Money guide
A subscription audit that actually sticks
Subscriptions feel small monthly and large yearly. A durable audit is less about shame and more about cost-per-use: keep tools you touch weekly, downgrade seasonal ones, and cancel zombies. Then calendar the review so new trials do not silently renew.
Updated 2026-09-05
Pull a complete list
Export card statements for 90 days and highlight every recurring merchant. Add app-store renewals and “free trials” that converted. Missing even two $15 charges can erase a careful grocery budget.
Score cost per use
Divide monthly price by honest uses per month. A $30 tool used twice may lose to a $12 tool used daily. Shared family plans change the math—allocate cost across real users.
Make the cut permanent
Cancel, download your data, and remove the payment method when possible. Set a quarterly 20-minute calendar block titled ‘subscriptions’ so the system does not rely on memory.
Key takeaways
- List every recurring charge from statements—not memory.
- Keep high cost-per-use winners; cut zombies.
- Schedule a quarterly review.