Streaming services. Music apps. Meal deliveries. Cloud storage. Fitness memberships. That app you downloaded for a free trial and completely forgot about.
Subscriptions can make life easier, but they can also quietly take a bite out of your budget.
A $7 charge here and a $15 charge there may not seem like much. But when several subscriptions hit your account every month, you could be spending more than you realize.
September is a great time to get back into a routine and take a closer look at where your money is going. One easy place to start? A subscription audit.
Step 1: Find Your Recurring Charges
Pull up your recent account and credit card activity and look for charges that repeat each month or year.
Keep an eye out for:
- Streaming and entertainment services
- Music and podcast subscriptions
- Apps and software
- Gaming memberships
- Gym and fitness memberships
- Meal or grocery delivery services
- Subscription boxes
- Cloud storage
- News and digital publications
Don't forget about annual subscriptions. A service you rarely think about could be preparing to renew for another year.
Step 2: Ask, “Do I Actually Use This?”
Now comes the important part.
Look at each subscription and ask yourself:
When was the last time I used this?
If you can't remember, that's a good sign it deserves a closer look.
Then consider:
Would I sign up for this again today at this price?
A subscription that felt worthwhile a year ago may not fit your life or budget anymore.
Step 3: Look for Overlap
Do you really need four streaming services at once? Are you paying for a fitness app and a gym membership? Does your phone plan already include a service you're paying for separately?
Look for subscriptions that serve the same purpose.
You don't necessarily have to cancel everything. Consider rotating services instead. Keep one or two streaming platforms for a few months, cancel them when you're finished with your favorite shows, and switch to something else later.
Step 4: Do the Yearly Math
Here's where a small change can start to feel significant.
Cancel a $10 monthly subscription and you could save $120 over the course of a year.
Find three subscriptions totaling $30 per month and that's $360 a year you could put toward something else.
Suddenly, those small recurring charges don't seem quite so small.
Step 5: Give Those Dollars a New Job
Canceling a subscription is great. But if that money simply gets absorbed into everyday spending, you may never feel the difference.
Instead, decide where you want those extra dollars to go.
You could put them toward:
- Building your emergency savings
- Paying down a credit card or loan
- Getting ahead on holiday expenses
- Saving for a vacation or major purchase
- Growing your everyday financial cushion
Even $10 or $20 a month can add up when you consistently put it toward something that matters to you.
Make It a Regular Money Habit
Subscriptions are easy to forget because they're designed to happen automatically. That's why it's worth giving them a little attention.
Consider doing a quick subscription audit a few times each year. Review your transactions, cancel what you don't need, and make sure the services you're paying for are still earning their place in your budget.
Your budget doesn't always need a major overhaul. Sometimes, a few small changes are all it takes to free up money for the things you care about most.
Log in to Landings digital banking or the mobile app to review your recent transactions and start your subscription audit today.