Global Courant 2023-05-26 06:24:53
It’s a special kind of frustration to see a payment come in for a streaming service that you forgot you even subscribed to.
This will undoubtedly happen if you sign up for free trials but never set a reminder to cancel before being charged. Here are the easy steps to quit this will never happen again.
Sure, a side hustle can help you pay for Netflix, Spotify, and everything else. Do you have a bunch of treasures lying around that you know you need to sell? We put together a full guide to start your own online resale business.
Bringing in cash is great, but don’t spend that much on app subscriptions. Here’s how.
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What is your money worth?
The short answer: it depends on what’s important to you. Hate watching or listening to ads? Do you care enough about your privacy to pay a premium? Do you have a job or hobby that requires specialized software?
Here’s a short list to get you thinking. Not all of these are suitable for everyone and you may decide that you don’t want to pay for any app.
Music, Streaming, and Entertainment: I pay for Apple Music because I like the variety of genres. You might need a few streaming services to watch your shows, and even YouTube might be worth it if you don’t want to watch ads. Creative tools and software: Often needed for editing videos or photos, creating digital work, editing grammar for professional writing, and more. Security and utilities: You may need to pay for antivirus software, a VPN, a password manager, or others. Productivity: Task managers, calendar apps, project management tools, and similar apps fall into this category. Health and fitness: Depending on your lifestyle and goals, it may be worth paying for a specialized fitness, meditation, or nutrition app. Teaching and Learning: Language classes, professional and personal development, and other often cost after a free trial.
In the end, it comes down to the quality of the app, the value it adds to your life and your preferences. There’s almost always a free version of whatever app you want.
Messenger and Facebook app logos are displayed on a mobile phone screen for illustration. Krakow, Poland on January 23, 2023. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Free tech gadgets in your inbox: My daily email is trusted by 400,000 people. I bet it will be your favorite book of the day.
What’s not worth the effort?
This is also subjective, but a few rules apply to just about everyone.
Don’t pay for a third-party app if your phone already has a built-in feature. The caveat is that the paid app does this a better way it’s worth it to you. But a paid flashlight, QR code or PDF reader? Not really. File and storage managers are often clutter that just takes up more space. The Google Files app is excellent for cleaning junk on an Android, and Apple does it automatically. Paying for a few versions of similar software is a waste of money. Don’t jump on the bandwagon and pay for whatever viral app everyone else is using to take AI photos or anything else. Paying for an app you never use? Give yourself a week. If you still don’t open it, cancel. You can always log in again.
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How to find all the apps you pay for
To check which subscriptions you pay for in the Apple App Store:
Open the Settings app, then tap your name. Tap Subscriptions > Choose the desired subscription. Tap Cancel Subscription. (You may need to scroll down.) If there is no Cancel button, the subscription has already been canceled.
How to find your paid subscriptions for Android:
Open the Settings app > Google. Select Manage your Google account. At the top, tap Payments & subscriptions. Tap Manage Subscriptions. Click on an item to see more details and cancel.
iPhone applications. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Find something else you pay for
It’s also worth checking your bank statements for any unusual or ongoing charges you don’t recognize. You can locate a Hulu or Netflix subscription or a few app purchases you forgot.
You can get bank statements through your online banking portal and it’s a good idea to review them at least once a month. Print your statements and go over the costs line by line. If you find something you want to cancel, contact the company immediately to have the account closed. Otherwise, you may end up paying another month of useless services due to cancellation terms related to your account.
Also quickly check your email. It’s common for recurring purchase receipts to land in your inbox, and they don’t always appear in your primary email folder either. Also check your spam or trash folders.
An app can do it for you
Sound like too much work? At a commission rate, some companies take the entire process off your hands. I have used rocket money, a podcast sponsor and saved about $450 in about 5 minutes. (They didn’t pay me to include them here.)
Photo of someone accessing their Netflix account after the subscription service cracked down on password sharing. (Fox news)
Keep your technical knowledge going
My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from around the country. Look for it wherever you get your podcasts from. For your convenience, click the link below for a recent episode.
PODCAST CHOICE: Plane crash for YouTube views, Apple VR headset and laptop expiration dates
And is your data safe with Amazon Clinic? I’ll tell you why it’s a privacy no-go. Also, I am giving my advice to a broker dealing with an influx of spam calls. A crafty USPS scam, big dreams for Zuck’s dead Metaverse, and five ways to spot legit-looking scam websites.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today”. Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotifyor your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts from. Just search my last name, “Komando.”
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