Updated for 2026

The Average Person Spends
$273/Month on Subscriptions

That's $3,276 per year. Most people guess they spend around $86-nearly 3x less than reality. Here's where the money actually goes.

$273

Average monthly spending

12

Average active subscriptions

84%

Underestimate their spending

$133

Wasted yearly on unused subs

Where the Money Goes

Streaming & Entertainment

Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, YouTube Premium

$55-85
/month

Software & Cloud Storage

iCloud, Dropbox, Microsoft 365, Adobe

$30-55
/month

Fitness & Wellness

Gym memberships, Peloton, meditation apps

$30-60
/month

Delivery & Convenience

Amazon Prime, DoorDash, Instacart

$25-50
/month

News & Media

NYT, WSJ, The Athletic, Substack

$15-35
/month

Other Subscriptions

VPNs, dating apps, gaming, meal kits

$20-40
/month

Why People Underestimate

When asked to guess their monthly subscription spending, the average person says $86. The actual average is $273-more than 3x higher. Here's why the gap exists:

1
We forget about annual subscriptions. That $139 Amazon Prime charge once a year doesn't feel like $11.58/month, but it is.
2
Family plans obscure individual costs. Spotify Family at $16.99/month "for everyone" is still $16.99 you're paying.
3
Small amounts add up. $2.99 here, $4.99 there-each feels trivial. Combined, they're significant.
4
Free trials become paid silently. You signed up, forgot, and now you've been paying for 8 months.

The Cost of Forgotten Subscriptions

$133

Wasted per person, per year

On subscriptions people forgot about, meant to cancel, or no longer use but keep paying for.

$25B

Wasted nationally, per year

Americans collectively waste over $25 billion annually on unused subscriptions.

Most commonly forgotten subscriptions:

Free trials that converted to paid
Annual renewals (charged once/year)
Gym memberships not being used
Premium app tiers (reverted to using free)
Dating apps after finding a partner
Duplicate services (multiple streaming)

Subscription Spending Questions

How much does the average person spend on subscriptions per month?

The average American spends $273 per month on subscriptions as of 2026. This includes streaming services, software, gym memberships, news subscriptions, meal kits, and other recurring payments. Many people significantly underestimate their spending-studies show consumers guess around $86/month on average, nearly 3x lower than reality.

How many subscriptions does the average person have?

The average American has 12 active subscriptions. However, many consumers have more they've forgotten about-free trials that converted to paid, annual subscriptions that renew silently, or services they signed up for and stopped using. Subscription tracking apps often find 2-4 additional forgotten subscriptions per user.

What do people spend the most on for subscriptions?

The biggest subscription spending categories are: streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, Spotify) at $50-80/month combined, software and cloud storage at $30-50/month, fitness and wellness at $30-60/month, and news/media at $15-30/month. Bundled services and family plans often obscure the true per-service cost.

How much money is wasted on unused subscriptions?

The average person wastes $133 per year on subscriptions they forgot about or don't use. This includes free trials that auto-converted, services they meant to cancel, and subscriptions they simply forgot existed. Cumulatively, Americans waste over $25 billion per year on unused subscriptions.

How can I find out what I'm actually spending?

The easiest way is to use a subscription tracker like Subcut. It imports your subscriptions automatically from email receipts or bank statements, calculates your true monthly and yearly spending, and often finds subscriptions you forgot about. Most users discover they're spending $50-150 more than they thought.

Find Out What You're Really Spending

That Netflix you forgot? Still charging you. Find out what else is.

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