut that $800 grocery bill by $14? If so, your membership just paid for itself. If not, maybe you're not using Cook'n to its full potential. That's one of the reasons the Premium subscription comes with a weekly newsletter and a 5-Day Meal Plan...to help you get the most out of Cook'n!
Annette Economides, co-author of Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family, says "The less you shop, the more you save." So, can the menu planning tools in Cook'n help you save gas by making it easier for you to plan your shopping trip so that you get a week's worth of groceries in one shot? If so, Cook'n just paid for itself. Can having your shopping list on your phone in Cook'n help you reduce impulse purchases? If so, your membership just paid for itself!
Does food ever go bad in your fridge? We waste a remarkable amount of food every year. Some studies note that between 14-25% of the food we bring home from the grocery store ends up in the trash. Can Cook'n help you make use of some of the food in your fridge? Before you hit the grocery store, can you use Cook'n to search the web to see how to get more meals out of what you already have? If so, your membership just paid for itself.
How do you make sure the food you purchase--and all of the effort you put into making sure it's healthy and affordable--doesn't go to waste? Use Cook'n! Still have half a pack of bacon from last week? Use Cook'n to help you discover and try a new recipe that uses it! Got a bunch of vegetables left over? Use Cook'n to search your favorite recipes for one that needs them (or something that can use all of them, like a stir fry)! If you do this, your membership will pay for itself.
In addition to saving you time and money at the grocery store, Cook'n can inspire you to cook at home more. And, those who use Cook'n frequently tend to eat less fast-food and more home-cooked meals. If you discover a recipe in Cook'n and get inspired to cook at home just once during the month instead of eating fast food, your Premium Membership just paid for itself.
Out of all the things to consider, I think this is the most interesting: According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, kids and teens who share family dinners three or more times per week:
- Are less likely to be overweight
- Are more likely to eat healthy food
- Perform better academically
- Are less likely to engage in risky behaviors (drugs, alcohol, sexual activity)
- Have better relationships with their parents
"More frequent family dinners are related to fewer emotional and behavioral problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviors towards others and higher life satisfaction." -Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2012. Children and adolescents who share family meals three or more times per week are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary and eating patterns than those don't, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. The more family dinners you share, the greater the benefits for children and teens!
Apparently, the old adage is true after all: Families that eat together...stay together. What's that worth to you? How much does one visit to the therapist cost? If Cook'n saves you one trip to the therapist it just paid for itself for the next 6 months! Cook'n simplifies meal preparation and makes meal-time easier for you to achieve in your family. Our stated goal for the last 24 years is "Strengthening Families with Quality Software" and Cook'n is designed to make meal-time family-time. Cook'n is designed to save you time and money at the grocery store so you have more time to spend with your family. Cook'n is designed to help you make mealtime memorable.
Ultimately, subscribing to the Cook'n Membership Service is a decision that only you can make and you need to do what is best for you and your family. We strongly believe that a Premium Cook'n Membership will easily pay for itself. If not, we wouldn't be doing this. So, think about it. Try it for one month and see if it's worth $4.95 or $9.95 or $14.95 for you. If you don't use Cook'n and take advantage of the features...then just don't subscribe again next month.
We didn't have to pay to sync to the Cook'n Cloud before...why do we have to pay for this service now?
We simply cannot afford to offer these services for free. For example, we must pay a fee each month to store your recipe data in the cloud and all those food photos take up a lot of space! We must pay for every read and write operation too which means that every time you sync to the Cloud, it costs us money. This is a cost that we didn't have a few years ago and every month, these Cloud costs grow higher and higher.
I can understand paying for the Cook'n Cloud and other web services but why are features like Capture and Scan part of the Membership Plans?
Great question. The Internet Recipe Capture and Scan features are both web services. If you unplug your computer from the internet and try to use either of these features, you will see that they do not work. Recipe scans are sent up to a Cook'n Cloud server to be OCR'd (translated from image to text). The recipe text is then sent back down to the client. The Capture feature is similar. All recipe website text is parsed on a Cook'n Cloud server and then the recipe text is sent down to the client.
I just bought Cook'n...do I still have to subscribe?
No. New users get to use the Premium service for a period of time so they can try it out. After that, they can continue to use Cook'n for free forever. The subscription service is totally optional.
Aren't you mostly done developing Cook'n?
