Small charges, subscriptions, and recurring fees can easily go unnoticed over time, resulting in money slowly leaking from your budget. It’s worth spending a little time to review those costs you may be overlooking—you may find better deals or realize you no longer need them. Here are a few common ones to consider.
Your internet bill. You may be able to lower your rates if you’re willing to negotiate.
Subscriptions. Streaming services, magazines, apps…are you still using them all?
Bank fees. Are you paying monthly service fees or out-of-network ATM charges? Plenty of banks and credit unions don’t charge service fees, and may have larger ATM networks.
Credit card fees. If you’re paying an annual fee, be sure it’s worth it to you. Ideally you can pay off your card each month to avoid interest, but if not, you may want to compare rates. Just be aware that opening a new credit card does briefly impact your credit score, so space out multiple applications.
Gift cards. Gift cards are real money—and some of them expire. Set up reminders to use them, or re-gift to someone who will.