Recurring charges accumulate quietly. Most households discover several they had forgotten when they look properly, and the annual total is usually larger than expected.
Start with the statements, not memory
Twelve months of bank and card statements. Memory will miss things by definition, because the ones you have forgotten are the ones costing you.
Go through and mark every recurring charge. Annual ones are the easiest to miss and often the largest.
Check the platform stores
Subscriptions bought through app stores do not always show a recognisable name on a statement. Both major mobile platforms have a subscriptions page listing everything active, and it frequently contains surprises.
Check your email
Search for terms like receipt, subscription, renewal and trial. That catches things paid through methods you forgot about.
For each one, three questions
When did I last use it. What breaks if it stops. Is there a cheaper tier that does what I need.
Cancel anything where the answers are months ago, nothing, and yes.
The trial trap
Free trials that convert are the largest source of forgotten charges. When starting one, set a reminder for two days before it ends. That single habit prevents most of the problem.
Annual versus monthly
Annual is cheaper per month and locks you in. Worth it for things you are certain about, and worth avoiding for anything you might stop.
Preventing recurrence
A calendar reminder once a year to repeat this. Or a dedicated card for subscriptions, so one statement shows everything.
Typical savings on a first pass run to a meaningful monthly figure, with nothing given up that anyone missed.