Subscriptions are supposed to make life easier—but too many can quietly eat up your budget. Learn about the hidden costs of unused services, how to spot what you’re no longer using, and what to do to cancel and stay in control going forward.
How Subscriptions Sneak Into Your Budget
It usually starts with a free trial—just a few days or weeks to try out a streaming service, app, or product box. Then suddenly, you’re getting billed monthly, and you might not even realize it. Multiply that by a few different services, and it’s easy to lose track of what’s active, what’s useful, and what’s draining your bank account.
In fact, studies show the average person underestimates how much they spend on subscriptions by more than 200%. That means if you think you’re spending $50 per month, it’s likely closer to $150 when you add everything up.
Common overlooked subscriptions include:
Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.)
App store charges (cloud storage, game add-ons, productivity tools)
Digital newspapers or magazines
Online learning platforms
Subscription boxes (beauty, snacks, fitness gear)
Software trials that quietly renew
Gym memberships or virtual workout classes
Cloud storage or forgotten backup services
These charges often get buried in your bank statements—small enough to fly under the radar, but large enough to make a difference over time.
The Real Cost of Forgetting
Even one forgotten subscription can cost hundreds of dollars a year. And when money is tight, those monthly hits can be the difference between paying off a credit card or adding to your balance.
The problem is that these charges rarely trigger alerts. They just auto-renew in the background. Some even make it deliberately hard to cancel, requiring multiple steps or burying the cancel button deep in your account settings.
That kind of “set it and forget it” billing model benefits companies—not you.
Let’s say you signed up for a meal kit delivery service at $10 a week. That sounds reasonable. But you stop using it after a month and forget to cancel. Over a year, that’s $520 gone for meals you never ate.
Or maybe you subscribed to a fitness app during a New Year’s resolution streak and forgot about it by March. If it’s $15/month, that’s $135 out of your pocket by year’s end—without a single workout.
How to Track What You’re Paying For
The first step to cutting down on subscriptions is knowing exactly what you’re subscribed to—and what it’s costing you.
Start by scanning your last two to three months of bank and credit card statements. Look for anything with recurring charges. They might appear under different names than the actual service, so take your time. Some apps bill under parent companies you don’t recognize, like streaming bundles or digital publishing groups.
If that sounds overwhelming, apps like Rocket Money, Hiatus, and Ask Trim can help. They sync with your accounts, identify recurring charges, and flag anything that looks unused or excessive.
Once you’ve identified the culprits, sort them into three categories:
Essential: Things you use regularly and want to keep (like Spotify or Netflix if you use them daily)
Occasional: Services you use sometimes but could live without
Unused: Things you’ve forgotten about or don’t plan to use again
Anything in that last category should be canceled right away.
Canceling Isn’t Always Straightforward—But It’s Worth It
Canceling a subscription should be easy, but it’s often not. Some companies make you call customer service. Others require you to cancel through a third-party app store. And a few try to sneak in retention offers or guilt messages (“Are you sure you want to cancel? You’ll lose your progress!”).
Don’t let the extra steps stop you. Even if it takes 10 minutes, saving $10–$20 every month is worth the effort.
If you’re having trouble, search “[company name] cancel subscription” for step-by-step guides, or visit help forums. Sites like The Krazy Coupon Lady often post up-to-date instructions for popular apps and services.
If all else fails, you can block future charges at the bank level. Some debit or credit cards allow you to pause or cancel payments directly from your app. It’s not ideal, but it’s a good last resort.
Tips for Staying in Control Going Forward
Cutting current subscriptions is a win—but keeping them in check going forward is where you’ll save long term. Here are a few simple strategies:
Use a dedicated email for free trials and subscriptions. This keeps all the confirmation emails and renewal notices in one place so nothing slips through the cracks.
Set calendar reminders to cancel trials before the billing period starts. Even setting a 7-day warning gives you enough time to decide whether it’s worth keeping.
Review your subscriptions quarterly. Add a recurring reminder on your phone or planner to scan your statements every three months.
Avoid overlapping services. Do you really need four streaming platforms at once? Rotate them—watch one for a couple of months, then switch.
Pay annually only if you’re sure. Annual subscriptions often seem like a better deal, but only if you’ll use them all year. Otherwise, monthly might be safer.
You can also designate a low-limit debit card specifically for subscriptions. That way, if you forget to cancel something, the charge will fail—and you won’t overdraft your main account.
What If You Still Want to Keep Some Subscriptions?
That’s totally fine! The point isn’t to cut everything—it’s to make sure you’re getting value from what you do keep.
Ask yourself: does this service make my life easier, save me money in another area, or bring me joy? If yes, and it fits your budget, keep it. But if you’re only holding on out of habit or fear of missing out, it might be time to let go.
Consider sharing subscriptions with trusted family members if possible. Some streaming platforms allow multiple profiles under one account, and a few services let you split the cost with friends.
If you’re using subscriptions for tools like fitness, meditation, or mental health support, check for free or lower-cost alternatives through YouTube, Insight Timer, or local community programs.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Small Charges Drain Big Goals
Subscriptions seem harmless at first—$5 here, $12 there—but they can quietly snowball into a big expense. The key is not to feel guilty, but to get curious. Ask yourself: Am I using this? Is it worth it? If not, cancel it and move on.
Every dollar you reclaim from a forgotten subscription is a dollar you can put toward your financial goals, whether that’s groceries, savings, or finally getting ahead of the bills.
Taking 30 minutes to audit your subscriptions could unlock hundreds of dollars this year. And once it’s done, you’ll feel lighter, more in control, and better equipped to make intentional money moves.
