How to Organize Your Monthly Subscriptions in 2022
We all utilize services with monthly subscription costs, whether you use streaming services, music apps, or what have you. Today, let's discuss how you can do an annual overview of your subscriptions (and what to cut vs. keep!)
Check The App Store
First of all, make a list of the known subscriptions you have. This will serve you later when you see what subscriptions you may have forgotten about.
Next, go to the App Store/Google Play on your phone and look through your subscription settings. Here, you can cancel any app subscriptions from the push of a button. This may not be every subscription you have though, so be ready to do some more digging into your finances.
Use a Service
There are certain financial services, such as TrueBill or Mint, that do an audit of your bank account and determine each and every subscription you have active. Consider purchasing one of these services and doing a breakdown of your subscriptions.
Not only do these services help you see at a glance what bills you currently have for subscription-based services, you'll see all the ones you forgot about, too.
Start with a Clean Slate
No matter how you audit your finances and figure out what your monthly subscriptions are, now is the time to cancel any and all that you used infrequently or forgot about altogether.
Only hang on to the services you use on a daily basis and wish to keep. This can trim down your monthly expenses by quite a bit, so put in the time and effort to do this thoroughly.
Change Your Habits Moving Forward
If you were one of the people who ended up with a number of impulse subscriptions you forgot about, it might be time for a habit change.
Try to work on limiting what you'll subscribe to. Really think about it before buying another service, and sometimes it helps to talk to your partner before you buy. Give yourself steps and checks and balances to prevent this in the future.
Finally, try to keep an active list of all your subscriptions. You can keep a list on the refrigerator that you update, a list on your phone, maintain a spreadsheet, or even make notes in an email thread to yourself — whatever is easier and will help you remember. Always check this list before buying any new subscriptions in the future.