Subscribe to Your Budget

Did you have big plans to create and stick to a budget this year? Was it part of your New Year resolution? Perhaps the recent stock market losses have you reevaluating your spending. Whatever the reason, it’s always a good idea to take a look at your budget and your unnecessary spending. Keeping within your budget will help you to achieve your financial goals.

Let’s talk about subscriptions.

You are likely asked to sign up for a product or service subscription on a daily basis. (Or multiple times per day.) In some cases, this is really convenient. Never having to think about ordering toothpaste because Amazon auto-ships it to you each month is something most of us will never give up. While this may be one less thing for you to worry about, people are busy, and it’s easy to subscribe to something only to forget all about it. Meanwhile, you get charged for it month-after-month. Think about products and services that you may have signed up for that you aren’t utilizing. Popular ones include streaming services, apps, and health and wellness products. (We know your intentions were good, but if you’ve moved on, stop paying for something you don’t use.) If you’re afraid you can’t remember what you’ve signed up for, you can review your bank account or credit card statement to see what reoccurring charges you have. Keep in mind that some subscriptions are billed annually.

Are you an Apple user? Here’s how to view your active and expired subscriptions on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Go to your device settings.
2. Select iTunes & App Store.
3. Click on your Apple ID.
4. Click on View Apple ID (You’ll need to enter your password)
5. Scroll down to Subscriptions

You’ll be able to view and cancel your subscriptions from this screen. Make sure you are actively using all of the things you are paying for. If you aren’t, cancel them! Chances are, you can sign up again later. A penny saved is a penny earned, right?

Subscribing to things that save you time or money is such a great convenience. Just remember to cancel them when they are no longer helpful to you. Consider keeping a list of subscriptions so you can easily keep track of where you are sending money.