If you’ve ever signed up for a subscription service – whether that’s a streaming platform or a gym membership – only to find you rarely use it, you’re far from alone.

These regular payments from “zombie subscriptions” often continue quietly in the background, long after we’ve forgotten about them.

And while £8, £10, or even £20 a month might not seem significant on its own, the yearly total of all your subscriptions combined can be surprisingly high. After reviewing these, you may find that hundreds of pounds a year could be freed up in your budget.

So, continue reading to learn just how much you could save over the course of a year by cancelling unwanted subscriptions, and why it may be prudent to pay your future self first.

Cancelling unused subscriptions could save you a significant sum over the year

When you view your finances over a whole year, rather than month by month, the impacts of small regular payments often become much clearer.

For instance:

• £10 a month adds up to £120 a year
• £15 a month totals £180 a year

• £20 a month reaches £240 a year.

Even if, after reviewing the subscriptions you’re currently paying for, you cancel two costing £15 and £20 a month, you would essentially free up £420 a year. Even removing a £10 and a £20 payment would release £360 across 12 months.

And since these payments are typically spread across different providers, it’s easy to underestimate the total cost.

With just a bit of proactivity, you could find yourself approaching, or even exceeding, £400 a year in savings without making significant changes to your lifestyle.

A proactive approach to your budget could help you identify financial leaks

Even if you feel as though your household finances are in good shape, occasional financial housekeeping can be helpful.

When you take the time to review your outgoings, you can assess each regular payment. If it still adds value to your life, you can keep it in place. However, if it no longer serves its purpose, you may want to reconsider keeping it.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to remove every treat from your life. Subscriptions you genuinely use and enjoy will earn their place in your budget.

Instead, it’s about ensuring that your spending reflects your current priorities, rather than decisions you made months or years ago. Indeed, you may have signed up for a service during a specific period of your life, such as a fitness app during a health kick or a productivity app for a major work project.

Then, when your circumstances changed, you may have simply forgotten to cancel the service. Tightening your budget could give you a clearer picture of your disposable income. And a well-maintained budget could ensure that as much of your hard-earned wealth as possible is working for you rather than being wasted on services that offer little value.

If you pay your future self first, you may bolster your long-term financial security

Rather than waiting to see what’s left at the end of the month, you could make regular contributions to your savings, investments, or pensions as soon as you receive your income.

Moving the money immediately prioritises your long-term goals over discretionary spending. For example, if you managed to free up around £30 a month, you could redirect this into a tax wrapper, such as a Stocks and Shares ISA or your pension. Both of these are investment accounts, allowing your money to grow tax-efficiently, and even a small additional monthly contribution goes a long way over time.

While the value of investments can rise and fall, investing regularly over the long term has historically offered higher returns than saving.

Plus, in the case of your pension, tax relief means that your contribution may be boosted, making your savings even more efficient. Stocks and Shares ISAs are also free from Income Tax, Dividend Tax, and Capital Gains Tax.

So, contributing to either one consistently could give your money more opportunities to grow tax-efficiently.

These are just examples of the many ways you could put funds from zombie subscriptions to better use.

Get in touch

We could help you explore other ways to save and invest more of your wealth so you can reach your long-term goals.

Please contact us if you have any questions. De Mellow’s expert financial planners are on hand to help.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select, and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.

An investment in equities and shares will not provide the security of capital associated with a deposit account with a bank or building society. However, please bear in mind that over the long term, inflation will erode the purchasing power of your capital.

The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time and are generally dependent on individual circumstances.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.

SJP Approved 04/03/2026