Think Your Subscriptions Are Cheap? They Could Be Costing You $1,300 Per Year, CNET Survey Finds

The average American now wastes more than $200 a year on subscriptions they never use—and total subscription spending has hit $1,300 per household. A new CNET survey reveals the hidden cost of streaming services, gym memberships, and software plans that quietly drain bank accounts while consumers fail to cancel them.

According to the 2026 CNET Subscription Survey, US adults spent an average of $204 on unused subscriptions last year, up from previous estimates. That figure represents just the wasted portion; total annual subscription outlays now average $1,300 per person. The research underscores a growing problem of "subscription fatigue" as households juggle dozens of recurring charges across streaming, productivity, health, and entertainment categories.

The subscription economy has exploded over the past decade. Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and countless others have trained consumers to pay monthly for access rather than ownership. Auto-renewal policies—often buried in fine print—make it easy to keep paying long after a service stops being useful. The CNET survey, conducted in early 2026, polled 2,000 US adults and found that the average person subscribes to seven services but actively uses only five.

Key findings: Millennials are the worst offenders, wasting an average of $310 per year on unused subscriptions, compared to $150 for Gen X and $95 for Baby Boomers. The most commonly forgotten subscriptions are streaming services (47% of respondents), followed by gym memberships (22%) and cloud storage plans (14%). Notably, 38% of subscribers said they intended to cancel a service within the next month but never got around to it.

Analysts point to a combination of behavioral inertia and deliberate design. “Companies rely on the fact that people will forget to cancel,” said consumer finance expert Sarah Nguyen. “The entire subscription model is built on ongoing revenue from passive users.” The problem is compounded by the fragmentation of services: a typical household might have Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, Peacock, and a dozen smaller apps, each billing separately.

Looking ahead, regulators are beginning to take notice. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a “click to cancel” rule that would require companies to make terminating a subscription as easy as signing up. Several states are also considering legislation to mandate clearer renewal reminders. For consumers, the survey offers a wake-up call: auditing subscriptions quarterly could save hundreds of dollars annually. As the cost of living rises, trimming unused digital services has become one of the easiest ways to shore up personal finances.