Online bank Monzo is encouraging people to do a quick bank spring clean – a simple check of regular outgoings to spot anything they no longer use. The call comes as a survey of 2,000 UK adults found the average person spends about £38.18 a month on subscriptions, roughly £1.74 billion across the UK.
Key tips from Monzo's blog
In a blog published on March 31, 2026, Monzo urged people to put money aside specifically for subscriptions they want to keep, to help stay organised and avoid surprises when payments are taken. Spring cleaning isn't only about cutting back – if you use a service every day, moving to a better plan, a bundle, or paying annually could save money in the long run.
Monzo also highlighted the issue of free trials. Many people sign up for a 'free month' or '7-day free trial' with every intention of cancelling, only to forget. As a result, 38% of people – around 21 million across the UK – say an unexpected charge has caught them out.
When to cancel
If you haven't used a subscription in the past month, or had forgotten you were even paying for it, that's a strong sign it may be time to cancel. Even small monthly charges can quickly add up over the course of a year.
The bank stresses: "Spring cleaning doesn't have to mean ruthlessly cancelling everything. It's more about figuring out what still earns its place – keeping the subscriptions you love, upgrading the ones you use all the time, and finally saying goodbye to the ones you forgot you even had. Like the streaming service you signed up to for that one show… which you're still paying for months later."
MoneySavingExpert advice
MoneySavingExpert (MSE), founded by Martin Lewis, also warns about free trials. It recommends cancelling as soon as you sign up, so you don't get caught by an automatic charge later. Urging people not to worry about "obscure instructions on how to cancel", it states: "Get used to cancelling (or, more accurately, turning off auto-renewal for) your subscription as part of the signing-up process. Even during a free trial period, you'll generally retain access to the content until the end of the trial or current billing period."
MSE also suggests using the classic bluffing method to save money. It explains: "We've plenty of guides (and success stories) on haggling down your Sky, broadband, mobile bills and more. But there's a much easier way that should take less than a minute and doesn't involve working yourself up to hard bargaining. Many online subscriptions shower you with retention offers with just a few clicks, if you start the cancellation process online – no phone call or haggling required."
"Now TV has been known to offer half-price streaming for several months, while Audible sometimes gives out free credits for getting audiobooks or reduced pricing. Other companies known to do this include Disney+, HelloFresh, DAZN, Uber One, and many digital newspapers."
