Subscription Review: Finding the Money You're Wasting

Subscriptions are designed to be forgotten. That's the business model.

You sign up for a free trial, forget to cancel, and quietly pay £9.99/month for something you used once. Multiply that across a dozen services and you're leaking hundreds per year.

The Subscription Creep Problem

Common culprits:

• Streaming services you don't watch
• Software you stopped using
• News sites you never read
• Apps that went from free to paid
• Gym memberships (the classic)
• Cloud storage you don't need
• Premium versions of things the free tier covers

How to Find Them All

Check your bank statements. Go back 3 months. Look for recurring charges. You'll find things you forgot existed.

Check your email. Search for "subscription," "renewal," "receipt," and "billing." Services send receipts - they're just buried.

Check app stores. Both iOS and Android have subscription management in settings. You'll find apps still charging you.

Check PayPal. If you use it, check Settings > Payments > Manage automatic payments.

The Audit Process

For each subscription, ask:

1. Did I use this in the last month?
2. Will I use it in the next month?
3. Is there a free alternative?
4. Can I share with family?

If you answer "no" to the first two questions, cancel it. You can always resubscribe.

The Annual vs Monthly Trap

Annual subscriptions save money if you'll actually use the service for a year. But they also make you forget you're paying.

Monthly subscriptions cost more but are easier to cancel. For services you're unsure about, monthly is often the better choice.

When to Review

Quarterly is ideal. It's frequent enough to catch new subscriptions before they compound, but not so frequent that it becomes a chore.

Add it to your tasks. We'll remind you every 90 days.