THE SHORT · SUBSCRIPTIONS
The annual plan is cheaper from month 10, not from month one
$129 a year against $12.99 a month: two months free, says the page. They are only free if you stay. Cancelled at month 7, the annual plan cost you $38 too much.
The page shows you two prices: $12.99 a month, or $129 a year. It adds "save two months". That is true — on one condition it does not mention.
| You cancel in month… | Paid monthly | Paid annually | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | $90.93 | $129.00 | +$38.07 |
| 9 | $116.91 | $129.00 | +$12.09 |
| 10 | $129.90 | $129.00 | −$0.90 |
| 12 | $155.88 | $129.00 | −$26.88 |
The break-even is one division: 129 ÷ 12.99 = 9.93 months. The annual plan starts winning in month ten, and not before.
What makes the trap work is that the decision is taken in month 0, when you are most convinced you will stay. But the subscription you cancel in month 7 is not an accident: it is the most common outcome for services taken up for a project, a season or a course.
Two cases where annual remains right even with a doubt: when it freezes a price you know is going up, and when the monthly fee is so small you would never cancel anyway. In both, it is a decision taken with open eyes, not an automatic saving.
Yoseri's Subscriptions page spots your annual charges and shows the date of the next one — the day the question comes back, twelve months after you forgot it.
Your money, with no made-up numbers.
Accounts, budget, savings, debt and investments in one statement. Free with manual entry.