You're never really "done" developing software. The concept doesn't exist. In our case, the Cook'n feature set has expanded to the point that it is a challenge to just maintain it all and keep everything working. For example, the Capture feature in Cook'n is pretty fantastic but for that feature to work, we must constantly make changes to the source code every time a recipe website changes. The Pinterest feature is great but keeping that feature working right all the time is an ongoing effort. Every time we turn around, there's a new version of the Mac, PC, Android, or iOS Operating System. Each time the OS changes, we must change Cook'n too. Just keeping the existing service working is costly.
Is there another alternative?
We would love to give Cook'n services away for free to everyone. But, we simply can't afford to do that. The problem is that our tech support agents and programmers don't work for free. They expect to get a paycheck every week for the amazing service that they perform. We don't get tax money or donations to pay our bills. We would like to offer free support and services to all of our customers but if we did that...who would pay the bills?
If you have any other questions, please send me an e-mail and let me know.
Best wishes
Dan Oaks
President and Founder
DVO Enterprises
Creator of Cook'n
"I just created my Cook'n Cloud Account today and signed up to continue my premium membership. Sorry it took me a while, sometimes I am very slow to do things and don't always check my emails. I just wanted to let you know I love Cook'n and keep learning more about it every day. I just watched how to sync my Pinterest boards and am working on doing that - I love this feature. Thanks again for all that you do." - Marian
"They won the internet. The moment he said you can sync your pinterest pin recipes, I was sold lol." - Megan
"I have seen many new and exciting improvements and although I don't have to have Cook'n to survive, I choose to purchase it because it makes me happy, allows me to choose healthy meal options, it saves me priceless time and money too at the grocery store, let's not forget that big plus! So, when I add it all up I ask myself; what is my happiness worth, my health, my time and my spending money in the grocery store on items I didn't even use to prepare my meals because I didn't have a list to go by? Well, $14.95 is small compared to all of that because darn it I'm worth it! Thanks & Happy Cook'n
P.S. I forgot to add that Neat Cloud costs me $14.95 per month as well but when I first subscribed to their service it was called NeatDesk and it cost me $9.95 per month several years ago. So, when my husband asked me if Cook'n was really worth the investment of $14.95 per month I said well, you tell me, I will give up my Cook'n if each week/month you make all of the menus, grocery lists, and meals. Then we will stop paying for Neat and you can start filing all of the receipts for the business too! It took him about 1 minute to say Yep! Cook'n is defiantly worth every penny and more! Give a man a straight answer and if it involves more work or organizing he'll agree every time that a little money spent makes for a happy wife and a happy wife makes living with her a lot happier too. LOL." -Kandi
"I will be sticking with Cook'n!! I've used it for several years and it does save money when I am able to take the time to go thru the recipes/menus, etc. As long as I can afford it, I'll be here....I am looking forward to more new cookbooks. There is a good variety still available but, I am picky. I like certain foods, cooking methods, etc. and watch for my favorites. I love cooking with peppers and used to subscribe to a pepper magazine. Would love to see some more recipes. A cookbook of old fashioned recipes would be great too. $14.95 a month??? Heck, my husband spends more than that a week on tobacco!! And he sure doesn't get much out of it except a few swift sprays of air freshener on him when he walks in smelling like an ashtray!! I'll use the money I spend on Cook'n to save him money on his meals!" -Colleen
"They can have my Cook'n...when they pry it from my cold dead hands!" -Stephanie
"Just took out the premium service...For the 15 bucks a month IMO is not a bad price at all...Love the new credit in cook'n. Cant believe how far DVO has come and still number one. Great work DVO." - Marc
"Did you turn a top hat upside down, toss rocks in it, stick your head in it and talk to dead spirits to see if this was a good idea? Necromancy. Always did hate Mormons." - Brian Adams
"I've been reading about this (SaaS) and wondered what the heck was going on but now I understand. All I can say is count me in as a subscriber. I've had Cook'n since I bought it on the Taste of Home website eons ago (1999 ??) and from that I found DVO. I wouldn't give up my Cook'n membership for anything!!" -Carol
"I would not give up my Cookn- Now FB I don't know......." -Jody
"I'm in. (verbose post --I know)" -Michele
"I love Cook'n and had been wondering if you were going to go in this direction eventually. Not in the least surprised. As a premium member, I'd already decided Cook'n was worth a bit of money, so I'll be staying on board. No more pay-for-it upgrades - makes me happy camper!
Only thing I'd request (not alone on this, I know) is an option for an annual subscription at a slightly lower price. Easier for me to manage/budget, particularly when credit cards get hacked/closed/reissued. Plus I always feel like I've managed to get a bargain, which makes me feel smarter.
