We live in a digital era, and we're surrounded by services that transform our lives. Whether they're aimed at entertainment or business-related purposes, they offer features we rely heavily on.
As good as all of this sounds, we've reached a point where these kinds of services are becoming a problem. The streaming industry has been on a constant rise in the past years, and in 2023, over 1.8 billion users paid for at least one service. The numbers seem impressive, but they can lead to a problem called subscription fatigue.
In recent years, subscription fatigue has become a thing, and more and more people are talking about it. With that in mind, let's discuss subscription fatigue and how to break free.
What Is Subscription Fatigue?
The phrase subscription fatigue refers to a situation where you have too many services to which you're subscribed. It's the feeling of being overwhelmed with the number of services you rely on and use. Considering how many companies have reverted to subscription-based services, it's no wonder why this has become such a big problem.
To put things into perspective, ExpressVPN found that 2 in 5 people have subscription fatigue. It means that 40% of people have too many subscriptions, which is causing problems. This covers the most obvious financial issues, but they also feel guilty about paying for something they don't use.
If you feel like you're in this situation, here are a few ways to regain control and simplify your digital life.
Analyze How Many Subscriptions You Have
Before you start decluttering your subscription situation, you'll need to look into how many subscriptions you're paying for. Go through the list to get an idea of everything you're subscribed to. You'll find the list longer than expected if you depend on many services.
Even though this is mostly aimed at entertainment-related subscriptions, don't forget the ones you use for work. You may be paying for more than you need in some situations.
Prioritize Your Subscriptions
Going through your list of subscriptions may reveal that you've gone overboard when subscribing to all of them. For example, paying for two fitness or cloud storage subscriptions isn't the most budget-friendly option. The same can be said about streaming services.
The goal is to review all your subscriptions and see which ones you use the most. You may find some that you haven't used in a while, but you're still paying. Also, there could be subscriptions on your list that you used in the past but got replaced by better options.
A good example of having too many subscriptions is streaming services. 99% of US households pay for at least one subscription. The problem is those who have multiple. Yes, each subscription has unique content, but most people rarely watch everything. This means there's always that one subscription you're paying for, but you rarely see what's new.
Once you've prioritized everything, you can identify and cancel the services you're not using too often. You may feel a bit guilty, but you'll realize you didn't need them in the first place after a while.
Set a Subscription Budget
Going through your current list of subscriptions will show you how much you're paying for them monthly or yearly. On average, US households spend around $86 per month on various subscription services. This is a clear sign that they pay for more than one, which is a common problem with subscription fatigue. Setting a budget and canceling some of them can be a good way to reduce your wallet's fatigue.
This approach is aimed at people who aren't willing to decide to cancel a subscription, regardless of how much they use it. Setting a budget will force you to reconsider which ones you're using. Combining this with the list of priorities will make you make those "hard decisions" and remove some of those you don't really need.
Regarding setting the budget, it's up to you how strict you want to take it. You can set a stricter budget if you're paying for too many services. This will force you to reconsider the services and reduce the list as much as possible. Keep in mind that you may leave some breathing room and be flexible. Just ensure you keep the flexibility of no more than a few dollars per month. Being too flexible will put you back in the rabbit hole you're trying to escape.
Use Trials
Living in an era dominated by subscriptions means you have to be mindful of new ones. Getting new ones may not be wise if you already suffer from subscription fatigue. Trials can help, as they give you the option to try before you buy.
Almost all services today offer a trial, mostly in the form of a free trial. Some will ask for payment information but won't charge you until the free period ends. This is a good way to test drive the service and see if you'll use it long-term. Sure, you may use it more initially because it's a new and shining service you have, but it doesn't mean you'll continue to do so.
Go for Bundles
Many companies offer bundles for work-related subscription services. Bundles often offer multiple services or features at a lower cost than paying for each one separately.
Take Adobe Creative Cloud, for example. The Photoshop subscription costs $22.99 monthly, and the Lightroom one costs $9.99 monthly with 1TB of cloud storage. A bundle combines both and costs $19.99 monthly with the same features. As you can see, the bundle costs less than the Photoshop subscription, so you're saving considerably.
Consider Digital Detox
A digital detox involves suspending active subscriptions and living without them. This mostly applies to non-essential ones—those that you use for entertainment. Set a goal for a month or two and focus on other hobbies.
After the period, you can look back and see which services you missed. This will give you a pretty good idea of which services you rely on more. It's a good way to filter out all the subscription clutter, reduce fatigue, and save money.
Final Thoughts
In a digitally dominated world, subscription fatigue is becoming a common problem. People paying for too many services is a psychological and financial strain. Identifying which services you need is a good way to break free from this burden and simplify your digital life.
