Lately, I’ve been feeling the pinch of all these monthly subscriptions for my work tools. It’s like death by a thousand tiny cuts to my bank account. Anyone else struggling with this? How do you keep track of what you’re actually using versus what’s just sitting there, quietly draining your funds?
Never track stuff. Just pay what comes in. Money’s tight sometimes.
Been there. Here’s what works for me:
List out every subscription. Go through bank statements if you have to.
Set a reminder to review each one quarterly. Cut anything you haven’t used in 3 months.
For the rest, see if there’s a cheaper annual plan. Sometimes you can save 20-30% that way.
Look for free alternatives too. There’s decent free options for a lot of stuff these days.
Last tip: negotiate. Call up and ask for a better rate, especially if you’ve been with them a while. You’d be surprised how often that works.
I feel your pain. Those subscriptions can really sneak up on you.
Here’s what I do:
Every few months, I sit down with a coffee and go through my bank statements. I write down every subscription I see on a piece of paper.
Then I ask myself: ‘Did I actually use this in the last month?’ If not, it’s gone.
For the ones I keep, I look at how much I’m using them. If it’s not a lot, I’ll see if there’s a cheaper plan or a pay-as-you-go option.
I’ve also started sharing some subscriptions with other small business owners I know. We split the cost, and it works out cheaper for everyone.
One thing that’s helped me is setting up a separate bank account just for subscriptions. Makes it easier to see exactly how much I’m spending on these tools each month.
It’s a bit of work, but it’s saved me a bunch of money in the long run.
I keep a simple spreadsheet with all my subscriptions. Once a month, I review it and ask myself if each one’s still earning its keep.
For the ones I need, I look for deals or cheaper alternatives. Sometimes I’ll email the company and ask for a discount.
If I’m not using something, I cancel it right away. No point in wasting money on tools that aren’t helping the business.
Subscription costs can definitely add up fast. Here’s my approach:
I use a basic notes app on my phone to list all my subscriptions. Each entry includes:
- Tool name
- Monthly cost
- Renewal date
- How often I actually use it
Every couple months, I go through the list and ask myself:
- Do I still need this?
- Is there a cheaper option?
- Can I downgrade my plan?
For the ones I keep, I try to switch to annual billing if it saves money.
I’ve also started setting calendar reminders a week before each renewal. Gives me time to cancel if I need to.
One last thing - I’m not shy about emailing companies to ask for discounts. You’d be surprised how often they’ll work with you, especially if you’ve been a customer for a while.
I just check my bank statement once in a while. If something looks off, I’ll cancel it.
Don’t really keep track of much else. Probably should, but who’s got the time?