Thanks Dan.... Cook'n is the best on the market for my needs, and I'm glad we can count on you to keep it going, and going great." -Gabrielle
"I looked through what I have paid in 2015 and what will be paid in 2016 and have seen it will actually be a little less. :) My annual subscription will be ending in May and I will be going to the new system. I have already input all my payment data so there should be no interruption and it will actually be a little less problematic paying $14.95 per month than $80- 90 all at once; but that's just my way of thinking. I believe Cook'n is the BEST recipe software and want to add that I have had INCREDIBLE customer service as well (and believe me when I say I have pestered poor Bridger to death!) I have recommend this product to numerous people and will continue to do so. We even use it at the deli where I work." -Deana
"In my business the minimum SAAS fee is 6K, not 14.95 - this a bargain for the features the software supplies and the new feature support that is included in the rental price. Tell Dan he has my full support for the move and I wish him the best. His software is outstanding and I will continue to be a loyal customer." - Doc Neal E. Grossen,Ph.D.
"I agree that this is a much needed change for Cook'n to keep pace with modern software changes. As a Sr. Citizen in my 70's, I try to be wise in my purchases. However, this is not the only subscription I pay a monthly service for. Of course we have Netflix. But I also have a Cricut Explore and pay a monthly service in order to use the Cricut Design Space to have the necessary format to uniquely design things exactly the way I want them. I purchased my die cut machine and own several cartridges. But I pay to have access to over 30,000 images at all times :slight_smile: I also subscribe to a digital magazine service for a monthly fee. I have access to over 150 magazines 24 hours a day...plus back issues. That suits me. Sometimes I only read one or two articles per magazine. That's fine. I don't have to deal with paper magazines everywhere. I also subscribe to a digital news service. Oh...and I also just purchased my Adobe Photoshop last month. So I'm learning the ins and outs of that service, too. You see...this is just the way it is. And I truly believe, as it has been proven in my other subscription services, that things will only get better. So please know, Dan, that the majority of us understand and appreciate that Cook'n is moving into this new phase. My prayers are with you and all the staff. Oh...and maybe...just MAYBE...my suggestion will be implemented in the future. I suggested it several months ago and again yesterday. We need a button on our browser bar that we can click when we're on it to add that particular recipe to our Cook'n! lol" - Sherrie
"I created a family cookbook using Cook'n! I will tell anyone who asks, that I looked at all sorts of different software/sites to decide how to go about creating that cookbook and Cook'n won hands down!! The book was a hit and brought in a lot of income for the family reunions. Unfortunately, we lost the ones who always handled them so, it will be the last one I put together for the family.
I have used Cook'n since about 2005 after purchasing MasterCook which gave me enough problems to last a lifetime. I used the plugin to add my MC recipes to Cook'n and had to have live help while doing it. Can't beat that type of service! So to those who think it is too expensive, try some of the other programs and see what type of service you get. Customer service makes a company or puts it under and Cook'n ranks way up at the top of good service." -Colleen
"I can see already there will be people who will think they can't afford this and I can really respect wanting to save money. Dan has already mentioned the many ways to cut costs in order to pay for the Cook'n monthly subscription and I think I've repeated a few here.
I've already thought of Starbucks - for the price of 3 drinks a month, or two drinks and a sandwich (that is MORE than the Cook'n subscription price), you have the capability of getting or creating your own drink recipe, scaling it to the number of servings, making a shopping list for ingredients and saving WAY more through the month. Hello Hawaii - I could easily afford to go there EVERY year.
One dinner out is usually more than $14.95 for one person and much more than that for a family.
One trip to the movies for one person is more than $14.95. Naw, I'll wait for the video. Get books and movies from the library, or movies from Red Box at $1 each. I can even borrow Kindle books from our library with up to 4 weeks to read. Unless you read books more than once or twice, this is the way to go; and it saves on clutter.
Weight loss services are more than $14.95 a month. There are many sites that offer lower calorie recipes for free and even menu ideas. With Cook'n, you can easily swap out high calorie ingredients and save 100's of calories per dish. Just changing from higher calorie or more-processed foods can be a plus for everyone. With Cook'n meal planning, you have that option. You always know what goes into your meals. You can also control carbs, sugar and sodium for dietary needs. DVO has 8 cookbooks for diabetes (Diabetic Cast Iron Cooking isn't listed with the other diabetic cookbooks.), several vegetarian choices, gluten-free, a low cholesterol cookbook, a cookbook for those with allergies, sugar free, and Cook'n Low Carb.
If my recipe calls for something I don't have, I can easily swap it out. Is zucchini too pricey this time of year, or I don't want to buy non-USA fruits and veggies? I can change my recipe easily in Cook'n - and SAVE it so I have two recipes now, say one with zucchini and one using asparagus (in season and cheaper) for example.
