Three hundred versus eleven hundred dollars a year.
Both sisters have the same first paycheck and use the same kinds of apps. But Little Sis is paying for nine subscriptions, including free trials she forgot to cancel and a gym she never visits. That’s $91.91 a month, or $1,102.92 a year.
Big Sis checks her statement every month and cancels anything she didn’t use. She keeps just two: $24.98 a month, or $299.76 a year.
That’s $803.16 a year back in Big Sis’s pocket. That’s Sister vs Sister, Episode #9, and it might be the easiest money fix in the whole series. In this post we’ll break down the math, explain why subscriptions are so easy to forget, and give you a 20-minute subscription audit you can do tonight.
The Setup: Big Sis vs Little Sis
Here are Little Sis’s nine monthly subscriptions. We used generic services at typical-looking price points for this illustrative example. These aren’t real quotes from any company, and real prices vary by service, plan, and region, and change over time.
| Subscription (generic) | Per month | Per year | Big Sis keeps it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming service A | $12.99 | $155.88 | Yes |
| Music app | $11.99 | $143.88 | Yes |
| Streaming service B | $15.99 | $191.88 | No |
| Streaming service C | $7.99 | $95.88 | No |
| Cloud storage | $2.99 | $35.88 | No |
| Fitness app (forgotten free trial) | $9.99 | $119.88 | No |
| Photo-editing app (forgotten free trial) | $4.99 | $59.88 | No |
| Language app (forgotten free trial) | $12.99 | $155.88 | No |
| Gym membership (never visits) | $11.99 | $143.88 | No |
| Total | $91.91 | $1,102.92 |
Illustrative prices for generic services. Annual cost = monthly price × 12. No taxes, price increases, or annual-plan discounts included.
The Math: Same Apps, Very Different Bills
We added everything up in Python. Here’s the side-by-side:
| Big Sis (keeps 2) | Little Sis (keeps all 9) | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions | 2 | 9 |
| Monthly cost | $24.98 | $91.91 |
| Yearly cost | $299.76 | $1,102.92 |
| Cost over 5 years (no price changes) | $1,498.80 | $5,514.60 |
The gap:
- $66.93 a month
- $803.16 a year
- $4,015.80 over 5 years (about $4,016) and $8,031.60 over 10 years, before any price increases
And if Big Sis invested that $66.93 a month instead? At an assumed 7% average annual return compounded monthly (an assumption, not a guarantee), it could grow to about $4,792 after 5 years and about $11,585 after 10 years. We showed how small monthly amounts compound in Sister vs Sister #7: The $7-a-Day Coffee Habit.
Why Subscriptions Are So Easy to Forget
- Free trials turn into paid plans. Many trials ask for your card upfront and start charging automatically when the trial ends. The FTC warns that if you don’t cancel on time, you’ll probably be charged, and recommends marking your calendar to cancel before a trial ends.
- Small charges don’t stand out. A $4.99 charge hides easily among groceries and gas. Nine small charges feel like nothing individually, but together they cost Little Sis more than $90 a month.
- Prices can creep up. The FTC also notes that an automatic renewal might charge more than last time, for example when a promotional rate ends.
- “I’ll use it next month.” The gym is the classic example. Paying for good intentions feels better than canceling, so the charge keeps going.
None of this means Little Sis is careless. Subscriptions are designed to be easy to start and easy to forget. The fix isn’t more willpower. It’s a simple routine that catches charges before they pile up.
The 20-Minute Subscription Audit
Here’s exactly what Big Sis does every month. The first time takes about 20 minutes; after that, it’s a 5-minute check.
1. Pull your last two or three statements
Look at every bank account and credit card you use, plus app store purchase histories and payment apps. Some subscriptions bill quarterly or yearly, so going back a few months helps catch them.
2. List every recurring charge
Write down the name, monthly cost, and billing date for each one. Convert yearly plans to a monthly figure so you can compare.
3. Sort them into Keep, Cancel, and Downgrade
Ask one question for each: “Did I use this in the last 30 days, and would I sign up for it again today at this price?” If the answer is no, it goes on the Cancel list. Some services have cheaper tiers or ad-supported plans. Those go on the Downgrade list.
4. Cancel the right way
Follow each company’s cancellation instructions and keep a record. The FTC recommends saving a copy of your cancellation request and notes about any conversations. Then watch your next statement. If a company keeps charging you after you canceled, the FTC advises filing a dispute (a chargeback) with your card company.
5. Rotate instead of stacking
Love streaming? Instead of paying for three services at once, keep one and rotate monthly based on what you actually want to watch.
6. Set guardrails for the future
- When you start a free trial, set a phone reminder a couple of days before it ends.
- Consider putting all subscriptions on one card so they’re easy to review.
- Schedule a monthly 5-minute “subscription check” on your calendar.
7. Redirect the savings
Canceling only helps if the money doesn’t get spent elsewhere. Set up an automatic transfer for the amount you freed up into savings or investments. That’s the pay-yourself-first idea from Sister vs Sister #6.
Big Sis’s Secret Weapon: Cost Per Use
How does Big Sis decide which subscriptions are worth keeping? She looks at the cost per use: the monthly price divided by how many times she actually used it that month.
- Streaming service A at $12.99, watched about four nights a month: roughly $3.25 per use. That feels fair to her, so it stays.
- The language app at $12.99, opened once: $12.99 per use. That’s an expensive lesson.
- The gym at $11.99, never visited: an infinite cost per use. It’s paying for a plan, not a habit.
There’s no “correct” cost per use, and the numbers above are just our illustrative example. But calculating it turns a vague “I might use it” into a clear number, and that makes the Keep or Cancel decision much easier.
FAQ
How do I find subscriptions I’ve forgotten about?
Search your bank and card statements for repeating charges, check your phone’s app store subscription settings, and search your email for words like “receipt,” “renewal,” “trial,” and “subscription.” Payment apps often have their own subscription list too.
What if a company makes it hard to cancel?
Keep records of every attempt. The FTC says businesses must make canceling simple and tell you how to cancel before they get your card details. If you’re still charged after canceling, you can dispute the charge with your card company and report the problem to the FTC.
Are annual plans cheaper than monthly?
Sometimes. Annual plans often cost less per month, but only make sense for services you’re confident you’ll use all year. An unused annual plan is a bigger forgotten subscription.
Is $91.91 a month realistic for subscriptions?
It’s an illustrative example built from typical-looking prices, not a statistic about what people spend. Your total might be higher or lower. The only way to know is to add up your own.
The Bottom Line
Same paycheck. Same apps. In our example, Little Sis pays $1,102.92 a year for nine subscriptions, several of which she doesn’t even use. Big Sis keeps the two she loves and pays $299.76. That’s $803.16 a year, and about $4,016 over five years, back in her pocket from one simple monthly habit.
Tonight, open your statement and cancel one subscription you forgot about. That’s it. That’s the whole first step.
Watch the 45-Second Version
See Big Sis and Little Sis go head-to-head in Sister vs Sister, Episode #9:
▶ Watch the short video version on YouTube (@sistersndollars)
This post is for educational purposes only and isn’t financial advice. Prices are illustrative and vary by service. See our Disclaimer for details, including our affiliate disclosure.
Leave a Reply