Day 5: The Great Subscription Purge: Why You’re Paying for Stuff You Forgot About

Ah, subscriptions. They start out so innocent, don’t they? A free trial here, a “limited-time discount” there. Next thing you know, you’re paying for 12 streaming platforms when you only watch two, a meal kit you haven’t cooked in months, and a fitness app that’s judging you silently from your phone.

It’s time for The Great Subscription Purge—because your bank account deserves better than to be ghosted by forgotten memberships.

Step 1: The Reckoning (A.K.A. Check Your Statements)

Start by reviewing your credit card or bank statements. Look at every charge, line by line. Yep, even the one labeled “Recurring charge – $7.99.”

You might find:

• A magazine you subscribed to during a fit of “I’m totally a person who reads The Economist.”

• A cloud storage plan for photos you don’t even remember taking.

• A subscription to that one yoga app you swore you’d use after New Year’s.

Pro Tip: Search your email for terms like “subscription,” “trial,” or “auto-renew” to unearth even more sneaky charges.

Step 2: Ask Yourself: Do I Even Use This Thing?

For each subscription, ask the hard questions:

• When was the last time I used this? If you can’t remember, it’s probably a no.

• Does this bring me joy? Marie Kondo that stuff right out of your life if it doesn’t.

• Would I notice if it disappeared? If the answer is no, so long, farewell!

Step 3: Cancel, Cancel, Cancel

This is where the fun begins. Grab your phone or computer, log in to your accounts, and start axing those unnecessary expenses.

But beware: canceling isn’t always straightforward. Some companies will try to guilt-trip you with:

• “Are you sure you want to leave us?!”

• “How about a 3-month discount?”

• “We’ll miss you so much 😢.”

Stay strong. Politely decline. (Unless that discount actually makes sense—then use it like the savvy budgeter you are.)

Step 4: Beware of the Sneaky Ones

Some subscriptions make it absurdly hard to cancel. They’ll hide the button, require a phone call, or send you down a maze of “confirmations.”

Pro Tip: Use a service like Truebill or Trim to hunt down and cancel subscriptions for you. Think of them as your personal cancellation ninjas.

Step 5: Prevent Future Subscriptions Gone Wild

Once you’ve cleaned house, don’t fall into the same trap again.

• Turn off auto-renew: Unless it’s for something essential, like your internet or life insurance, keep things manual.

• Set reminders: If you sign up for a free trial, put a calendar alert to cancel before it turns into a paid plan.

• Practice subscription skepticism: Before signing up, ask yourself, “Will I really use this in three months?”

Step 6: Celebrate Your Wins

Add up how much you’ve saved by canceling unused subscriptions. That’s money you can now put toward something you actually value: savings, debt payoff, or even that trip you’ve been dreaming about.

For example:

• $12.99/month for that random streaming service = $155.88/year.

• $19.99/month for a meal kit you don’t cook = $239.88/year.

• $9.99/month for the 17th fitness app = $119.88/year.

Total Saved: A lot of tacos.

Final Thoughts: Subscriptions Should Work for You, Not Against You

Subscriptions can be great—when they actually add value. But paying for stuff you don’t use? That’s like throwing cash into a bonfire of mediocrity.

So, go forth and purge! Your wallet will thank you, your bank account will breathe easier, and you’ll feel like a financial superhero—capable of saying “no” to that $6/month weather app you didn’t even know was still billing you.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a subscription to cancel… I’m looking at you, monthly cheese-of-the-month club.