Got a free Alexa from my grandma and wasn't a fan. Got the hub for $50 black Friday sale and the video monitor made a huge difference with our initial usage. Got the smart lights for $5 a piece for a different black Friday sale and it was a lifesaver for bed time with a chunky almost 1 year old and clingy almost 3 year old. However, they can barely talk so we have little concerns with purchases for the moment, but we also don't have any cards attached to the Google account, we just made a family one.