A Simple System for Tracking Subscriptions Without Apps

Subscription tracking apps exist. You don't need them. A simple spreadsheet and calendar system works better and lasts longer.

The Problem with Subscription Tracking Apps

Most subscription tracking apps are themselves subscriptions. The irony is thick.

They also:

• Require linking bank accounts (security risk)
• Miss subscriptions paid via different methods
• Stop working when the company shuts down
• Add another thing to check regularly

The alternative is simpler.

The Spreadsheet System

One spreadsheet. Five columns. That's it.

Column Structure

Subscription: Service name (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)

Cost: Amount per billing period

Frequency: Monthly, Annual, Quarterly

Next Bill: Exact date of next charge

Cancellation Method: Where you go to cancel (critical)

Example Entries

Setting It Up (20 Minutes)

Step 1: Gather All Subscriptions (10 minutes)

Check these sources:

• Bank statement (last 3 months)
• Credit card statement (last 3 months)
• PayPal subscriptions page
• Apple subscriptions (iPhone Settings → Your Name → Subscriptions)
• Google subscriptions (payments.google.com → Subscriptions)
• Email search for "subscription" and "receipt"

You'll find subscriptions you forgot existed. I found seven I didn't know about.

Step 2: Create the Spreadsheet (5 minutes)

Use whatever you have:

• Google Sheets (free, cloud backup)
• Excel
• Numbers (Mac)
• LibreOffice Calc (free)

Create five columns as shown above. Bold the headers. Done.

Step 3: Fill In Details (5 minutes)

For each subscription:

1. Add name
2. Add cost exactly as charged
3. Add frequency
4. Calculate next bill date (add frequency to last charge date)
5. Find and note cancellation URL

The cancellation URL is crucial. When you want to cancel in 6 months, you'll waste 15 minutes hunting for the cancellation page if you don't note it now.

The Calendar Reminder System

The spreadsheet tracks what you have. Calendar reminders make you review it.

Set Up Two Recurring Reminders

Monthly Review - 1st of each month:

• Title: "Review subscriptions"
• Time: 15 minutes
• Action: Check if you still use everything

Quarterly Audit - 1st of Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct:

• Title: "Subscription audit"
• Time: 30 minutes
• Action: Update spreadsheet, verify all charges, cancel unused

The Monthly Review Process (15 minutes)

First day of each month:

1. Open spreadsheet
2. Check which subscriptions bill this month
3. Ask yourself: "Did I use this in the last 30 days?"
4. If no: Cancel immediately
5. Update "Next Bill" dates for any you kept

Don't overthink the "did I use this" question. If you can't remember using it, you didn't use it enough to justify the cost.

The Quarterly Audit Process (30 minutes)

Once every three months:

1. Check bank statement against spreadsheet
2. Add any subscriptions that appeared (you forgot to add them)
3. Remove any you cancelled
4. Total up monthly and annual costs
5. Verify cancellation URLs still work
6. Update any price changes

This catches subscriptions that sneak in between monthly reviews.

Handling Different Subscription Types

Annual Subscriptions

The dangerous ones. You forget about them for 11 months, then get hit with a £100 charge.

System:

1. Note annual renewal date in spreadsheet
2. Add calendar reminder 30 days before renewal
3. Add second reminder 7 days before renewal
4. Decide then if you'll renew

Don't auto-renew annual subscriptions unless you use them daily.

Free Trials

Free trials are just delayed subscriptions.

When you start a free trial:

1. Add to spreadsheet immediately
2. Set calendar reminder for day before trial ends
3. Note cancellation URL
4. Assume you'll forget to cancel (because you will)

If you need a reminder to cancel a free trial, you don't need the service.

Bundle Subscriptions

Amazon Prime, Apple One, Microsoft 365 - bundles complicate tracking.

Track these separately:

1. Main bundle subscription
2. Each service you actually use within bundle

Example:

This shows which parts of the bundle you actually use. If you only use one service, the bundle might not be worth it.

Calculating True Cost

Your spreadsheet shows individual costs. Monthly review shows total cost.

Add This to Bottom of Spreadsheet

Update these totals during quarterly audits.

Seeing "£482/year on subscriptions" hits differently than seeing "£9.99/month" repeated in your bank statement.

When to Cancel

You don't need rules for this. You need one question:

"Did I actively use this in the last 30 days?"

Not "might I use it" or "I used it once 4 months ago" or "it's only £X."

Active use in the last 30 days. Yes or no.

If no: Cancel now.

The Cancellation Process

This is why you noted cancellation URLs in the spreadsheet.

Standard Cancellation Steps

1. Go to cancellation URL from spreadsheet
2. Cancel service (ignore "are you sure" messages)
3. Take screenshot of cancellation confirmation
4. Note cancellation date in spreadsheet
5. Don't delete row until after final billing period ends
6. Verify cancellation appears on next statement

Difficult Cancellations

Some services make cancelling intentionally difficult.

If you can't find cancellation option:

• Search "[service name] cancel subscription"
• Check terms of service for cancellation method
• Contact support as last resort

If cancellation requires phone call:

• Call during off-peak hours (10am Tuesday is best)
• Don't engage with retention offers
• Ask for cancellation confirmation email
• If they refuse, cancel payment method with your bank

If they make you wait 30 days:

• Set calendar reminder for day after cancellation is complete
• Verify it's actually cancelled
• Check bank statement the following month

Preventing Future Subscription Creep

The system prevents forgotten subscriptions. This prevents new ones.

New Subscription Checklist

Before subscribing to anything:

• Have I tried the free tier (if available)?
• Can I share with family to split cost?
• Will I use this at least weekly?
• What's the cancellation process?
• Have I added it to the spreadsheet?
• Have I set reminder to review in 30 days?

If you can't honestly answer yes to the first three, don't subscribe.

Common Subscription Traps

The "Only £2.99" Trap

Small subscriptions add up faster than large ones because you don't notice them.

£2.99 + £4.99 + £1.99 + £3.99 + £2.99 = £16.95/month = £203/year

You'd never pay £203 upfront for these services. But £2.99 feels insignificant.

Track everything. Small subscriptions are still subscriptions.

The "I Might Need It" Trap

You won't. If you haven't used it in 30 days, you won't suddenly start.

Cancel now. If you actually need it later (you won't), you can resubscribe.

The Sunk Cost Trap

"I've had this subscription for 3 years" is not a reason to keep it.

Past cost is irrelevant. Future value is all that matters.

Results After 3 Months

After implementing this system:

What you'll typically find:

• Several subscriptions you forgot existed
• Subscriptions you don't actually use
• Potentially duplicate subscriptions (e.g., Spotify and Apple Music)
• Cancellable subscriptions adding up monthly

Potential savings:

• First month: savings from cancelling obvious waste
• Ongoing: savings from preventing new subscriptions
• Annual: varies by individual subscription patterns

Time invested:

• Setup: 20 minutes
• Monthly review: 15 minutes
• Quarterly audit: 30 minutes
• Total annual time: 3 hours 20 minutes

The time investment is typically worthwhile given the savings most people find.

Maintaining the System

The system only works if you maintain it.

Monthly (15 minutes):

• Review spreadsheet
• Cancel unused subscriptions
• Update next bill dates

Quarterly (30 minutes):

• Audit bank statements
• Update spreadsheet
• Verify cancellation URLs
• Calculate totals

When subscribing to anything new:

• Add to spreadsheet immediately
• Set 30-day review reminder
• Note cancellation URL

That's it. No apps, no automation, no complexity.

Just a spreadsheet, two calendar reminders, and honesty about what you actually use.

Boring. Simple. Effective.