General

DeepSeek v4 Token Usage

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I experimented with several AI models and providers while developing plugins and this site. I tested Claude Code Sonnet/Opus, Copilot Max (mostly Sonnet), Gemini, and OpenAI GPT. After trying them all, I settled on DeepSeek for ongoing work. For my side project PandaPlugin, I’ve been using DeepSeek exclusively for several weeks to keep costs down while maintaining solid performance.

Here are the token usage (~$21.62):

I’d call it excellent bang for the buck.

so..
What AI are you using for coding, and how much did it cost you?

Panda Plugin Officially Launched!

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I’ve been building WordPress stuff for a while now, and I kept hitting the same wall: every tool I wanted to use was either a SaaS subscription or a “free” plugin that held half the features hostage behind a paywall. I got tired of it.

So I built my own. Today I’m launching Panda Plugin — three free, open-source WordPress plugins. No catch.

What I built:

Beruang Budget is a personal finance tool that runs on your WordPress site, letting you track income, expenses, budgets, and wallets. It works as a progressive web app on your phone. I built it because the premium mobile app I was paying for stopped receiving updates and support. I’ve been using it for 3+ months now (and I really enjoy it).

Jejak Journal is a private journaling plugin built for simplicity: a one‑line‑a‑day journal with dedicated ToDos and Highlights sections. I’ve kept a journal for years—paper notebooks, field notes, looseleaf, tablets with an S‑Pen, and the Day One app—then discovered one‑line‑per‑day journaling and loved it. Jejak Journal is my take on that minimalist practice.

Dino Design is a design system plugin I built for myself and later decided to share. It powers this site. I don’t like complex page builders—Gutenberg is solid, but I wanted something lean with AI-powered enhancements. After reading about a developer creating custom functionality for WordPress Custom HTML block, I was inspired to create my own. Dino Design is the result.

The promise: GPLv3 across the board. No premium tier — what you see is what you get. No accounts, no telemetry, no “sign up to download.” Just plugins that do their job and stay out of your way.

Why the panda? I needed a name and a mascot. I like pandas. That’s it. I spent more time on the code.

What’s coming: more plugins. Better documentation. WordPress.org listings once the reviews go through.

This is a solo thing — just me, working on tools I’d want to use. If the plugins help you, tell someone about them. If something’s broken, file an issue on GitHub. If you want to improve something, PRs are open.