Subscriptions can be a pain.
Music streaming service, movie-streaming service, productivity-related subscriptions, and even reading materials locked behind paywalls – everything charges you on a monthly (or yearly) basis nowadays. For every month you get paid (or you get your monthly allowances), more often than not you find yourself losing probably half (or more) of them to pay for these monthly charges.
It’s ironic at best because by providing you these subscriptions, you’re able to enjoy their services which would have otherwise not been affordable if it’s a one-time purchase. Take music, for example – a music album available for purchase probably would’ve costed possibly twice, or thrice the price of a monthly charge of the streaming service we have now. And that is just for one album. With streaming service, you get to play any song in any album of your choosing with no problem.
But as we add more and more of these subscription-based services, we ended up paying a lot more than we initially thought. Let’s say you’re not exactly in the mood for watching movies for a month or so, yet you’re still paying that $10 (or more) for those months.
After hearing the Logitech CEO’s latest claim in an interview with The Verge about the “forever mouse” that requires a subscription to keep it functional, sometimes I wonder what companies nowadays have on their mind. For real—it’s so absurd to the point we need physical products to become functional through subscriptions.
It’s debunked already, however. They have revoked the claim, and that the subscription mouse is merely an idea. But still—if the subscription mouse was realised, I’m sure more companies will follow suit, adding more financial burden to us as users.
The added sum of these subscription costs eventually causes frustration amongst the users – us – because of how much we have to pay at the end of each month, while those spent money could’ve been saved up for something else; something more important.
So how do we deal with this subscription fatigue? Are there any (easy) ways to manage the subscriptions to better yourself financially (and mentally)?
#Method 1: Start Unsubscribing!
There’s no shame in backing out of a subscription service if you can’t afford it.
Managing your finances wisely is essential, and sometimes that means making tough decisions. Life throws curve balls, and our financial situations can change unexpectedly. Prioritising your needs and being honest with yourself about what you can afford is a responsible choice.
Take a look at what you use the least, and think about it for a moment. Will you be using it for the month? Will you be using it at all? Or is it just a one-time thing, and you end up paying for it because you forgot to cancel it?
List down all of the services you have subscribed to, and see if there are any that you no longer use, or rarely use. Who knows—you could save yourself a few bucks.
Remember, it’s not about failure—it’s about making informed decisions that align with your current circumstances.
#Method 2: Consider Subscription Management Applications
If you have a lot of subscription services that you lose count or control of them, maybe subscription management applications could help.
Subscription management applications are like the personal assistants of your digital subscriptions. They help you keep track of all those pesky recurring charges that sneakily nibble away at your bank account.
You need to take into account first though that these apps, as any other, collect your data, so if you’re a bit reserved about your transactions or the things you are subscribed to, maybe this isn’t recommended (though there are apps that don’t sell your data to third parties).
If you are fine with it, then by all means—there are plenty of subscription management apps you can try out. Some of them are RocketMoney, Hiatus, Trim, and TrackMySubs. Some of them are free on trials, but some are open source. Only RocketMoney and Hiatus are available on iOS and Android though, but all of them have a web version.
(Bear in mind that I haven’t personally used any of them; I’m recommending based on other users’ take on the applications.)
#Method 3: Rotate Your Subscriptions
Remember when cable bundles were the norm, and we all dreamed of paying only for the shows we actually wanted? Well, rotating subscriptions is a way to achieve that dream in the streaming era.
With the way all streaming services out there, each offering their own specific services that aren’t available on others, switching from one subscription service to another is the way to go if you don’t want to drop them entirely but still need to save your wallet.
Take movie-streaming services, for example. There’s no single streaming service that has all the movies you want to watch. Some are available only on Netflix, some on Hulu, some on Amazon Prime, some on Disney+ — the list goes on.
Pick a service based on what’s currently airing or what you’re craving. Maybe it’s HBO for that epic fantasy series or Disney+ for nostalgic animated movies.
If you could somehow plan ahead on what you need or want to use for the upcoming month(s), see which services you need for those months and switch accordingly. It’s a bit of a hassle though, but if push comes to shove, you have options at least.
Which One Works for You?
If you can handle a bit of hassle (and don’t mind sharing your data with the services), then perhaps using a subscription management app might be worth it in the long run. These apps monitor your accounts, spotting recurring charges like Sherlock Holmes on caffeine.
If you think you can handle subscriptions on your own, of course, you can opt to either cancel or rotate between subscriptions. At the very least with rotating or cancelling subscriptions, you’re not paying for everything simultaneously (or paying for anything in general). It’s like taking a break with your wallet.
Regardless, it’s up to you. Obviously, you still need to put in some efforts yourself to manage all of the subscriptions.
Anyway, if you want to check out the “Dead Internet” theory, feel free to check it out here. Otherwise, there are other articles you can check out as well here. Until next time!
