Free subscription audit checklist

Use this once a month (or after every paycheck) to find charges you forgot. Print it or check boxes digitally.

1) Gather statements (15 minutes)

• Open last 60 days of your primary bank/credit-card statement (PDF or app)
• Open PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Apple Account purchases, and Google Play order history
• Search email for: `receipt`, `invoice`, `your subscription`, `renewal`, `membership`, `trial ending`
• List every recurring merchant name and amount in the free tracker on this site

2) Sort what you found

• Keep — used weekly and worth the price
• Pause / downgrade — still useful but too expensive
• Cancel — unused in 30+ days or duplicate of another service
• Investigate — unknown merchant (call bank if suspicious)

3) Cancel the cancel pile

For each cancel item:

• Identify who bills you (company site vs Apple vs Google vs Amazon vs carrier)
• Open the official cancel/account link from this site’s guide
• Complete cancel and screenshot the confirmation
• Save the confirmation email to a folder named `Cancels YYYY-MM`
• Set a calendar reminder one day before any remaining paid period ends (optional)

4) Hard-to-cancel services

• Gym / studio: ask for written confirmation; note notice-period days in your contract
• Carrier-bundled streaming: cancel with the carrier, not only the streaming app
• Family plans: tell members before the manager cancels
• Free trials: cancel at least 24 hours before conversion when the seller requires it

5) Money check

• Update the free tracker monthly total
• Note expected final charge dates so a “last bill” does not surprise you
• If charged after cancel, use the seller’s refund path with your screenshot + email proof

6) Prevent re-subscribe traps

• Remove saved cards from accounts you canceled (where safe/possible)
• Turn off “one-tap” upgrades in app stores if you do not want impulse trials
• Revisit this checklist in 30 days

Pro tip: Unknown charges named like `GOOGLE *XXX` or `APPLE.COM/BILL` are usually store-billed — cancel inside Apple Subscriptions or Google Play Subscriptions, not only inside the app.

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