It is common to lose $50 to $100 per month on "Zombie Subscriptions"—services you signed up for, forgot about, or meant to cancel before the trial ended. When you are rebuilding your financial life, this is not just an annoyance; it is a leak in your lifeboat.
Use the checklist below to perform a "Search and Destroy" mission on your bank statement.
The "Usual Suspects" Checklist
Category 1: Entertainment
Category 2: Digital Utilities
Category 3: Lifestyle & Trials
The "Hard Cancel" Strategy
Some merchants intentionally make it difficult to cancel. They hide the "Unsubscribe" button, require you to call a phone number with long hold times, or force you to chat with a retention agent.
If you cannot cancel online, do not waste hours fighting them. Use your bank as a shield. Call your bank (or use their secure message center) and ask to place a Stop Payment or block the merchant.
"Hello, I have attempted to cancel a subscription with [Merchant Name], but they are continuing to charge me/making it impossible to cancel.
I am revoking authorization for this merchant to debit my account effective immediately. Please place a Stop Payment on any future charges from [Merchant Name] and note my account that this is an unauthorized transaction going forward."
Where to Put the Savings
Don't let this recovered cash disappear. Re-allocate it immediately.
- → If you are in survival mode, add this money to your Crisis Budget.
- → If you are stable, use it to speed up your Debt Strategy Tool.