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A thread of how I funded publications as a grad student and postdoc https://twitter.com/rsidd120/status/1336153828672983040
first two papers were in MPE, subscription only, lab paid ~$300 for color figures each ( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790314002644, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790317300829). Not even sure there was a print copy but ok.
Then we sent this to American Naturalist ( https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/695439). Without the open-access, page charges and color came to $1200 (at least this one does get physically printed). advisor paid. I remember being shocked that page charges for subscription journals were a thing.
Also starting with the last paper everything is on biorxiv to start, so from here out we already have a citable archived version that looks how we want available before any of these costs.
Next sent this one with @ethanblinck to MER ( https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1755-0998.12995). Fast, easy, free, closed access. Not having to pay out of pocket was definitely a factor in deciding where to send it. Plus, already on bioRxiv, so access seems *good enough* IMHO.
Now I'm out of grad school and have no funding and am trying to publish solo-author dissertation work (*ominous music*). So I knew it was basically closed access and/or society journals with membership waivers.
First one to Am Nat ( https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/704249). I paid out of pocket for Am Nat open access and color -- ~$2200. Should have done more work for a waiver, and prob would not do OA again, but I thought civilians might actually want to read this one and felt flush with new PD $$ LOL
(Also just checked and Am Nat now offers OA FREE to student members with solo-author pubs. Good for them!). https://www.amnat.org/announcements/OpenAccess.html
Then Evolution ( https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evo.13888). Free with member waiver (after some back and worth with publisher & SSE by email). Closed access. Didn't bioRxiv this out of a misguided attempt to avoid scooping someone (never do this).
Postdoc pubs then got easier, bc the lab just paid. Long closed-access GENETICS paper with lots of color figs was >$3000 ( https://www.genetics.org/content/215/1/193). Love the journal but this was way too much for closed access with no hard copy. Sadly, unlikely to send stuff here in the future $$$
and elife ( https://elifesciences.org/articles/54507 ). Full OA, $2500. Way better deal than Genetics tbh. But I wouldn't have submitted here in my early postdoc unfunded research days.
Next one will be in G3 soon, full OA, I think $1815 if I've remembered to keep my GSA membership up to date 
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So all-in it's about $9000 worth of publication charges for my corresponding author stuff so far. Seems like a pretty bad deal given everything on bioRxiv. One thing that sticks out is the worst costs are actually my beloved society journals with closed-access page charges.
I haven't ever submitted to the PLOS family bc the cost:benefit ratio never made sense to me. And free closed-access Wiley & Elsevier pubs were critical to my early career, especially for work not fancy enough for flagship society journals.
