Stop Subscription Creep: Track Recurring Charges with Monee

Author Marco

Marco

Published on

I’m Marco, a Lisbon‑based expat from Frankfurt. I track day‑to‑day spending across cities and currencies, and a quiet budget killer shows up everywhere: recurring charges. Streaming here, a cloud upgrade there, a “free trial” that rolled into another €7.99—subscription creep is boring, not dramatic, which is why it wins.

This guide is the method I actually use: track in EUR, tag foreign charges, anchor to core categories (rent/food/transport), and keep a rolling buffer for travel. I’ll show realistic numbers, a simple city comparison template, and two light carryover tactics so these costs stop surprising you.

Why subscription creep happens (and how much it really costs)

Most budgets focus on groceries and nights out. Meanwhile, fixed charges compound quietly:

  • Entertainment: Netflix €12.99, Spotify €10.99, one niche app €5.49.
  • Cloud: iCloud €2.99 or €9.99, Google storage €1.99–€9.99.
  • Utilities/services: phone plan €14–€22, VPN €4–€8, password manager €2–€5.
  • Fitness/learning: gym €30–€45, language app €7–€12.

That’s easily €90–€140/month before you eat anything. If you travel, add eSIMs (€10–€15 per trip), airport transport memberships, or a second local phone plan for a long stay.

Annual charges distort perception, too: a design tool at €120/year is €10/month in reality. A domain at €14/year is €1.17/month. The trick is converting everything to a monthly view so you see the full fixed baseline.

My rule: surface the full picture first, then tighten. Calm math beats vague guilt.

Map your recurring charges in 20 minutes

You don’t need to “audit your life.” Just gather, enter, and label clearly.

  • Collect sources

    • Bank/credit card statements: search for monthly repeats.
    • Email: filter for “receipt,” “invoice,” and “renewal.”
    • App stores: list active subscriptions.

  • Log once, then let automation help

    • In Monee, create categories like Subscriptions—Entertainment, Subscriptions—Cloud, Phone & Internet, Fitness, Learning.
    • Add recurring transactions with amount, category, and a short note (e.g., “Annual; renews Nov” or “Monthly—USD”).
    • Set the correct cadence (monthly/annual) and start date. For annuals, I record the full amount on the renewal date and use carryover to smooth it (more below).

  • Make shared costs explicit

    • If you split Netflix or internet, mark it shared so households see the same picture. Monee supports shared logging without bank connections or ads.

  • Keep it searchable

    • Add a tag for the service and a currency code where relevant (e.g., #netflix #EUR, #adobe #USD). You can filter later or export data if you want.

Goal for this first pass: a complete list with clean labels. You can cut later; visibility comes first.

Multi‑currency reality: track in EUR, tag the rest

I track in EUR to keep a stable baseline. When a charge bills in another currency, I:

  • Record it in EUR at the posted amount when it clears.
  • Add a tag for the billing currency (e.g., #USD, #GBP) and note the plan price (“$20 plan; FX varies”).
  • Expect a small swing: a $20 subscription might land between €18.50 and €21.00 depending on FX and card fees. I assume a 2–3% buffer for planning.

Examples from my own setup:

  • Adobe Creative Cloud: $21.01 → typically €19–€22/month. I log as €20 with a note “FX ±€1” and reconcile to exact amounts monthly.
  • US phone eSIM for trips: $10 per travel month → ~€9–€11. I tag with #travel and pay from the travel buffer.

If you hold multiple accounts (e.g., EUR main, USD travel, GBP freelance), it still works. In Monee, create separate accounts (unlimited), choose EUR as your reporting currency, and categorize spends consistently. The app’s monthly overview keeps everything aligned across devices without nudging you into financial products.

Compare cities with category anchors (simple template)

I use three anchors to compare cities: rent, food, transport. Then add subscriptions and buffers on top. This template fits in a note or spreadsheet.

  • Anchors per city (monthly)

    • Rent (room/flat): €
    • Food (groceries + eating out): €
    • Transport (pass + occasional ride): €

  • Fixed extras

    • Subscriptions—Entertainment: €
    • Subscriptions—Cloud/Tools: €
    • Phone & Internet: €
    • Fitness/Learning: €
    • Insurance (if applicable): €

  • Buffers

    • Travel buffer (rolling): €
    • FX buffer (2–3% on foreign‑billed subs): €

  • Total formula

    • Total = Anchors + Fixed extras + Buffers

Example numbers (illustrative, EUR/month):

  • Lisbon

    • Rent: €800 (T1 in a central-ish area)
    • Food: €320 (mix of groceries and 4–5 meals out)
    • Transport: €40 (monthly pass)
    • Subscriptions—Entertainment: €30
    • Cloud/Tools: €15
    • Phone & Internet: €35 (mobile + home)
    • Fitness/Learning: €35
    • Travel buffer: €25
    • FX buffer on USD subs: €3
    • Total ≈ €1,303

  • Frankfurt

    • Rent: €1,000 (similar standard)
    • Food: €360
    • Transport: €49 (Deutschlandticket)
    • Subscriptions—Entertainment: €30
    • Cloud/Tools: €15
    • Phone & Internet: €40
    • Fitness/Learning: €40
    • Travel buffer: €25
    • FX buffer: €3
    • Total ≈ €1,562

The anchor method keeps comparisons practical and less emotional. Subscriptions sit in “Fixed extras,” so you’re not kidding yourself about the baseline.

If you’re budgeting with someone else, Monee’s shared households help both people log expenses into the same categories. You’ll see the combined monthly view and can filter by person or category when needed.

Carryover tactics for irregular costs (and a simple takeaway)

Two light tactics make irregulars predictable:

  • Smooth annuals into monthly reality

    • Create a category “Subscriptions—Annual.” For each annual payment, calculate its monthly equivalent (e.g., €120/year → €10/month).
    • In Monee, you can either:
      • Log the full annual amount on the renewal date and allow a monthly carryover envelope of €10 to accumulate toward it; or
      • Create a recurring monthly transaction for €10 to reflect the true monthly cost and keep a note of the annual renewal date.
    • I prefer the first option for accuracy (real cash timing) and the second for stable monthly reporting. Pick one and stick with it.

  • Keep a rolling travel buffer

    • Set a fixed monthly amount (e.g., €25). Fund eSIMs, airport transport, or cross‑border data from this buffer.
    • If you don’t spend it one month, it rolls into the next. When you do spend (say €40 eSIM + €8 airport bus), you don’t touch grocery or rent money.
    • In Monee, use a separate “Travel Buffer” account or category so you can filter and reconcile easily.

Practical takeaway you can do today:

  1. List every recurring charge with amount, cadence, and currency tag.
  2. Convert annuals to a monthly view so your fixed baseline is honest.
  3. Track in EUR; tag USD/GBP charges and add a 2–3% FX buffer.
  4. Add subscriptions to your city template so comparisons are apples‑to‑apples.
  5. Create one carryover for annuals and one travel buffer. Reconcile monthly.

Monee keeps this workflow simple: fast entry (amount, category, optional note), clear monthly overview, recurring transactions, custom categories, shared households when needed, and no ads or trackers. You can export your data anytime and sync across devices without handing over bank access. The point isn’t perfection—it’s visibility. Once your fixed costs are honest and calm, the rest of the budget gets easier.