Disney+ Just Went Up 13%. It's Time for a Subscription Audit.

Why subscriptions are so easy to lose track of

Subscriptions are designed to be easy to start and easy to forget. That's not an accident. A few things make them slip past us.

They're small. A $12 charge doesn't set off any alarms. Neither does a $7 charge or a $15 charge. It's only when you add them up that the number gets your attention.

They're automatic. Once you sign up, the charge just happens every month. You don't have to decide to pay it. You'd have to decide to stop it.

Free trials convert. Many trials turn into paid subscriptions automatically unless you cancel in time.

Prices creep. Services raise prices a dollar or two at a time. You might get an email about it, or you might not notice at all.

They're scattered. Some bill your credit card, some your debit card, some through your phone's app store, some through PayPal or another service. There's no single place that shows them all.

We underestimate. Surveys consistently find people think they spend less on subscriptions than they actually do.

In plain terms: subscriptions are built so that doing nothing keeps you paying. The audit is how you do something.

The streaming squeeze

Streaming prices have climbed a lot over the past few years.

A LendingTree analysis found that subscribing to 15 popular streaming and digital services now costs about $237 a month, a 49% increase since 2020. Even after adjusting for inflation, that's a 19% increase. Disney+ had the biggest jump in that study: its ad-free plan went from $6.99 in 2020 to $18.99 at the start of 2026, before this week's increase.

The same analysis found the average American holds about 4.5 digital subscriptions and spends about $84 a month on them. Nearly half of Americans, 45%, said they believe they overspend on subscriptions. And 37% had canceled at least one paid subscription in the past six months.

So if you've been feeling like entertainment costs more than it used to, it does.

The one-hour subscription audit

Here's a simple process. Set aside an hour, grab a coffee, and work through it.

Step 1: Pull three months of statements

Go through the last three months of statements for every card and bank account you use: credit cards, debit cards, and checking accounts. Three months catches charges that bill quarterly and ones you might not notice every month.

Write down every recurring charge you find. The name, the amount, and how often it bills.

Step 2: Check the hidden places

Some subscriptions don't show up clearly on your bank statement. Check:

• Your phone's app store subscriptions. Both major smartphone platforms have a subscriptions page in your account settings that lists everything billed through them.
• PayPal or other payment services, if you use them.
• Your email. Search for words like "subscription," "renewal," "receipt," "membership," or "your plan." You may find charges you forgot about entirely.
• Annual renewals. Some subscriptions bill once a year, like warehouse club memberships, antivirus software, or domain names. Look back 12 months on your statements to catch those.

Step 3: Add it all up

Total the monthly cost of everything you found. For annual subscriptions, divide by 12.

Then multiply your monthly total by 12. Seeing the yearly number is often what changes people's minds. $95 a month doesn't sound like much. $1,140 a year does.

Step 4: Sort each one into three piles

Go through the list and put each subscription in one of three categories:

• Keep. You use it regularly, and it's worth the price to you.
• Cut. You forgot you had it, rarely use it, or it's not worth the cost.
• Rotate. You like it, but you don't need it every month.

Be honest about the "keep" pile. The question isn't whether you like it. It's whether you'd sign up for it again today at this price.

Step 5: Cancel the "cut" pile right away

Don't wait. Cancel them during the audit, while you're looking at them. Most services let you cancel online in your account settings. Some make it harder and require a phone call or several steps. It's still worth doing.

After you cancel, keep the confirmation email or take a screenshot. And check your next statement to make sure the charge actually stopped.

Step 6: Set up a rotation for the rest

This is one of the easiest ways to cut streaming costs without giving anything up.

Instead of paying for several streaming services every month, subscribe to one or two at a time. Watch what you want, then cancel and switch to another. Many people wait until a full season of a show is available, watch it over a few weeks, and then cancel before the next billing cycle. CNET's consumer editor calls this the "rotate and pause" method.

You still get to see the shows you want. You just don't pay for five services at once.

