Subscriptions have become such a normal part of everyday life that many of us barely notice them leaving our accounts – whether it’s a streaming service, a gym membership or that all-important Friday night takeaway, all thanks to your Uber, Deliveroo or JustEat membership.
But that convenience can come with a sting: lots of people aren’t fully aware of what they’re paying for, and recurring charges can slip through unnoticed until the balance looks lower than expected.
That’s why online bank Monzo is encouraging people to do a quick bank spring clean – a simple check of regular outgoings to spot anything you no longer use. In their survey of 2,000 UK adults, Monzo found the average person spends about £38.18 a month on subscriptions – roughly £1.74 billion across the UK.
In a recent blog published on March 31, 2026, it urged people to consider the following:
- Put money aside specifically for the subscriptions you want to keep can help you stay organised and avoid surprises when payments are taken.
- Spring cleaning isn’t only about cutting back. If you use a service every day, moving to a better plan, a bundle, or paying annually could actually save you money in the long run.
- Cancel free trials. Many of us have signed up for a ‘free month’ or ‘7-day free trial’ with every intention of cancelling, only to forget. As a result, 38% of people – around 21 million across the UK – say an unexpected charge has caught them out.
- If you haven’t used it in the past month, or you’d forgotten you were even paying for it, that’s a strong sign it may be time to cancel. Even small monthly charges can quickly add up over the course of a year.
The bank stresses: “Spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean ruthlessly cancelling everything. It’s more about figuring out what still earns its place – keeping the subscriptions you love, upgrading the ones you use all the time, and finally saying goodbye to the ones you forgot you even had. Like the streaming service you signed up to for that one show… which you’re still paying for months later.
Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert
Monzo isn’t the only personal finance expert warning about free trials. MoneySavingExpert (MSE), founded by Martin Lewis, says you shouldn’t wait to cancel – and instead recommends cancelling as soon as you sign up, so you don’t get caught by an automatic charge later.
Urging people not to worry about “obscure instructions on how to cancel”, it states: “Get used to cancelling (or, more accurately, turning off auto-renewal for) your subscription as part of the signing-up process. Even during a free trial period, you’ll generally retain access to the content until the end of the trial or current billing period.”
It also suggests using the classic bluffing method to save some hard-earned cash. MSE explain: “We’ve plenty of guides (and success stories) on haggling down your Sky, broadband, mobile bills and more.
“But there’s a much easier way that should take less than a minute and doesn’t involve working yourself up to hard bargaining. Many online subscriptions shower you with retention offers with just a few clicks, if you start the cancellation process online – no phone call or haggling required.
“Now TV has been known to offer half-price streaming for several months, while Audible sometimes gives out free credits for getting audiobooks or reduced pricing. Other companies known to do this include Disney+, HelloFresh, DAZN, Uber One, and many digital newspapers.”