How much do people really spend on subscriptions? (2026)
Ask someone how much they spend on subscriptions and they will usually guess a round, comfortable number. Add up what they actually pay and the real figure is almost always higher.
People underestimate, by a lot
A widely cited 2022 survey of US consumers by C+R Research found that people guessed they spent about $86 a month on subscriptions, while their real spending was about $219 a month, more than 2.5 times higher. Prices have only gone up since then.
The exact numbers differ by country, but the pattern is the same everywhere: small monthly amounts are easy to forget, and they add up quietly.
A realistic example
Here is a fairly ordinary set of subscriptions for one person. Prices are examples; they vary by country and plan.
| Subscription | Per month |
|---|---|
| Video streaming (e.g. Netflix) | €13.99 |
| Music (e.g. Spotify) | €10.99 |
| Cloud storage (e.g. iCloud+) | €2.99 |
| AI assistant | €20.00 |
| Gym membership | €35.00 |
| A second streaming service | €8.99 |
| Mobile game / app pass | €4.99 |
| Total | €96.95 / month ≈ €1,163 / year |
Nothing on that list looks expensive on its own. Together it is more than a thousand euros a year.
Why the total keeps creeping up
- Free trials that turn into paid plans. You sign up for one film or one project and forget to cancel.
- Price increases. Streaming and software prices rise regularly, often with only an email to tell you.
- Overlap. Two music apps, two cloud storage plans, three video services.
- Yearly renewals. A yearly plan charges you once and then disappears from your mind until next year.
- Payments spread across cards and app stores. Some charges go through Google Play, some through Apple, some straight to your card, so you never see them together.
Find your real number in 10 minutes
- Open your banking app and scroll through the last 3 months of card payments.
- Check Google Play → Payments & subscriptions and, if you use an iPhone, Settings → your name → Subscriptions.
- Write down every recurring payment: name, price and how often you pay.
- Convert yearly plans to a monthly amount (divide by 12) and add everything up.
Or do it in BillBuddy: add each subscription once and it calculates your monthly and yearly totals for you, then reminds you before every payment.
What to do with the number
For each subscription ask: did I use this in the last 30 days? If not, cancel it. You can always sign up again later. Our guide How to cancel Netflix, Spotify and other subscriptions walks you through the most common ones.