Another way it saves me money is by using menus and buying for meals. (The 'art' of buying almost only what I need for several meals at a time.) If I've planned a meal with a broccoli side dish, I know I'll need to use the broccoli while it's in its prime. It's the same with dovetailing. If I bought a package of meat that I use in two dishes, I know I'll need to make that second dish soon, or freeze the meat immediately after buying and opening it.
If I've made a menu, I know that even if it's too hot for soup today, I have other choices that I have on my menu for which I've purchased all the ingredients on my shopping list.
Or, what a concept! Freezer meals, so I don't have to cook so often. I really need to do this! And yes, there's a cookbook for that, lol.
Like Dan says, taking a shopping list to the store ALWAYS saves me at least a little money. Sometimes the list can't completely control my "Ohhh, that looks good!" response, but it's always less than just grazing my way through the aisles." -Linda
"I'm fine with the price changes because I have other subscription-based-software that if a problem occurs and it will eventually but getting help or a real person is a nightmare and a joke! You and your team Dan, give it all you've got and then some so, no complaints here. Cook'n is a wonderful software program but what really makes it stand out is your loyalty to your customers and your business etiquette. I give you, your team and company an At rating! Because you've earned it! If this is what it takes to make Cook'n & DVO the best it can be then I say kudos to you and your brilliance! Thanks, Dan" -Williamsfamily
"I imagine making the move to an SaaS Business model was not an easy decision for you to make, but it was not difficult for me to decide to subscribe...I've been a Cook'n user since version 7 and I'm not going to let a few dollars a month keep me from continuing to receive updates and everything else I love about Cook'n. In the long run, it is (for me anyway) just a matter of one fewer trip to the coffee shop. A week!
Thanks Dan - I honestly do love the product and service." -Donna
"I promise you I will be praying every single day for the success of this transition! God has had His hand in this all along. May He bless you and your family and the entire staff of Cook'n! To infinity...and beyond!" -Sherrie
"I know nothing about programming or the costs of getting a Cloud Server for a larger Corp. However, I do know one thing or two about those so called other great Cooking Software Companies out here that some are claiming are better and cost less than the new Cook'n Subscription does. Well, I tried their free download subscription and found myself frustrated and confused the whole time I tried using their software. For example, I tried LivingCookbook and while testing the software out I loaded a Recipe file that was semi-large with 500 recipes or more, not a problem it downloaded, then I realized I didn't want this file in the category I had put it in so I tried moving it but wasn't happening so I decided that I would just delete the darn thing and start over again. However, their software doesn't allow you to delete large files and literally holds the hostage. Then when you try uploading your recipes again well, that's not happening either because they have now been categorized by the software, not you but the software and you get a pop-up box that said "sorry, you can't download that recipe file because it or those recipes already exist". It was so frustrating! I could go on and on about some of the other's that claim they are the best and heck maybe the are for those that are programmers or super computer savvy? However, when I downloaded Cook'n for the first time and read through their step-by-step manual, I knew within 1-hour or less that this was my kind of software! It didn't take a Rocket Scientist to run and if I had a question or a problem they were always answered or solved within 3 days or less. After my first day of using Cook'n I have not looked back since! I think others should take the taste test like I did before they make horrible accusations about DVO, Cook'n software or Dan & his team. Good software cost money and I don't know about everyone else but I would love seeing what Dan and his team have cooked up for us all next. Yes, I Love Cook'n!" -Kandi
"I've been a Cook'n user since 1999 or so and a club member from 2007 (or was it 2006?), I'm pretty prejudiced in favor of Cook'n. Also, it helps that WE the USERS have a say in the new features that come along! Boy, if I could put a bug in the ear of the Microsoft top dude? (It'd be an earwig for all the trouble I've had with Windows Vista, 8, 8.1, and now 10!!!!)
Dan LISTENS to his customers and for me, that's invaluable!" -Linda
"I went through my 2015 DVO Cook'n purchase receipts just to prove a point here today. These are my personal purchase receipts and many of you may have paid less or maybe even more but it's just to give everyone here that's angry or feels like Dan and his crew has come up with a way to rob us all of our hard earned money that in reality I probably paid out more in 2015 than I will be paying for the same great Cook'n services with all of the rings & bells they will be infiltrating in their Cook'n 2016 Subscriptions. After tallying up my total I realize that the new SaaS Business Model and the $14.95 per month fee will save me somewhere around $37.15 Annually vs what I have already paid out in 2015. Even if you deduct the extras I purchased; the Cookbook download $9.60 and the Instant Download $10.00, I'm still saving $17.55. However, I did get a $-17.91 promo coupon as well so that was an additional savings; so either way, you add it up I'm more than breaking even or really paying less in the long-run. Maybe other's should do the same as I did and tally up their 2015 receipts before they just start throwing poop balls at Dan, LOL. Thank's for the new 2016 savings, Dan!
