I’m about to make you mad. Not at me. At your bank statement.
Americans are quietly paying for things they could get for free. Not small stuff either. I’m talking $1,200 or more a year in charges for services you already have access to, buried in subscriptions, upgrades and plans you forgot you signed up for.
Let’s go line by line.
💳 Credit monitoring: Free
If you’re paying Experian, TransUnion or a third-party app for credit monitoring, stop. Federal law gives you free weekly credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. Most major banks and credit cards (Chase, Capital One, Discover) include free credit score tracking built right into their app.
You’re paying $10 to $30 a month for something your Visa already does.
💻 Microsoft Office: Probably free
That $100/year Microsoft 365 subscription? If you’re using it for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Google Docs, Sheets and Slides do the same thing for zero dollars. If you need actual Microsoft apps, the free web versions at Office.com work for 90% of people.
Unless you’re running a business on complex spreadsheets, you don’t need the paid version.
📚 Audiobooks and magazines: Free
Paying $15 a month for Audible? Download the Libby app. It connects to your local library and gives you free audiobooks, ebooks and digital magazines. Same bestsellers. Same narrators. Zero dollars.
Don’t have a library card? Most libraries let you sign up online in about two minutes. That’s $180 a year for a service your tax dollars already paid for.
🚗 Roadside assistance: In your wallet
Paying $100+ a year for AAA?
Check your auto insurance policy first. Many include roadside assistance. So do credit cards like American Express and some Visa Signature cards. You might be triple-covered and paying for two of them.
🔐 Extended warranties: Same story
That protection plan you added at checkout on Amazon? You might not need it. If you bought the item with a Visa, Mastercard or Amex, your card likely doubles the manufacturer’s warranty for free. Check your card’s benefits page for coverage.
Go to amazon.com/orders and search “Asurion” to see every protection plan you’ve bought. Cancel the ones your credit card already covers. That’s $15 a month you can get back starting today.
📱 Apps you upgraded: Didn’t need to
Check your App Store subscriptions right now. iPhone: Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions. Android: Google Play > Payments & subscriptions.
I guarantee you’ll find at least one app you’re paying a premium for when the free version does everything you need. Weather apps, photo editors and note-taking apps are the usual suspects.
Add it up. Credit monitoring ($240/year), Office ($100), Audible ($180), AAA ($100), phone insurance ($180), random app upgrades ($60). That’s $860 in easy cuts. And I was being conservative.
Forward this to someone who complains about money but has 14 subscriptions they forgot about. We all know that person. (If you don’t, check your bank statement. It might be you.)
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