Why subscription creep happens (especially with ADHD)

Subscriptions are “set and forget” – which sounds helpful, until you forget them.

Out of sight, out of mind and time blindness

When a payment is small and automatic, it doesn’t feel urgent. Then three months pass. Then a renewal hits right before payday.

Time blindness can make it hard to hold onto:

• When you started the subscription
• When the next payment is due
• Whether it’s monthly, yearly, or “every 4 weeks” (the sneaky one)

Avoidance after a “money dread” moment

If money admin already feels stressful, seeing charges you didn’t plan for can trigger avoidance.

Your brain learns: “Looking at this makes me feel bad.” So it pushes it away, even if a part of you wants to sort it.

Free trials, intro offers and “I’ll cancel later” thinking

Free trials are optimised for good intentions:

• “I’ll cancel before the trial ends.”
• “I’ll decide later.”
• “It’s only £9.99.”

Later arrives… when the payment has already gone out.

Quick signs you’ve got subscription creep

If any of these feel familiar, you’re in subscription creep territory:

Small charges that don’t feel real until they add up

A few £4.99 and £7.99 payments can hide in your statement – until you add them up and realise it’s a chunky monthly cost.

Annual renewals that hit at the worst time

Annual renewals are the biggest “surprise hit” because:

• You only see them once a year
• The amount is usually bigger
• They tend to land when you’ve forgotten you ever signed up

Subscriptions you only remember when you see the charge

If the only time you think about it is when you see the payment, your system isn’t failing – you just don’t have a system yet.

The low-overwhelm system to catch renewals before they hit

This is designed to be quick, repeatable, and realistic.

Step 1: Make a “Subscriptions list” in one place

Pick one place you’ll actually use:

• Notes app on your phone (often the best option)
• A simple spreadsheet
• A page inside Notion
• Inside Bill-e-Buddy (if you’re using it)

Keep it basic. Just:

• Name of the subscription
• Cost
• Renewal date (or billing day)

Step 2: Add two key dates (renewal and reminder)

For each subscription, set:

• Renewal date (the day money leaves your account)
• Reminder date (your decision day)

Simple defaults that work for most people:

• Monthly subscriptions: reminder 7 days before
• Annual subscriptions: reminder 14-30 days before (30 is ideal if money is tight)

Step 3: Set one rule for free trials (same-day reminder)

The moment you start a free trial, do this one thing:

• Set a calendar reminder for the same day: “Cancel trial (if not worth it)”

Why same day? Because your future self is busy and your brain will treat it as “not urgent” until it’s too late.

Step 4: Use “keep, pause, cancel” to decide fast

When your reminder pops up, don’t overthink it. Use a quick decision prompt:

• Keep: I used it this month and I’d miss it.
• Pause: I’m not using it right now but might later (cancel and rejoin when needed).
• Cancel: It’s not worth the money or the mental load.

If you’re stuck, ask: “Would I sign up again today at this price?”

Scripts and tiny actions (so you actually cancel it)

Cancelling is often the hardest part – not because it’s difficult, but because it’s annoying.

A 2-minute cancellation window (timer-based)

Set a 2-minute timer and aim for “progress, not perfection”. Your job is to:

• Find where to cancel (app store subscriptions, website account, or bank direct debit)
• Take one step (even if you don’t finish)

If you cancel it within the timer: great. If not: you’ve still started, which is usually the hardest bit.

What to do if you can’t cancel right now

If your brain is refusing, don’t force it into a spiral. Do this instead:

• Add it to a short list called “Cancel later”
• Set a specific time: “Friday 10:00 – cancel X (5 minutes)”
• Put the cancellation link/login info in the note so you don’t have to re-find it