Taking an Inventory of My Subscriptions (using Categories)

Okay, instead of just reading a post (The A La Carte Method: Use Psychology Against Yourself to Save Money), I need to get into the habit of using this blog as a workbook.

Although instead of A La Carte, I’ll be analyzing my subscriptions using categories:

The Untouchables

• Internet - within reason, the cost is not as important as the speed and reliability.

The Fixer-Uppers

• Netflix - $8.99/month - we have really dropped off, with only a movie a month lately. It was higher earlier but we have been busy. I need to get together on this with DW. In the meantime, I suspect we will drop to the $4.99 one-at-a-time two-a-month plan.
• Cable - I could probably do without cable. I have done it in the past and it was good for business. Yet if someone needs to come home and unwind to the Food Network, I am sympathetic. I’m also not aware of alternatives to the international stations on Dish. We do not have any movie channels, but I can trim the fat by dropping the regional sport channel. It is $5 a month and I have not used it lately, even in baseball season. I should drop it ASAP and add it back if/when I feel passionately about it.
• Cell - $87.27/month, family plan, including taxes - we recently dropped our minutes, which were too high, and used the proceeds on text-message plans. That was almost certainly a mistake, because we must use 83% of the text-allotment for any savings. Either my math is off, or I was temporarily insane when I signed up for this option. (see comments) The other potential savings is $7 insurance on my phone (no insurance on DW’s phone). Is there a price-point where this makes sense? I normally hate to insurance small things, but I’ve had good luck with this plan. (Unfortunately?) Not too long ago, I busted my new Treo 700p and was upgraded to a Treo 755p. I think the plan also came in handy on my original Treo 600. Maybe I need to divert the insurance premiums into a good protective covering.

The Sliding-Scales

• Audible.com - $7.49/month - this is tricky. I have quit before, but they bring me back in, Godfather-style. The latest deal was $7.49/month for three months, plus a $25 credit. The subscription also enables a 30% discount on my (one, so far) a-la carte purchases. What to do? I’ll try and judge this more critically when it goes up to $14.95 per month. Even though they now have credit-rollover, I need to quit if I have not 1.) completed the prior month’s book 2.) added a compelling book to the Wish List.
• Gym - $8.83/month, paid yearly - even at my low point, I’m good for 2x per month, so I’m not sure this is an ideal candidate for a-la carte. I paid the first 3 years up front at an average of less than $20 per month, and it included some periods of heavy usage. Not bad compared to people I know who have been paying $34 month all this time. I would quit a low-cost maintenance plan if the gym had inconvenient hours (Bally’s), but the current gym does not provide me reasons to leave (24hourfitness).

The A-La Cartes

• Online Music - i used to do Rhapsody. Now, I’ve broke apart the ala-carte part with iTunes for tracks and sites like Pandora for radio. Costs for iTunes have been $20 every 3 or 4 months, although last time it was only $10. Sites like Pandora are free.

The Graveyard

• Amazon Prime - I had it for a couple years, quit when it got borderline. Now with my goal of saving $500 on books using the library in 2008 it is not even a question.
• Magazines - I can’t even remember the last time. I though about getting a business journal the other day, but I’ll probably make myself read it at the headquarters library a few times first.

(Miscellaneous)

• Quicken - I have been putting some subscriptions under categories like "Recreation" instead of the "Subscription" category. How do you decide what gets categorized by payment-style and what gets categorized based on the nature of the activity. Hmm…

- Summary -

• Drop - downgrade netflix, drop foxsports, drop txt-msg (if math is correct)
• Watch - reconsider cell insurance, monitor audible usage

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• Information shared on this site does NOT constitute professional financial advice.