** Here is MY Cook'n Purchase Receipt's & 2015 Annual Total:
Ordered on: 5/09/15
1 Cook'n 11 CD $79.95
- Cook'n 11 Instant Download $10.00
- Cook'n Club Annual Subscription $74.95
1 Download - Pizza Stone Cookbook $9.60
Coupon Applied 422369 (Coupon) -$17.91
Subtotal $156.59
Total $156.59
Your total savings $17.91
Ordered on: 9/02/15
1 Cook'n Version 12 Pre-Release Download9118 $79.95
upgrade12 -$19.99
Subtotal $59.96
Grand Total $59.96
Your total savings $19.99
** My Annual Total spent in 2015 for Cook'n Software & My Cook'n Club Subscription = $216.55
** The cost for the BEST recipe software on the market for all of us recipe collectors and food lover enthusiast's alike, *** PRICELESS!!! ***" -Williamsfamily
"Thanks for sharing @williamsfamily. I agree with you as I have had the same experience. My annual subscription will be ending in May and I will be going to the new system. It will actually be a little less problematic paying $14.95 per month than $80 all at once; but that's just my way of thinking. I agree with you completely about it being the BEST recipe software and want to add that I have had INCREDIBLE customer service as well. I recommend this product to numerous people." -Deana
"Deana, that's awesome! Yes, I agree they have the best customer service of any company I have ever dealt with. As a customer of DVO I see Dan as one of those bosses that not only meets the Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service but is probably one of those bosses his employee's love working for too." -Williamsfamily
"So, this really isn't about Cook'n but more about other Companies Cloud Service Accounts like Neat Cloud. So, today I opened my Business email to find a message from Neat Cloud about a Service Issue Notification [stating that] "Cloud-powered software users - some users may be experiencing delays or time-outs while trying to update or save changes to an item. The email-in service is also currently experiencing delays."
Just out of curiosity is this problem a Cloud Server/Service issue or a Neat Software Issue? In other words, could we the subscribers of Cook'n continue on having these same Cloud type of problems that we've been experiencing or will the New SaaS Business structure end these problems? Is this because Neat does not have enough Cloud Servers for serving their customers demands? However, it does show one what happens when a growing company does not invest in upgrades and their customers best interest.
Company Investment costs and over the years I have had to pay for these upgrades and cost increases from The Neat Company as well. I don't always like paying more but I need or I should say like having their service for my business so, I pay for it even when they increase their costs and over the years, I have seen many improvements so, I do know that my money has been hard, at work.
For me it's been the same with purchasing Cook'n, I have seen many new and exciting improvements and although I don't have to have Cook'n to survive, I choose to purchase it because it makes me happy, allows me to choose healthy meal options, it saves me priceless time and money too at the grocery store, let's not forget that big plus! So, when I add it all up I ask myself; what is my happiness worth, my health, my time and my spending money in the grocery store on items I didn't even use to prepare my meals because I didn't have a list to go by? Well, $14.95 is small compared to all of that because darn it I'm worth it! Thanks & Happy Cook'n
P.S. I forgot to add that Neat Cloud costs me $14.95 per month as well but when I first subscribed to their service it was called NeatDesk and it cost me $9.95 per month several years ago. So, when my husband asked me if Cook'n was really worth the investment of $14.95 per month I said well, you tell me, I will give up my Cook'n if each week/month you make all of the menus, grocery lists, and meals. Then we will stop paying for Neat and you can start filing all of the receipts for the business too! It took him about 1 minute to say Yep! Cook'n is defiantly worth every penny and more! Give a man a straight answer and if it involves more work or organizing he'll agree every time that a little money spent makes for a happy wife and a happy wife makes living with her a lot happier too. LOL.
"Dan, I know you will and I can testify that every word you have typed is true because I've been one of your biggest pains in the bum and you never bailed out on me or left me hanging. You've always given me 100% and I have faith in you and your company. I will post on my Facebook in support of your software and tell others about your Cook'n software, your great Team of Programers and you and your wonderful family." -K. Stickman
"I fully understand the need for SaaS and support it. Cook'n is the best cooking software on the market. I will support you in your efforts. Keep up the good work." -Raymond