How to find the subscriptions you forgot about

Subscriptions are designed to be easy to start and easy to forget. A few dollars here and there rarely feels like much, until you add them up for a year. Here's a straightforward way to find them all.

1. 1

   Check your app store subscriptions

   On iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. On Android, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile, then Payments & subscriptions. These lists catch most in-app subscriptions.

2. 2

   Scan three months of card and bank statements

   Monthly charges repeat, so three months makes them easy to spot. Look for the same merchant and a similar amount on a similar date. Don't forget annual renewals — search the past year for anything that appeared once.

3. 3

   Search your email

   Search for words like “receipt,” “renewal,” “your subscription,” and “trial.” Sign-up confirmations often reveal services that bill through a different name.

4. 4

   Write them all down with the yearly cost

   Multiply each monthly price by 12. Yearly totals make it obvious which subscriptions are worth a second look.

The cost-per-use test

Divide each monthly price by how many times you actually used it last month. A $40 gym membership used twice costs $20 a visit; used twelve times it's about $3.33. Anything you didn't use at all is pure cost.

Cancel, pause, or downgrade

• Cancel through the same place you subscribed — App Store subscriptions are managed in your Apple Account settings.
• Ask about a pause or a cheaper plan before canceling; many services offer one.
• Take a screenshot of the cancellation confirmation in case a charge appears later.

PrismWorth detects recurring charges from your connected accounts automatically. Premium adds Subscription Autopsy, which turns quick “Still using it?” check-ins into an honest cost per use.