Subscription Audit Calculator
Total up all your recurring subscriptions to see the true annual cost and how many work hours they consume each month.
About this calculator
Recurring subscriptions are designed to be forgettable — small monthly charges spread across streaming, music, news, cloud storage, gym, software, gaming, and meal kits (plus two open slots for anything else) rarely feel significant on their own, which is exactly why they're worth auditing together instead of separately. This calculator sums all ten categories into a Monthly Total, multiplies by 12 for an Annual Total, and reframes both in terms that hit differently: Daily Cost divides the monthly figure by 30 to show what subscriptions cost per day whether you use them or not, and Work Hours Per Month divides the monthly total by an assumed $25 hourly wage to translate the bill into "hours of your life spent paying for subscriptions." That $25/hour figure is a fixed benchmark baked into the calculation, not pulled from your actual income, so treat the hours figure as illustrative rather than personalized — someone earning more or less will find the real hours-worked equivalent scales accordingly.
The calculator also identifies your single largest subscription category as the Top Expense Category, which is usually the highest-leverage place to start if the goal is trimming rather than just measuring. Because every subscription is entered as a flat "current monthly cost," the tool doesn't distinguish between something you use daily and something you forgot you even had — that judgment call is still yours, but seeing the annualized total and the top category side by side makes it much easier to make.
Financial Disclaimer
This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs provided. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment or financial planning decisions.
Inputs
Results
Monthly Total
$156.00
Annual Total
$1,872.00
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter monthly costs for streaming, music, news, cloud storage, gym, software, and gaming subscriptions.
- Add meal kit, and any other recurring subscription amounts in the remaining fields.
- Review Monthly Total and Annual Total to see your full subscription spend at a glance.
- Check Daily Cost and Work Hours Per Month to understand how long you work just to pay for subscriptions.
- Identify Top Expense Category — target canceling or downgrading that service first.
How the result changes with Streaming Services
| Streaming Services | Monthly Total | Annual Total |
|---|---|---|
| $23.00 | $134.00 | $1,608.00 |
| $34.00 | $145.00 | $1,740.00 |
| $68.00 | $179.00 | $2,148.00 |
| $113.00 | $224.00 | $2,688.00 |
What each input means
- Streaming Services
- Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.
- Music Services
- Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.
- News & Media
- NYT, WSJ, Substack newsletters, etc.
- Cloud Storage
- iCloud, Google One, Dropbox, etc.
- Gym / Fitness
- Gym membership, Peloton, fitness apps.
- Software / Apps
- Adobe, Microsoft 365, VPN, password manager.
- Gaming
- Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus, etc.
- Meal Kits
- HelloFresh, Blue Apron, etc.
- Other Subscription 1
- Any additional recurring charge.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersStreaming Services = 45, Music Services = 11, News & Media = 15, Cloud Storage = 10 = 10 input(s) provided
- Calculate Monthly TotalMonthly Total156 = $156
- Calculate Annual TotalAnnual Total1872 = $1,872
- Calculate Daily CostDaily Cost5.2 = $5.2
- Calculate Work Hours / MonthWork Hours / Month6.2 = 6.2
Engine last updated . Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enter a subscription I pay for once a year?
Every slot on this page is a monthly figure, so divide an annual plan by twelve before you enter it — a $119-a-year plan goes in as $9.92. Annual Total then reproduces the $119 you actually pay, and Monthly Total keeps the annual plan comparable with the month-to-month ones next to it. Typing the full $119 into a monthly slot would multiply it by twelve and overstate your yearly subscription spend by more than $1,300 on that one line alone.
How is Work Hours / Month calculated, and does it use my real hourly wage?
It divides your Monthly Total subscription cost by a fixed $25/hour assumption, not your actual income. If you earn more or less than $25/hour, the real number of hours you'd need to work to cover your subscriptions is proportionally lower or higher than what's shown.
What if I have more than two "other" subscriptions?
The calculator has two open Other Subscription fields for anything not covered by the eight named categories. If you have more than two additional subscriptions, combine them into a single dollar figure and split that total across the two Other fields, since there's no way to add more line items.
Does Top Expense Category account for ties?
No — it walks through all ten categories and keeps whichever has the strictly higher monthly cost, so if two categories tie for the highest amount, whichever appears first in the list (Streaming, Music, News, Cloud Storage, Gym, Software, Gaming, Meal Kits, Other 1, Other 2) is reported as the top category.
Why is Annual Total just Monthly Total times 12?
The calculator assumes every subscription you enter continues at the same monthly rate all year, with no price increases, cancellations, or annual-billing discounts factored in. If any of your subscriptions bill annually or you expect a price hike, your real annual cost may differ from this straight-line projection.
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