In a 2022 C+R Research survey, people estimated they spent $86 a month on subscriptions on average. When they went through them one by one, the real figure was $219 – $133 more than they thought.
Why we underestimate them
Subscriptions are designed not to hurt: a small amount, an automatic payment, often a free trial that quietly turns paid. No single item is a problem. The total is – and nobody sees it all at once.
The yearly view changes everything
€9.99 a month sounds harmless. €119.88 a year sounds like a decision. Convert each subscription to a yearly figure and ask one question: would I buy this again today at this price?
- List every regular payment – yearly ones too.
- Convert them to a yearly cost.
- Cancel what you didn’t use last month.
- Write down free trials with their end date.
Cancelling a subscription is the easiest money you’ll earn all month.
Let someone else keep watch
Fiplo spots recurring payments and shows what subscriptions cost you per month and per year. Now and then it reminds you – you just decide what stays.
The articles are educational and are not financial or investment advice.