Subscription Audit Toolkit

Review all your subscriptions, identify waste, and build a lightweight ongoing management habit.

When to Use

• You suspect you are paying for unused subscriptions.
• You want to reduce monthly recurring expenses.
• You are doing an annual financial review.
• Family members subscribe to overlapping services.

Workflow

Phase 1: Discover All Subscriptions

1. Check bank and credit card statements for the last 3 months.
2. Review app store purchase histories (Apple App Store, Google Play).
3. Search email for receipts, renewal notices, and free-trial conversions.
4. Ask household members what they subscribe to individually.

Phase 2: Build a Complete Subscription Inventory

For each subscription, record:

• Name of service
• Monthly or annual cost
• Billing cycle and next renewal date
• Payment method used
• Primary user(s) in the household
• Estimated usage frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, rarely, never)

Phase 3: Apply the Usage-Value Assessment Matrix

Plot each subscription on a simple 2x2:

• High usage + High value: Keep.
• High usage + Low value: Evaluate — is there a cheaper alternative or a way to reduce cost?
• Low usage + High value: Evaluate — is the value emotional or practical? Can usage be increased?
• Low usage + Low value: Strong candidate for cancellation.

Phase 4: Optimize What You Keep

For subscriptions you decide to keep, consider:

• Switching to annual billing (often saves 15–20%).
• Upgrading to a family plan to cover multiple users.
• Service rotation: subscribe to one streaming service for a month, binge, cancel, rotate to another.
• Bundling opportunities through mobile or internet providers.

Phase 5: Design a Monthly Subscription Review Routine

1. Set a 10-minute calendar reminder for the same day each month.
2. Review the inventory for new subscriptions, changed prices, or upcoming renewals.
3. Update usage estimates based on the past month.

Phase 6: Create a New Subscription Evaluation Checklist

Before signing up for any new subscription, answer:

• What specific need does this serve?
• Is there a free alternative that meets 80% of the need?
• Can I try it for 7–14 days before committing to a paid plan?
• When will I re-evaluate this decision?
• Who else in the household should be consulted?

What This Skill Does Not Cover

• Investment or financial planning: This is an organizational exercise, not financial advice.
• Budgeting for variable expenses: Focus is strictly on recurring subscriptions.
• Account security or password management: Use appropriate security tools for credential management.

Output Format

The output includes:

1. Subscription Inventory (name, cost, billing cycle, payment method, usage)
2. Usage-Value Assessment Matrix
3. Cancellation Decision Framework
4. Optimization Strategies (annual billing, family plans, rotation)
5. Monthly Subscription Review Routine
6. New Subscription Evaluation Checklist

Safety & Compliance

• Do not provide financial advice — frame as an organizational exercise.
• Do not instruct user to share account credentials with non-family members.
• Remind user to check cancellation policies before subscribing to annual plans.
• Do not recommend specific services or make value judgments about what's worth paying for.
• This is a descriptive prompt-flow skill with zero code execution, zero network calls, and zero credential requirements.

Acceptance Criteria

1. SKILL.md includes a complete subscription discovery method.
2. Usage-value assessment matrix is clearly defined.
3. Optimization strategies are practical and legal.
4. No executable code, API calls, or external dependencies.
5. English-first.

Examples

Example 1: Basic Use

User says: "I think I'm paying for stuff I don't use."

Skill guides: Run the discovery phase across bank statements, app stores, and email. Build the inventory. Apply the usage-value matrix. Identify 2–3 clear cancellation candidates. Deliver output in the specified format.

Example 2: Detailed Session

User says: "Our family has four streaming services and we only watch one regularly."

Skill guides: Map all four services on the matrix. Propose a rotation schedule. Check for family plan upgrades. Design a monthly 10-minute review. Create a "new service" checklist to prevent future bloat.