Registration creep is real. US Adults Spend an Average of $1,332 a Year, CNET Finds

Do you know how many subscriptions you have and how much you are paying for them? It’s easy to sign up for a monthly service, then get charged because you forget to cancel. Before you know it, those monthly subscription balloons become a line item in your budget. Exactly how much do we pay?

Every year, CNET goes into subscription mode to find out how much US adults are spending on subscriptions and on what types of services. This year, we found that US adults spent an average of $111 per month on subscriptions, totaling $1,332 per year. More worryingly, US adults waste an average of $21 per month (or $252 per year) on unused subscriptions, with some generations wasting even more.

We may like the convenience and benefits of our subscription, such as Amazon’s Big Day sales to its subscribers. However, those costs can add up if you’re not careful. Fortunately, there are tips and tricks that can help you cut costs without giving up the services you love.

Live streaming is the most popular subscription type among US adults

CNET found that among the types of subscriptions US adults paid for as of April 2025, streaming or video services were the most popular. More than half (61%) paid for streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix again Main Video. Some popular subscriptions include membership marketing platforms such as Costco (48%) also prefer music subscriptions Spotify again Apple Music (35%).

The findings also show that fewer US adults pay for subscription services like AI Services, home security applicationsmeal kit delivery and software management.

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Monthly streaming services have become the norm cord cutters and non-cord cutters alike. However, if you subscribe to too many, you could end up paying as much as — if not more — you would pay for a premium cable package.

Plus, it’s hard to keep track of which streaming services have your favorite shows and sports programs. For example, Formula 1 racing airs on Apple TV, but the National Football League is distributed across multiple platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, ESPN, Peacock and major broadcast channels that require a cable program or live streaming service such as YouTube TV or Hulu Plus Live TV. And paying for all those monthly services can be very expensive.

This subscription may sound necessary, but if you choose one type — the same sports — CNET senior broadcast editor Kourtnee Jackson recommends a Skinny package cut down on live channels. While YouTube TV, Hulu and DirectTV write live TV packages Compared to cable, there are ways to pay for a few channels and watch what you want. DirecTV offers genre-based packages starting at $20, with add-ons available for an additional charge. YouTube TV has small packages starting at $55 per month, with more budget-friendly options available Phil again A sling it costs even less.

You can also cut costs rotating subscriptionssaving a few streaming services for a time you know you’ll use them, like when a new season of your favorite show is released. Then you can cancel the subscription to avoid paying for a service you don’t use. You can also reduce costs by using streaming deals, to combine and special discounts, such as military or educational discounts.

US adults spend an average of $111 per month on subscriptions

Registration fees have increased significantly over the years. CNET found that US adults pay an average of $111 per month for subscriptions. Millennials spend the most on subscriptions each month ($125), while Gen X spends the least ($100).

The CNET team 2025 subscription survey found that US adults will spend an average of $90 per month in 2025, up from $91 in 2024. Back then, millennials still spent the most, averaging $119 a month. Older generations have historically spent less money.

Despite generational differences, subscriptions are more expensive than ever, which may help explain the average increase of $20 from 2024 to 2026. For example, a typical Netflix account with ads was $7 a month in 2024, but now costs $9 a month. Premium account increased by $4, from $23 in 2024 to $27 now.

Read more: We track the rise of streaming prices in 2026: Netflix, Spotify, YouTube and others

In addition to price increases, there are subscriptions for almost everything, as many tech giants and vendors put services behind paywalls, such as Meta’s One Plus, which starts at $4 a month and offers more advanced Meta AI features, application tools and metrics. And now, Tesla’s full self-driving service it is no longer a one-time investment. Instead, it’s $99 per month. So it’s not just prices that drive spending on monthly subscriptions. And it’s the number of subscriptions we pay for.

Subscriptions for everything can add up quickly, which is why we pay more for monthly subscriptions than ever before. To reduce registration, many US adults are turning to analog acquisitionlike vinyl records and CDs, they have also become collectibles.

You can also use free resources if possible to reduce it. Tubi, Roku channel again Pluto TV they are all free streaming platforms, for example. And some popular services offer free plans, like Spotify and Music on YouTube. Also, Google offers 5 GB of standard storage to all customers.

US adults are wasting more money on unused subscriptions

The most alarming finding is that US adults are still paying for unused subscriptions. Last year, US adults wasted an average of $17 a month, totaling $204 a year. That amount increased slightly to $21 a month and $252 a year.

Most subscriptions don’t require a contract, unlike cable services back in the day. So you can cancel without waiting or incurring fees. But it’s easy to forget to cancel a free trial or service you no longer use. And there is no single clear rule that should be abandoned fraudulent registration cancellation procedures as the appeals court blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s Click to cancel rule. Making it difficult to unsubscribe may cause you to keep your subscription or delay unsubscribing, meaning you pay for a subscription you don’t use. CNET has a step-by-step guide to help you cancel popular streaming subscriptionsagain.

There are several ways to cancel subscriptions that are wasting your money.

• Use a budgeting app to identify which subscription you are paying for. CNET recommends it Rocket moneybut you can try some popular ones like Trim, Hiatus and PocketGuard. Some paid versions of these apps will cancel your subscription on your behalf, such as Rocket Money and Trim.
• Check your monthly credit card statement to see what apps you pay for each month. Some banks, like Chase, have a built-in subscription management tool that allows you to cancel eligible subscriptions in the app.
• Use Apple’s App Store or Google Play’s subscription manager to track and cancel any subscriptions you’ve purchased through the app store.
• Others AI tools it can help you reduce your subscriptions, but it can also provide inaccurate information, so remember to double-check any information you receive before acting.

How to do it

CNET commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the research. All figures, unless otherwise stated, come from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2,522 adults, 2,074 of whom are currently paying and/or paid for a subscription in the past year. The work was conducted between April 29 and May 1, 2026. The survey was conducted online. Figures are weighted and represent all US adults (age 18 or older).