A recent study by Lloyds Bank found that over 1.2 million subscriptions were cancelled as consumers tried to regain control of their everyday spending. Almost half of the subscriptions cancelled were TV, film and music streaming services.
According to the bank, 17.6% of cancellations were marketplace (e.g eBay) subscriptions and a further 7.6% were gym and fitness memberships. The findings, gathered from its in-app subscription management tool, suggested that consumers were cutting back on their household spending due to an increase in living costs.
In this article, we share how you can check what subscriptions you are paying for and how to can cancel them. We also look at how you can take hold of your everyday spending by setting up a budget and tips to save money on your household bills.
How to find unwanted subscriptions
With the cost of living increasing, now may be a good time to evaluate your spending and see if there are any areas where you can cut back costs. There are a variety of apps now available that connect to your bank accounts and highlight any unwanted or wasteful subscriptions. Check if your bank has an in-app subscription management tool that allows you to easily view and cancel the subscriptions in just a few clicks. If it doesn't, you could use an external budgeting app or budgeting spreadsheet to highlight your subscription payments. We go into more detail as to how the budgeting apps work below.
Snoop
Snoop* is a budgeting app that connects to your bank accounts so you can oversee your finances in one place. Snoop also allows you to compare your spending month on month to see where you may be overspending. Like Emma and Money Dashboard, Snoop also helps you to track any recurring payments and subscriptions which allows you to cancel any unwanted or duplicated plans or services.
Find out more about Snoop and how it works in our independent Snoop review.
Emma
The mobile budgeting app Emma is a great way to connect your bank accounts in one place and can be used to highlight any recurring payments. Within the app, you can see any active and inactive subscriptions across all of your bank accounts and there is also the option to manage the subscriptions. Here you can find out how to amend or remove the subscription from the list within the app. This allows you to keep track of any regular payments and highlights any duplicate subscriptions you may have. You can then choose to cancel any duplicate subscriptions and continue to monitor your recurring payments within the budgeting app.
The Emma budgeting app is free to download and use and can also be used to create and set budgets to manage your money effectively.
For more information on the Emma budgeting app and how it works, read our independent Emma app review.
Moneyhub
Moneyhub is among our top picks when it comes to the best budgeting apps in the UK and it is currently offering a 6 months free trial. Moneyhub can be used as a simple budgeting tool to help you automate the management of your income and spending from month to month. Those wanting more can input their additional assets (including investments and pensions) to track their net worth and create future predictions. Also, while the Moneyhub app experience is excellent, unlike most other budgeting apps, there is also a web portal which you can use from a desktop computer if you so wish.
For more information on Moneyhub and how it works read our independent Moneyhub review.
App-only banks
If you bank with an app-only bank such as Starling Bank* or Monzo you can make use of the handy budgeting features within the apps. The banking apps track your spending and categorise your transactions so you can see where you are spending your money each month. Starling Bank highlights recurring payments such as direct debits, standing orders and subscriptions within the scheduled payments section of the app. Here you can cancel the recurring payments and see any previous transactions. Monzo allows you to do the same within the payments section of its app.
How to cancel unwanted subscriptions
The budgeting apps mentioned above help you to highlight any recurring payments and subscriptions you have but if you have multiple subscriptions being paid each month, you may be wondering how you can cancel the payments. If you have a banking app, you will likely be able to cancel the subscriptions within the app on your phone. Some app-only banks also allow you to manage subscriptions within the payment sections of your banking app. For other subscription services, you may have to contact the provider directly to cancel your subscription. We explain some of the ways you can do this below but ensure you are adhering to any T&Cs that you agreed to when signing up for the service.
How to cancel TV streaming services
- Netflix - Netflix can be cancelled at any time within the 'Membership & Billing' section of your account. If you are signed up to Netflix via Sky, you will need to contact Sky to cancel your subscription.
- Amazon Prime - If you pay for your Amazon Prime subscription monthly this can be cancelled at any time via the Amazon website. If you paid for your subscription annually this can only be cancelled within the first three days, after this if you cancel it means the subscription won't renew the following year.
- Disney+ - Disney+ can be cancelled within the Profile and Account section in Disney+. If you are billed for Disney+ via Apple or Google you will need to cancel the subscription via 'Settings' and 'Subscriptions' on an iPhone and via 'My subscriptions in your Google account.
- Apple TV+ - Apple TV+ can be cancelled by visiting tv.apple.com and clicking on settings within the account icon. Here you can manage and cancel your subscription. You can also cancel the subscription via 'Settings' and 'Subscriptions' on an iPhone.
- NOW TV- Login to your account via the NOW website and head to 'My membership'. Here you will be able to cancel the membership you no longer require. If you have subscribed to NOW via a third party you may need to contact them to cancel the service.
- BritBox - The easiest way to cancel your BritBox subscription is by logging into your account and clicking on 'Your Plan' under 'Account Details'.
- Starzplay - Your Starzplay subscription can be cancelled by logging in to your Starz account, clicking the gear icon at the top of the screen and selecting 'Subscriptions'.
- Discovery+ - Cancel your Discovery+ subscription by logging in to your account and clicking 'Manage Your Account'. Within here you can choose to cancel in the Plans section.
How to cancel music streaming services
- Spotify - Spotify can be cancelled by logging in to your Spotify account and changing your plan. Here you can choose to cancel your Premium Spotify subscription which will leave your Spotify account but means you will now get ads when listening to music.
- Apple Music - Apple Music can be cancelled via 'Settings' and 'Subscriptions' on your iPhone.
How to save money on your household bills
One of the easiest ways to save on your household bills is by setting up a budget. Creating a budget allows you to keep track of your everyday spending and cut back on things that you may have been overspending on. Creating a budget can be hard for the first time and we have a handy FREE budgeting spreadsheet to help you get started. There are also a lot of handy apps that can help you to track your spending and we summarise some of the best in our article, 'The best budgeting apps in the UK'. We also share some tips on how to create a budget in the following video.
How to budget for beginners
Once you have created a budget you may be able to save more money each month by cutting back on the cost of your household bills. We share ways that you can save on your essential spending such as your mortgage, energy and food bills in our article, 'How to save money on your household bills'.
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