Decent Newsroom
Sign In

Subscription Audit in 15 Minutes: Find the Monthly Charges You Forgot

By Smart Budget Sheets November 10, 2026
A 15-minute subscription audit: list, annualize, keep/rotate/cancel.

Small monthly charges are easy to approve and easy to forget. A once-a-year audit usually finds something.

Step 1: list every recurring charge

Go through the last two or three months of card and bank statements, plus the subscription lists in your phone’s app store settings. Look for streaming, music, cloud storage, apps, news, gym, software, delivery memberships, warranty plans and ‘free trials’ that rolled over.

Step 2: convert everything to a yearly number

Monthly x 12 makes small numbers visible:

  • $9.99 a month = about $120 a year.
  • $14.99 a month = about $180 a year.
  • Eight subscriptions averaging $12 = $96 a month, about $1,150 a year.

Step 3: sort into three groups

  • Keep: used weekly and worth the yearly number.
  • Rotate: things you like but do not need all at once (streaming services are the classic example). Keep one, cancel and come back later.
  • Cancel: not used in the last month.

Step 4: check for cheaper versions

Annual billing is often cheaper than monthly if you are sure you will keep it. Family or shared plans can be cheaper per person. Some services offer ad-supported tiers.

Step 5: stop it creeping back

  • Put a calendar reminder the day before any free trial ends.
  • Use one card for subscriptions so they are all on one statement.
  • Repeat the audit once a year.

Free tools

General information, not financial advice. Figures are rounded examples.

#personalfinance #budgeting
Write a comment