Monthly subscription fees for streaming services and smartphone apps can quietly drain bank accounts if left unchecked.According to Deloitte, the average household had about four streaming services in 2025. When adding in-app, m usic, and fitness tracker subscriptions, that number pushes closer to double digits. Many subscriptions begin with free offers, according to Bank of Americas Matthew Beatty."It's super easy to sign up for these programs that offer a 7-day trial or a 10-day trial and then after that trial if you don't cancel you've got that $4.99 $7.99 monthly fee," Beatty said.These monthly fees are often forgotten as they are quietly billed to credit cards or bank accounts."When we have 7 or 8 of those that just routinely come through, it's very easy to forget that we did them," Beatty said. Kelsey Wilson said she spends about $50 a month on subscriptions and experienced this quiet drain firsthand."I have Hulu because it comes with a student discount, Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Apple TV and Prime Video, which my mom pays for," Wilson said.Wilson said she noticed she paid for subscriptions she did not use while consolidating finances before getting married."I was like, OK, we'll get rid of this, this and this because we all have, we have financial goals, me and my husband to get a house, so I didn't want to just be wasting money if I'm not using it," Wilson said.Beatty said apps that duplicate services are another way fees drain accounts."My daughter has 3 different educational apps on her iPad. ABC Mouse, all these different little things, they're not expensive, $2.99 here, $3.99 there, but it wasn't until we really, my wife and I really started looking at that, we were like, man, we're, we're paying $13 a month for 3 apps that all do the same thing," Beatty said. To stop the drain and save cash, experts recommend spending a few minutes each month reviewing subscriptions to cancel duplicates or services you no longer need or want.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube ...read more read less