Journal · Financce · Budgeting

Track subscriptions and bills so nothing surprises you

Find every recurring charge, see its true yearly cost, and set up reminders so bills, renewals and instalments never catch you off guard.

Goldmend Money
4 min read

Recurring payments are easy to agree to and easy to forget. A streaming plan here, a cloud storage upgrade there, a gym membership you meant to pause. Each one is small. Together they can quietly take hundreds a month.

Bills you cannot avoid, like electricity or insurance, cause a different problem. They are expected, but the date sneaks up. A yearly car insurance renewal or a quarterly maintenance fee can wreck an otherwise careful month.

The answer to both is the same: put every recurring payment in one list, with its amount and next date.

Step 1: find every recurring payment

Set aside 20 minutes. Go through these places:

• Bank and card statements for the last three months. Look for the same merchant appearing every month.
• App store subscriptions on your phone (Google Play or Apple). Both list active subscriptions in their settings.
• E-wallet auto-payments and linked cards.
• Email — search for words like "renewal", "subscription", "invoice" and "auto-debit".
• Paper bills — utilities, assessment tax, quit rent, insurance, school fees.

Write down the name, amount, how often and the next due date.

Step 2: see the yearly cost

Monthly prices hide the real total. Multiply everything out:

Figures are examples only. Seeing "S$1,800 a year" on a gym you visit twice a month makes the decision easier.

Step 3: keep, cut or downgrade

For each subscription, ask:

1. Did I use it in the last month?
2. Would I sign up again today at this price?
3. Is there a cheaper plan, a family plan to share, or a free alternative?

If the answer to the first two is no, cancel it. If you are unsure, set a reminder to decide before the next renewal date. Many services let you pause instead of cancel.

Bills you must keep can still be reviewed. Phone and internet plans change often. Insurance can be compared at renewal. It is worth asking your provider what plans are available now.

Step 4: get reminded before money leaves

Reminders turn surprises into plans. A notification the day before a bill means you can check the account has enough, or move money across.

For yearly bills, reminders alone are not enough. You also need the money ready. Divide the yearly cost by 12 and set that aside each month. A S$1,400 insurance renewal becomes about S$117 a month.

Step 5: track instalment plans to the end

"0% instalment" offers for phones, laptops and furniture are popular across Asia, Australia and the USA. They are not free money. They are a fixed monthly commitment that reduces what you can spend for months or years.

Track each plan with the number of payments left. When it ends, you will see the freed-up amount. That is a good moment to redirect the same sum to savings.

Step 6: review every quarter

Subscriptions creep back. Free trials convert to paid plans. Prices rise. A quick review every three months keeps the list honest.

Try it in Financce

1. Go to More → Bills and income → Add bill and enter each recurring payment. Choose Weekly, Monthly, Every 3 months or Yearly.
2. For instalments, turn on Instalment plan with an end and enter Payments left. The plan stops after the last one.
3. The Bills screen shows your total Recurring cost per month and per year, plus a countdown to each due date.
4. In Settings, turn on Bill reminders. You get a notification at 9am the day before each bill is due.
5. When you pay, tap Mark as paid. Financce logs the expense and moves the due date to the next cycle.
6. Open More → Schedule to see upcoming payments and income together, along with your projected balance.

Upcoming bills also appear on Home under Coming up, so you see them every time you open the app.

This article is general information, not financial advice.

Try it in Financce, the Goldmend Money app for everyday money. Get Financce

General information, not financial advice. Figures are examples.

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