The silent subscription problem
The average household pays for 14 or more active subscriptions. Most aren't a problem. A few are.
Annual billing is the dangerous kind. You pay once a year, forget about it for 364 days, and when the charge arrives it's already too late. Many providers make cancellation deliberately difficult in those final days.
Advance notice is the only defense. If you see "renewal in 30 days" on your dashboard, you can decide. If you see it on your bank statement, you can't.
What to track
Software licenses are the most commonly forgotten: Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, 1Password. Streaming services billed annually — Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu — sit quietly between cycles. Cloud storage (iCloud+, Dropbox, Google One), gym memberships, news subscriptions, domain registrations, and SSL certificates follow the same pattern: annual, infrequent, easy to forget.
Most charge a card on file. You won't get a warning unless you set one yourself.
How to track subscriptions in Everyday Cue
- Create a group. Name it "Subscriptions" — or split by category ("Software," "Streaming") if you prefer.
- Add a reminder per subscription. Name it "Adobe Creative Cloud" or "1Password — family plan." Up to 100 characters; unique within the group.
- Set a yearly recurring schedule. Enter the renewal date from your last invoice. The schedule repeats automatically each year.
- Add advance alerts. Set offsets at 30 days and 7 days before renewal. Up to 10 offsets per reminder, each 0–90 days in advance.
- Note the cost. Add the monthly equivalent and annual total in the reminder's notes. Seeing "$287.88/year" makes renewal decisions clearer.
- Attach the invoice. Drop in the PDF receipt or a confirmation email screenshot. Opens via iOS Quick Look.
Private by design
You enter renewal dates yourself from receipts and confirmation emails — Everyday Cue never connects to your bank, payment processor, or email. That's a deliberate choice.
Your financial data stays on your device. The app works for any subscription anywhere in the world, billed in any currency. You track only what matters to you.
Optional iCloud sync uses your existing Apple ID to keep the list current across your iPhone and iPad.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find all my subscription renewal dates? Search your email for "receipt," "invoice," or the service name. Most services list your renewal date in account settings under Billing. Your credit card statement shows the charge date — usually the anniversary of your original signup.
Does this work for monthly subscriptions? Yes. Set the schedule to monthly instead of yearly. Monthly charges are easier to catch on a statement, but if you want advance alerts before each charge — or one place to see all your subscriptions — monthly reminders work the same way.
Can I track subscriptions for a whole family? Yes. Add one reminder per subscription. For family plans, note "family — 5 seats" in the name or notes. iCloud sync keeps the list current across devices on the same Apple ID.
Can I set a reminder to review and possibly cancel? That's the point. A 30-day advance alert gives you time to evaluate the service and cancel before the charge processes. The reminder recurs each year automatically. If you cancel the subscription, archive or delete the reminder.
Related use cases
- Car insurance renewal — another annual charge worth a 30-day heads-up before it processes
- Vehicle registration reminder — the same yearly rhythm applied to registration fees