What do my subscriptions cost a year?

How the cost is worked out

per year = weekly price × 52 · monthly price × 12 · yearly price × 1 · per month = per year ÷ 12 · over 5 years = per year × 5

A year has 52 weeks, so a weekly subscription costs 52 times its price. Prices are used as you type them, with no rises over the years. Real prices tend to go up, so the five-year figure is more likely to come out low than high.

The calculator comes with no prices for any service: they differ by country and change often. Type what you actually pay.

A worked example

Video streaming at €13 a month, music at €11 a month, a gym at €35 a month and cloud storage at €30 a year. The monthly ones come to (13 + 11 + 35) × 12 = €708 a year; add the €30 and you have €738 a year.

That is €61.50 a month and €3,690 over five years. The gym is the biggest: €420 a year, 56.9% of the total. These are the amounts the calculator opens with; the prices are made up, so replace them with yours.

Why look at the yearly number?

A small monthly amount is easy to ignore. Seen over a year it is easier to weigh against how much you actually use the thing.

Which subscriptions should I include?

Anything that charges you on a schedule: streaming, music, apps, a gym, cloud storage, phone and internet plans, delivery memberships, magazines. Leave out one-off purchases.

How do I find the ones I forgot?

Look through the last three months of your bank or card statement for charges that repeat, and check the list of subscriptions on your phone.