What's your real total? Why everyone underestimates their subscriptions
Ask anyone how much they spend on subscriptions a month and they'll answer in two seconds. They'll also be wrong.
In 2022, market research firm C+R Research asked US consumers exactly that. The average guess was $86 a month. When the same people went through their subscriptions category by category, the real figure was $219: $133 more than they thought. And 42% admitted they had forgotten about a subscription they were still paying for.
We saw the same thing in our own interviews for Paythra. One person guessed €30 a month. The real number was €71.
Why the gap exists
- We remember prices, not totals. €9.99 feels small. Nobody adds up seven of them.
- Free trials end quietly. You sign up for one month and the card is charged for six.
- Prices go up by email. A notice you never open is a price rise you never notice.
What that means for a product
Most finance apps open with a chart of everything. We decided Paythra should open with one number: your real monthly total, next to the number you guessed. The surprise is the product. Everything after that, the list, the cancel reminders, is just the way out.
That idea became our campaign for La Salle's Online Marketing course, "What's your real total?": the guessed number crossed out, the real one beside it, and a free scan to find yours.
Before you scroll on: what's your guess, and when did you last check it?
Ferran Teixidor Rubio is a Digital Business student at La Salle Campus Barcelona, co-founder of La Salle Consulting Association and Paythra, and builds AI systems for small teams. More about me.