FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#14 - Flipbook - Page 56
MONEY
SUBSCRIPTION
CREEP AND
Mental Load
AUDIT YOUR AUTOMATIC PAYMENTS, RECLAIM
YOUR HEADSPACE
BY CON BARBAYANNIS, CPA
The silent budget buster
Ever looked at your card
statement and felt your
heartbeat quicken at a
parade of $7.99s, $4.49s
and $11.95s? You’re
not alone! Powered by
one-click sign-ups and
“free” trials, the global
subscription economy
ballooned to $1.5
trillion in 2024 and the
average household now
juggles around 15 active
subscriptions,
from streaming to sleepmeditation apps.
Why too many small
decisions feel so heavy
Psychologists call it
decision fatigue: the
brain’s ability to weigh
choices degrades after
a long run of microdecisions, nudging us
towards the default (“Just
let it renew”). Surveys
show 80 % of consumers
feel “subscription fatigue”
and 70 % admit paying
for services they rarely
use—simply because
cancelling feels like one
choice too many.
The global wallet impact
• United Kingdom:
Brits spend £696 a
year on discretionary
subscriptions, with one
in eight shelling out
£100+ every month.
• Australia: Households
average 3.3 paid
digital services,
totalling A$63 per
month and most say
“the cumulative cost”
worries them.
• Gen Z spotlight: Visa
data shows 18 to
25-year-olds in the UK
splash a hefty £305 a
month on everything
from AI skincare to
oat-milk deliveries.
Across regions, Deloitte
found 68 % of consumers
feel overwhelmed by
managing multiple
accounts and price rises.
How subscription creep
dents wellbeing
Money stress is a wellknown trigger for sleep
issues, anxiety and
relationship tension. Add
the mental load of
tracking expiry dates,
promo codes and
password resets, and
you have a low-level
cognitive tax that
quietly chips away
at focus and mood.
Behavioural-昀椀nance
researchers say
persistent decision
fatigue drives
impulsive spending
and procrastination
on more meaningful
goals (e.g., building
an emergency fund).
