Worked example: streaming stack audit
The default scenario uses five editable example subscriptions: $42, $12, $20, $15, and $25 per month, each billed for 12 months.
Monthly run rate is $42 + $12 + $20 + $15 + $25 = $114. Annual cost is $114 x 12 = $1,368, and the five-year run rate is $1,368 x 5 = $6,840.
Cost per use is $4.20 for the streaming bundle, $3.00 for cloud storage, $20.00 for the fitness app, $7.50 for premium news, and $4.17 for the AI tools seat.
With the default $5 max cost-per-use threshold and the low-use rule of two use days or fewer, the fitness app and premium news are cancellation candidates.
Candidate savings are ($20 + $15) x 12 = $420 per year. At $30/hour and 8 hours per workday, the full stack costs $1,368 / $30 = 45.6 work hours, or 45.6 / 8 = 5.7 workdays per year.
How to audit subscriptions and recurring charges
List each recurring charge, annualize the cost, estimate usage, and compare the cost per use with what the subscription is worth to you. The goal is not to cancel everything; it is to make recurring spending visible.
Subscription cost per use formula
Cost per use = monthly subscription cost / use days per month. If usage is zero, treat the monthly cost as unused spend until you either use it, pause it, downgrade it, or cancel it.
How much do subscriptions cost per year?
Annual subscription cost = monthly cost x billing months per year. For annual plans, divide the annual bill by 12 if you want a monthly run-rate view, or enter the actual billing months to model seasonality.
How to decide what subscriptions to cancel
Start with duplicate categories, low-use rows, high cost per use, and plans that renew annually. Then check family needs, work use, backups, security, and rare high-value use before cancelling.
Why days of work makes subscriptions feel real
Days of work translate recurring charges into time. If a subscription stack costs several workdays per year, it deserves the same attention as a larger one-time purchase.
How often should I do a subscription audit?
Run a quick audit before annual renewals, after starting a new app trial, when household income changes, or when a category gets duplicated across multiple plans.
What this calculator excludes
The result excludes taxes, refunds, prorated cancellations, foreign-exchange fees, family reimbursements, employer reimbursements, bundled telecom plans, and non-price value such as backup safety or professional needs.
