Did you know that you may be spending more on your monthly subscriptions than you realise? Once you take into account a TV service, gym membership and music service (as well as others), that odd $10 per month that you thought you wouldn’t notice soon adds up.
So, if you’d like to reduce the amount you’re spending on monthly subscriptions, then follow these simple steps.
1. Establish What You’re Spending
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To get started, you should first establish exactly what you’ve subscribed to and how much each is costing. This will allow you to plan what you can cut down and what you actually get value out of. To do this, look at your most recent bank statement and extract your monthly subscriptions either on another page or in an excel spreadsheet.
It is best to then go through each subscription and decide if it is providing value for money or if you maybe don’t use the service (or use it enough) to warrant paying that amount. Keep in mind that even subscriptions that are not much money per month will soon add up if grouped together.
2. Find Out the Cheapest Way to Pay
The monthly setup you have at the moment might not actually be the cheapest way to pay. Most subscription services such as gyms, magazines and next day delivery services will actually be cheaper if you choose to pay more upfront. So, if you have the finances available, consider paying for 6-months or even a year if available and you should be able to save compared to their monthly prices.
3. Negotiate a Better Price
You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose in trying to haggle for a better price. And there are some services which are more likely to give you a sizable discount compared to others. For example, your satellite TV can often be offered for much cheaper than you’re currently paying if you call them stating that you’re thinking about leaving them. Often, they’ll give you the exact same service for a fraction of the cost. This also works particularly well with broadband and mobile phone contracts as companies are usually very keen customers for another year or two.
4. Utilise Free Trials
If there’s only one movie or tv show that you’re desperate to watch. Or perhaps a new album you’ve waited all year to listen to. Then a free trial could be a way of consuming this in a much cheaper way – just remember that you can usually only use a trial once!
A free trial is also a great way of seeing if a service is ideal for you before you commit to spending. You might get a 7-day trial and realise that it’s not for you. In this instance you could’ve saved yourself hundreds instead of jumping straight to a yearly subscription.
Conclusion
It’s so easy to lose track of your spending each month and organising your monthly subscriptions could be a great way of regaining control of your finances. If you find that one month you’re struggling financially, then a payday loan could be a suitable option for you if you know your financial situation will improve.