Step 1: List Every Subscription You Pay For
Write down every recurring charge you can think of. Start with streaming (Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube Premium), then move to software tools (Adobe, Microsoft 365, Notion, 1Password), cloud storage (iCloud, Google One, Dropbox), news and media (newspaper paywalls, Substack), fitness and health apps, gaming services (Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus), and any business tools. Don't forget Amazon Prime, which many people mentally exclude because it also covers shipping. Check your bank statements, email receipts, and Apple/Google subscriptions to catch anything you've missed.
Step 2: Convert Every Subscription to a Monthly Cost
To compare subscriptions fairly, convert everything to a monthly equivalent. For annual plans, divide the total cost by 12. A $99/year plan equals $8.25/month. A $139/year Amazon Prime equals $11.58/month. For quarterly plans, divide by 3. For weekly plans, multiply by 4.33 (the average number of weeks per month). Once everything is in monthly terms, you can add them together for an accurate total. This step alone surprises most people — annual plans that seemed cheap turn out to cost more per month than a comparable monthly plan.
Step 3: Account for Currency Differences
If you pay for international services, their cost in your local currency fluctuates with exchange rates. A service billed at $9.99 USD costs more in GBP or EUR in some months than others. When calculating your total, convert all charges to the currency you actually think in — the one your salary is paid in. Use a current exchange rate for the conversion. If you track subscriptions in a tool like SubRadar, currency conversion is handled automatically using live rates.
Step 4: Separate What You Use from What You Don't
Go through your list and mark each subscription as: active use (you've used it in the past 30 days), occasional use (you've used it in the past 3 months but not regularly), or unused (you haven't logged in or used it in over 3 months). Most people find 2–5 subscriptions in the "unused" category. Cancelling those alone is often worth $20–$60 per month. For "occasional" subscriptions, consider whether a one-time purchase or free alternative could serve the same need.