Guides
How to audit your subscriptions in 15 minutes
Recurring charges are easy to start and easy to forget. A quick audit every few months keeps the ones you use and stops the ones you don't.
You don't need an app to do this. You need your bank statements and 15 quiet minutes.
The process
- Pull three months of statements. Some services bill monthly, others quarterly or yearly.
- List every recurring charge: name, amount, billing date.
- Mark each one: use weekly, use sometimes, forgot it existed.
- Cancel the "forgot" pile today, from the provider's account page or app store subscription settings.
- Put renewal dates in your calendar for anything annual.
Where subscriptions hide
- Your phone's app store subscriptions page.
- Trials you started and didn't cancel.
- Add-ons billed through a TV or phone provider.
Cancelling usually stops future charges only. If you want a refund for a past charge, contact the provider's support team directly; policies vary.