Each one is cheap. Together, they're not.
Netflix Standard, YouTube Premium, Spotify, Disney+, and 200 GB of iCloud add up to $64.45 a month at US list prices — $773 a year and $7,734 over ten years. Subscriptions are designed so each charge feels like nothing, which is exactly why it's easy to forget the free trial that turned paid, or the service you open twice a year.
How it's calculated
- Yearly cost = sum of monthly prices × 12
- Saved instead = monthly amount × ((1 + annual rate ÷ 12)^months − 1) ÷ (annual rate ÷ 12), assuming end-of-month deposits and monthly compounding
- Lattes per year = yearly cost ÷ an estimated latte price
The return is your own assumption. For example, saving $15 a month at 2% for 10 years comes to about $1,991. Enter 0 to simply save the cash. This is a projection, not the return of any investment.
How to catch the vampires
- Read one credit card statement. List every recurring charge — forgotten trials that turned paid show up fast.
- Ask when you last opened it. If you open it fewer than two or three times a month, check "I barely use it" and see what it costs you.
- Rotate streaming services. Subscribe for the month you want to binge a show, then cancel.
- Look at family and duo plans. Sharing with your household is often cheaper per person.