What this tracker works out
This tracker converts everything you pay on a recurring basis into a single annual figure and a monthly average: monthly subscriptions multiplied by twelve, plus annual subscriptions, plus one-off yearly renewals.
Recurring costs are difficult to see because they arrive separately and in small amounts. Putting them in one number is usually the most surprising thing a household budget produces.
Enter your details
Before you total them up
- Check your bank and card statements rather than working from memory. Direct debits, card continuous payment authorities and app store billing all sit in different places.
- Include everything: streaming, music, software, cloud storage, gaming, news, gym, boxes, insurance add-ons, breakdown cover, professional bodies and domain names.
- Check both card and app store accounts. Subscriptions billed through Apple or Google do not appear as separate direct debits.
- Include free trials that will convert if you do not cancel.
A £12 monthly subscription is visible twelve times a year. The same service at £120 annually is visible once, usually on a date nobody remembers. Annual billing is often genuinely cheaper, but it substantially reduces the chance you will notice and cancel something you no longer use.
How this calculator works
Everything converted to a yearly figure, then averaged:
Annual total = (monthly subscriptions × 12) + annual subscriptions + one-off yearly renewals
Monthly average = annual total ÷ 12The monthly average is a smoothed figure rather than what actually leaves your account in any given month. Annual renewals land as lumps, which is precisely what makes them worth setting money aside for — the Sinking Fund Planner handles that.
Worked example: a typical household
Using the default figures — £75 a month in monthly subscriptions, £120 of annually billed services and £60 of one-off yearly renewals:
- Monthly subscriptions annualised: £75 × 12 = £900
- Plus annual services and renewals: £120 + £60 = £180
- Annual total: £1,080
- Monthly average: £90
£1,080 a year is a fortnight's take-home pay for many households, spread so thinly it never feels like a decision. The useful next step is not to cancel everything, but to run each item through the Subscription Value Checker: some will be excellent value at £15 a month and others will be costing £30 a use.
Common mistakes
- Working from memory. Almost everyone underestimates the total, usually by a wide margin.
- Missing app store billing. Subscriptions bought through Apple or Google are billed together and easy to overlook.
- Forgetting annual renewals. They are the ones most likely to auto-renew unnoticed.
- Ignoring free trials. A trial you forget about becomes a subscription you did not choose.
- Cancelling everything in one go. Blanket cancellation usually reverses within months; targeted cancellation lasts.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find subscriptions I have forgotten?
Search a full year of bank and card statements for repeated amounts, check the subscription lists in your Apple and Google accounts, and look at PayPal's recurring payments section. Many banking apps now identify recurring payments automatically, which is the quickest route.
How do I cancel a payment I cannot find?
If it is a direct debit, you can cancel it through your bank, though you should tell the company as well since the contract continues. If it is a continuous payment authority on a card, you have the right to cancel it with your bank directly, and they must stop it. Cancelling the payment does not always cancel the contract, so do both.
Is annual billing worth taking?
Usually cheaper — often by the equivalent of one or two months — but only for services you are certain you will use for a full year. The saving is real; the risk is that it removes twelve monthly reminders to reconsider. Set a calendar reminder a week before renewal.
What is a reasonable amount to spend on subscriptions?
There is no correct figure, and it depends entirely on what you get from them. A more useful test than a percentage of income is whether each one passes the cost-per-use check individually. A household spending £120 a month on services it uses daily is in a very different position from one spending £60 on services it uses twice a year.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Subscription totals are processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained.
Related tools
References
- MoneyHelper — guidance on cutting regular outgoings and cancelling recurring payments
- Financial Conduct Authority — your rights over continuous payment authorities and direct debits
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.