Step 7: Look for cheaper versions

For the subscriptions you keep, check whether there's a less expensive way to get them:

• Ad-supported plans often cost much less than ad-free plans.
• Annual billing is sometimes cheaper than monthly, if you're sure you'll keep it all year.
• Bundles can save money if you'd pay for the individual services anyway.
• Discounts for students, military members, and some other groups may be available.
• Free alternatives, like free ad-supported streaming services or your local library's digital offerings, can replace some paid services.

Step 8: Put a reminder on your calendar

Set a reminder to repeat the audit every six months. Subscriptions tend to creep back in. A twice-a-year check keeps them under control.

What an audit can look like

Here's a hypothetical example of what one household might find. The services and prices are made up for illustration.

In this example, the household was spending $169 a month, or about $2,028 a year. Cutting four items and rotating one streaming service brings it down to about $44 a month for the keepers most months, plus the rotating service when they're using it. That's well over $1,000 a year back in their budget, without giving up the things they actually use.

Your list will look different. The point is that seeing everything in one place makes the decisions obvious.

Protecting yourself from future creep

A few habits can keep subscriptions from sneaking back.

Calendar every free trial. When you sign up for a trial, put a reminder on your calendar a day or two before it converts to paid. If you're not using it, cancel before the charge.

Use one card for subscriptions. Putting all your subscriptions on a single card makes them much easier to spot and review.

Watch for price-increase emails. When a service emails you about a price increase, treat it as a prompt to decide whether it's still worth it.

Consider virtual card numbers. Some banks and card issuers let you create virtual card numbers for online purchases, and some let you set limits or expiration dates. That can make it easier to stop a charge you don't want.

Be careful with "manage in one place" apps. Some apps offer to track and cancel subscriptions for you. Some are useful. Some charge their own subscription or ask for access to your bank accounts. Read the terms before handing over access.

Beyond subscriptions: other recurring bills worth a look

Once you've done the subscription audit, the same approach works on bigger recurring bills. These are often where the real savings hide.

Cell phone plans. Many people pay for more data than they use, or for lines and add-ons they no longer need. Carriers and smaller providers often have cheaper plans than the one you signed up for years ago.

Internet service. Promotional rates often expire quietly, and the price jumps. A call asking about current offers, or comparing providers, can sometimes bring the price back down.

Car insurance. Rates can change a lot from year to year. Shopping your policy at renewal, adjusting coverage on an older car, or asking about discounts can make a difference. Just make sure you're comparing the same coverage.

Homeowners or renters insurance. In Florida especially, it's worth reviewing your policy at renewal. Some carriers have filed for rate decreases recently, while others haven't.

Bank fees. Monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, and out-of-network ATM fees add up. Many banks and credit unions offer accounts without monthly fees.

Gym and club memberships. These are among the most commonly unused recurring charges. If you're paying for a gym you haven't visited in months, it belongs in the cut pile.

Warehouse and shopping memberships. These can be worth it if you shop there often. It's worth checking whether you actually save more than the membership costs.

If they make it hard to cancel

Some companies make canceling much harder than signing up. You might have to click through several pages of offers, call during certain hours, or talk to a retention specialist.

A few things help:

• Look for the cancel option in account settings first. It's often buried under "manage plan" or "billing."
• If you have to call, be direct. "I'd like to cancel today" is a complete sentence. You don't have to explain.
• Write down the details. Note the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and any confirmation number.
• Check your next statement. Make sure the charge actually stopped.
• Contact your card issuer if it doesn't. If a company keeps charging you after you've canceled, your bank or card issuer may be able to help dispute the charge.

What to do with the money you free up

This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that makes the audit worth it.

If you cancel $40 a month in subscriptions and the money just disappears into everyday spending, you won't notice much difference. If you redirect it on purpose, it adds up.

