Streaming, apps, cloud storage, that one trial you forgot to cancel — recurring charges scatter across cards, app stores, and email. Here is a simple system to pull them into one view and cut the ones quietly wasting your money.
Quick answer: Gather every recurring charge from your statements, app-store billing hubs, and email receipts into a single list. Keep it in one dashboard that shows each renewal date plus your monthly and yearly totals, then cancel anything you haven’t used recently and set a reminder before each renewal. A free tracker like SubScan does the organizing so you don’t maintain a spreadsheet.
Why subscriptions are so easy to lose track of
The problem isn’t any single charge — it’s that they live in different places. Some bill your card directly, some go through Apple or Google, some run on annual cycles you see once a year. With no single view, the unused ones survive simply because you never see them next to the ones you actually use.
The one-place tracking system (5 steps)
Collect the sources. Open your card and bank statements for the last 90 days, your Apple and Google Play subscription screens, and your PayPal automatic payments list.
Add annual charges from email. Search your inbox for “receipt,” “renews,” and “subscription confirmed” to catch yearly services that a 90-day scan misses.
Put every charge in one list. Record the name, amount, billing cycle, and next renewal date for each. This single view is the whole point.
Mark what you actually use. Flag anything you haven’t opened in the last month. These are your cancellation candidates.
Cancel and set reminders. Drop the unused ones inside each service’s billing page, then add a reminder a few days before every remaining renewal.
Spreadsheet vs. a subscription tracker
A spreadsheet
Free and flexible, but you maintain every row by hand, there are no renewal alerts, and most people stop updating it within a month.
A subscription tracker
Keeps your renewal dates and monthly/yearly totals in one dashboard, highlights what you haven’t used, and links straight to each cancellation page — so the list stays alive.
Put every subscription in one dashboard — free
SubScan is a free web app built for exactly this. Add your recurring charges once and see them together with renewal dates, monthly and yearly totals, and a cancellation guide for each service. No bank login required — you decide what to enter and stay fully in control.
Free to use. An optional Pro upgrade adds CSV export and one-tap cancellation links for 100+ services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to track all my subscriptions in one place?
Pull every recurring charge from your statements, app stores, and email receipts into a single list, then keep it current in one dashboard that shows each renewal date and your monthly and yearly totals. A dedicated tracker like SubScan does this without you maintaining a spreadsheet.
How do I stop wasting money on subscriptions I don’t use?
List everything in one view, sort by what you’ve actually opened in the last month, and cancel anything you can’t remember using. Then set a renewal reminder before each annual charge so a forgotten trial never auto-renews.
Should I use a spreadsheet or an app to track subscriptions?
A spreadsheet works but needs manual upkeep and has no renewal reminders. A subscription tracker keeps totals and renewal dates updated and links you straight to each cancellation page, which is why most people stop maintaining spreadsheets.
Is SubScan free to use?
Yes. SubScan is a free web app for tracking your subscriptions in one dashboard. An optional Pro upgrade adds CSV export and one-tap cancellation links for over 100 services.