How to Audit Your Subscriptions in 15 Minutes (Step-by-Step Guide)

30 Jan

Written By Mel G Prosper

Last updated: January 2026

If your money keeps disappearing, do this first

If you’ve ever opened your bank app and thought:

“How am I skint already?”

This post is for you.

Because in 2026, the most common reason people feel broke (even when they’re earning) isn’t always rent, food, or big debt…

It’s the quiet monthly charges you stopped noticing.

Streaming.
Apps.
Cloud storage.
Delivery passes.
“Free trials.”
Memberships.
Kid subscriptions.
Work tools you meant to use.

This is subscription creep — and the fastest way to beat it is a quick audit.

Not a full budget.
Not a financial makeover.
Not a 6-week spreadsheet bootcamp.

Just 15 minutes to find the leaks and plug them.

Let’s do it.

The 15-Minute Subscription Audit (Slow Money Method)

What you need (keep it simple)

Grab:

✔️ Your banking app (or card statement)
✔️ Your email inbox search bar
✔️ Your phone settings (subscriptions area)
✔️ 15 minutes
✔️ A mildly ruthless mood

Optional but highly recommended:

👉 Download the Free Subscription Tracker
So you can log everything once and never play “what’s this charge?” again.

Step 1 (3 minutes): Check your bank transactions for recurring charges

Open your banking app and scan the last 30–60 days.

Look for repeating charges like:

£7.99 / $9.99
£4.99 / $5.99
£14.99 / $19.99
“trial” → “monthly” → “renewal”
anything that shows up again and again

Search terms to use in your bank app

Most banking apps let you search transactions. Try:

subscription
recurring
membership
monthly
annual
premium
digital
store
prime
plus
cloud

Quick tip:

Subscriptions often show up under weird names (not the brand name you recognise).

So if something looks unfamiliar but repeats monthly…

that’s your first suspect.

Step 2 (3 minutes): Search your email inbox like a detective

Now open your email and search these phrases:

“Your subscription”
“Welcome”
“Receipt”
“Payment successful”
“Renewal”
“Your plan”
“Your free trial”
“Your membership”
“Invoice”

You’re looking for:

✔️ subscriptions you forgot
✔️ annual renewals you’re about to be charged for
✔️ things you cancelled “in your head” but not in real life

(We’ve all done it.)

Step 3 (2 minutes): Check Apple subscriptions / Google Play subscriptions

This is where the sneaky ones hide.

On iPhone (Apple)

Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions

On Android (Google Play)

Google Play → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions

Look for:

apps you downloaded once
“premium upgrades”
trials you forgot
subscriptions you don’t even recognise anymore

If you’re thinking:
“I haven’t opened that app since the Queen was alive.”

Cancel it.

Respectfully.

Step 4 (2 minutes): Check PayPal / Apple Pay / Google Pay recurring payments

Some subscriptions don’t hit your bank card directly.

They come through payment wallets.

Check:

PayPal → “Automatic payments”
Apple Pay recurring charges
Google Pay subscriptions

These often include:

services you signed up for quickly
overseas subscriptions
“one click” sign-ups

This is also where the annoying ones hide — the ones that keep charging even after you thought you cancelled.

Step 5 (3 minutes): Make a simple list (don’t overcomplicate it)

Write down each subscription you found.

You only need 5 columns:

Subscription name
Monthly cost
Last charged date
Do I use it? (Yes/No)
Action: Keep / Cancel / Downgrade

If you want the clean version:

👉 Use the Free Subscription Tracker
It’s designed exactly for this job.

Step 6 (2 minutes): Use the Keep / Cancel / Downgrade rule

This is the part where people get stuck, so I’ll make it painfully simple.

KEEP it if:

you use it weekly
it genuinely improves your life
it replaces something more expensive
it supports health/work/family in a meaningful way

CANCEL it if:

you haven’t used it in 30 days
you forgot you had it
you feel annoyed seeing it leave your account
you’re “keeping it just in case”

DOWNGRADE it if:

you like it, but not at that price
there’s a cheaper tier
you only use one feature
you could rotate it monthly instead

Slow Money rule:
You don’t need to cut joy.

You need to stop paying for things that don’t earn their place.

Step 7 (bonus): Cancel properly (so it doesn’t crawl back)

This matters more than people realise.

When you cancel, do it properly:

✔️ Cancel inside the app/website
✔️ Look for the confirmation screen
✔️ Check for the confirmation email
✔️ Screenshot it (yes, really)
✔️ Make sure it says “cancelled” not “paused”
✔️ Set a reminder for renewal dates if annual

Watch for the classic traps:

“You’ve cancelled… but you still have access until next month”
“Your plan is still active”
“Cancel completed” (but charges continue via PayPal)

If you’re ever unsure:

Check again next month.

Ghost charges are real.

Step 8: Redirect the money immediately (or it disappears again)

This is the difference between people who “try budgeting” and people who actually build financial stability.

If you cancel £/$ 20/month of subscriptions, don’t just leave it sitting there.

Because it will get eaten by:

takeaways
“quick trips”
random Amazon nonsense
life being life

Instead, redirect it today into one of these:

Option A: Emergency fund

Even £/$ 10/week adds up.

Option B: Debt payoff

Small extra payments shorten your payoff timeline more than you think.

Option C: “Life buffer” sinking fund

Car repairs, school costs, birthdays, dentist, etc.

This is how you turn a subscription audit into an instant pay rise.

What to do if you feel overwhelmed

If you’re reading this thinking:

“I have too many. I can’t deal with all of it.”

Do this:

Cancel ONE subscription today.

Just one.

Then do the full audit next week.

Slow Money isn’t about dramatic transformation.

It’s about steady wins that compound.

The “1-Minute Subscription Creep Test”

Before you leave, answer this:

If your subscriptions were removed tomorrow…

Would you genuinely miss them?

Or would you mostly feel relief?

If the answer is “relief”…

You already know what to do.

FAQs: Subscription Audits

“How often should I do this?”

Monthly for 2–3 months, then quarterly.

Subscription creep grows back quietly.

“What about annual subscriptions?”

Put renewal dates in your calendar now.

Annual charges are the ones that jump-scare you.

“Should I cancel everything?”

No.

Keep what you love.
Cut what you don’t use.
That’s the whole strategy.

Your 15-minute action plan (copy/paste)

If you want a dead simple checklist:

✔️ Check bank transactions (60 days)
✔️ Search email receipts + renewals
✔️ Check Apple/Google subscriptions
✔️ Check PayPal automatic payments
✔️ List them + choose Keep/Cancel/Downgrade
✔️ Cancel one today
✔️ Redirect the savings immediately

Ready to make this easier?

👉 Download the Subscription Tracker (Free)

👉 If your money keeps vanishing, start here: download the free Slow Money Starter Stack™ and reset your finances the Slow Money way.