A few options:

• Automate a transfer to savings. Set up a monthly transfer of the amount you cut into a high-yield savings account. With rates higher than they've been in years, that money can earn interest while it builds your cushion.
• Pay down high-interest debt. If you carry a credit card balance, putting the savings toward it can save you far more than the subscription ever cost.
• Add to retirement savings. Even a small increase to your 457 or IRA contributions compounds over time.
• Cover rising costs. If gas and groceries have squeezed your budget, the freed-up money can simply give you breathing room.

The key is to decide. Money that isn't assigned a job usually finds one on its own, and it's rarely the one you'd have picked.

Why this matters more than it looks

It's easy to shrug off subscriptions as small stuff. But small, recurring costs matter in a way one-time purchases don't.

A one-time $250 purchase happens once. A $21 monthly subscription is $252 every year, forever, until you cancel it. Over ten years, that's more than $2,500, before any price increases.

For households on a tight budget, freeing up even $30 or $40 a month can go straight toward an emergency fund, paying down a credit card, or keeping up with rising costs elsewhere. With gas prices up sharply this year and grocery costs still elevated, that breathing room matters.

A note for retirees

If you're retired and living on a fixed income, recurring charges deserve extra attention. When your pension and Social Security are set, every dollar that goes out automatically is a dollar you don't get to decide about each month.

Price increases on subscriptions can quietly eat into a cost-of-living adjustment. The 2027 Social Security raise gets announced October 14. A few price hikes on services you barely use can take a real bite out of it.

It's also worth watching for subscriptions you didn't sign up for. Charges that appear after a phone call, a free offer, or a "trial" you don't remember starting can be a sign of a scam. If you see a recurring charge you don't recognize, contact your bank or card issuer.

A note for families

If you have kids or teenagers, check for app and game subscriptions and in-app purchases billed to your account. Both major smartphone platforms offer family settings and purchase controls that can require a parent's approval.

What I'm not going to do

I'm not going to tell you which subscriptions to keep. What's worth it depends on what you actually use and enjoy. For some people, a streaming service they watch every night is a great value. For others, it's money going out the door every month for nothing.

What I will say is this. When it comes down to it, subscription creep isn't really a streaming problem. It's an attention problem. The companies are counting on you not looking. One hour of looking can put a few hundred dollars a year back in your pocket.

The short version

• Disney+ raised its ad-free plan 13% to $21.49 a month, one of at least eight streaming price increases in 2026.
• The average American spends about $111 a month on subscriptions, and about $252 a year on ones they don't use.
• Pull three months of statements, check your app store and email, and add everything up.
• Sort into keep, cut, and rotate. Cancel the cuts right away.
• Rotate streaming services instead of paying for all of them at once.
• Repeat the audit every six months.

If you're working on your budget and want to see where the money is really going, and where it could do more for you, I'm always happy to help.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the average American spend on subscriptions?

CNET's 2026 survey found the average American spends about $111 a month on subscriptions, or about $1,332 a year, up 23% from the prior year.

How much money do people waste on unused subscriptions?

The same survey found Americans spend about $252 a year on subscriptions they don't use.

How do I find all my subscriptions?

Review three months of credit card, debit card, and bank statements, check your phone's app store subscriptions page, check payment services like PayPal, and search your email for words like "subscription," "renewal," and "receipt." Look back 12 months to catch annual charges.

What is subscription rotation?

Rotating means subscribing to only one or two streaming services at a time, watching what you want, then canceling and switching to another, instead of paying for several services every month.

What should I do if I see a subscription charge I don't recognize?

Check whether a family member signed up for it. If you can't identify it, contact your bank or card issuer, since unfamiliar recurring charges can be a sign of fraud.

Educational content only. Not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Company and service names are mentioned only to report publicly announced price changes and are not endorsements. Benowitz Wealth Management is a brand of Joy Financial Group LLC, a Florida state-registered investment adviser.

Neither Joy Financial Group LLC nor Benowitz Wealth Management is affiliated with, endorsed by, or employed by the Florida Retirement System, the Florida Division of Retirement, the State Board of Administration of Florida, MyFRS, or any government agency. FRS members may obtain free, unbiased guidance from the MyFRS Financial Guidance Line at 1-866-446-9377.