Too many monthly fees can eat at your income and give you subscription fatigue.
If you are starting to feel like the monthly subscription fees are vacuuming out your bank account, you aren’t alone. Some are calling this subscription fatigue. Many people are suffering from it and don’t even know it! Not only are we paying more monthly bills, they are all going up! The biggest hit came during the pandemic lockdowns when all started streaming everything. I don’t know about you but I am a little tired of all the monthly fees.
First we needed faster internet, so our cable bill went up. Then we added Disney + for Mandalorian, then Apple TV for Acapulco, then Bally for baseball games, YouTube and Hulu for local channels and then another service for Yellowstone. Sound familiar?
The value of a subscription
It’s no secret that the value of subscriptions like this go down after we’ve binge watched the shows we wanted. Netflix just raised prices again and other services are sure to follow soon. The longer we have these subscriptions the less we use them and the more we pay for them. How does this make sense? However, despite the fact that subscription fees remain a popular way to get your favorite entertainment,
How many streaming channels did you sign up for during covid. Now that you’ve binged all the shows, how many do you really use? I mean is it worth paying for several months to eventually maybe possibly get another season of Ted Lasso or Acapulco? Apps like Truebill will help you find the services you don’t use anymore.
While many subscription companies offer month-to-month options, some like cell phone bills lock you into an annual contract. It’s pretty easy to get tired of the monthly fees as they keep piling up. The way to avoid this is buy the phone up front. The benefits of this model are obvious to the company, but it’s not always the best deal for the consumer like you.
Alternatives to subscription fees
The best way to avoid subscription fatigue is to not sign up for services in the first place. Do you really need them? Maybe split services. Watch one service at a friends and have another that you pay for and they can come over and watch. It isn’t just streaming that hits us in the pocket monthly. The list of streaming services on many peoples bank statements is quite long.
Subscription services aren’t just for cable, phones and streaming. How many apps do you have that charge a little each month or year? These fees and services are plentiful in today’s world. While a monthly box of makeup from Sephora might be fun and seem inexpensive, the costs quickly add up. Subscription services are there to hook people into subscribing. The hook is supposed to make your life easier, but if you don’t use the stuff or watch the shows anymore, why keep paying?
Maybe it’s time to ditch a subscription or three?