Audit Summary
Monthly spend
$75.00
Annual spend
$900.00
If invested instead: $12,290.95
| Subscription | Annual | Cost/use | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Gym | $576.00 | $9.60 | 21.12 |
| #2 Streaming | $180.00 | $3.75 | 7.13 |
| #3 Cloud Storage | $144.00 | $0.60 | 4.02 |
Budgeting
Subscription Audit & True Cost Calculator
Audit recurring subscriptions by cost-per-use, annual drag, and future value if redirected into investing.
Top Cut Candidates
Highest priority by cost-per-use and monthly drag
Gym
$9.60 per use
$48.00 / mo
Streaming
$3.75 per use
$15.00 / mo
Cloud Storage
$0.60 per use
$12.00 / mo
How to use it
- List every subscription with monthly cost and realistic monthly usage, then set a planning return and time horizon for the invested-instead math. Convert annual plans to a monthly equivalent so the ranking stays apples-to-apples.
- Read total monthly spend, total annual spend, cost per use, and invested-instead future value. A service used once a month at $25 costs $25 per use before counting the opportunity cost of keeping it.
- Low-usage subscriptions are usually the easiest wants-budget cuts. If a service is used fewer than about two times per month or costs more than a one-off alternative, it belongs near the top of the cancel list.
- Cancel, downgrade, or rotate the lowest-value subscriptions first and redirect the freed cash into debt payoff or a named savings goal. Then use the 50-30-20 budget calculator to see whether subscriptions are crowding out savings.
- Re-run quarterly and whenever a free trial converts or an annual renewal hits. Track total monthly subscription drag and the dollars saved from canceled services.
AI Integrations
Contract, discovery endpoints, and developer notes for agent use.
Always available for agents
AI Integrations
Contract, discovery endpoints, and developer notes for agent use.
Tool contract JSON
https://aifinhub.io/contracts/subscription-audit-calculator.jsonStable input and output contract for this exact tool.
Human review
People can use the browser page to sense-check outputs and charts, but agents should still execute against the contract and discovery endpoints.
- /agent-tools.json - machine-readable tool index.
- /llms.txt - human-readable model discovery guide.
- /.well-known/webmcp.json - WebMCP capabilities manifest.
- /.well-known/ai-plugin.json - plugin-style discovery manifest.
{
"tool": "subscription_audit",
"subscriptions": [
{
"id": "sub-1",
"name": "Streaming",
"monthly_cost": 15,
"uses_per_month": 4,
"category": "Entertainment"
}
],
"annual_return_percent": 6,
"analysis_years": 10
} Expand developer notes
Agent playbook
- Resolve Subscription Audit & True Cost Calculator from /agent-tools.json and open its contract before execution.
- Validate inputs against the contract schema instead of scraping labels from the page UI.
- Open the browser page only when a person wants to review charts, assumptions, or related tools.
Agent FAQ
Should ChatGPT, Claude, or another agent click through the UI?
No. Start with /agent-tools.json, then follow the tool's contract URL. The page UI is for human review, not parameter discovery.
When do tools show Quick and Advanced?
Every tool opens in Quick Start first. Advanced Controls keeps the same scenario, reveals more assumptions or diagnostics, and every tool keeps AI integrations inline below the instructions.
When should an agent still open the browser page?
Open it when a human wants to sense-check the output, review the chart, or keep exploring related tools after the calculation finishes.
Questions people usually ask
What is cost per use?
Cost per use divides monthly subscription cost by estimated monthly usage to reveal value density.
What does invested instead mean?
It estimates what recurring subscription spend could grow to if invested over your chosen horizon.
Can I track multiple categories?
Yes. Each entry includes a category field to segment discretionary vs essential plans.
Does this store my data online?
No. Inputs stay in your browser unless you explicitly share a URL.
Is this professional advice?
No. Outputs are planning estimates only — not financial, tax, or investment advice.
Related Resources
Learn the decision before you act
Every link here is tied directly to Subscription Audit & True Cost Calculator. Use the explanation, formula, examples, and benchmarks to pressure-test the calculator output from first principles.
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