Setting your bills to autopay might seem like a great way to never miss a payment, avoid late fees, and build credit. But it also makes it easy to stop paying attention, lulling you into overspending and unintended consequences. It can be a big problem for monthly bills with variable amounts, or if you sometimes don’t have enough money to cover all your monthly expenses in your bank account.
Which bills should you avoid checking that autopay button on? Here are several that you should only pay the old fashioned way.
1. Utility Bills
Electric, gas, and water bills can vary a lot based on everything from the season to houseguests. Chances are, you’re already aware of these typical fluctuations, and you’d be able to spot any major changes that come from an error, faulty meter, or even a water or gas leak. If they’re on autopay, you’re more likely to miss an important problem.
2. Cable or Satellite Bills
You may think that your cable bill will be the same every month, but if you pay attention, you’ll notice that they increase often. Cable companies are notorious for adding fees for everything under the sun, and god help you when those promotional offer periods end.
3. Cell Phone Bills
Just like cable bills, cell phone bills increase on their own all the time thanks to ridiculous fees. It’s even worse if you’re on a plan that doesn’t include unlimited data, phone calls, or text messages. It’s always best to check your monthly bill for anomalies — especially if you have kids who use your phone or teens on your family plan.
4. Annual Subscriptions
You can often save money on subscription services by signing up for an entire year at a time instead of paying monthly. But it’s easy to forget when that auto debit is coming, and you might not have enough money in your account for a large withdrawal. Plus, in the case of something like a Costco membership, you might find that you go so little that it’s no longer worth the price anymore.
5. Gym Membership
Unless you’re a gym rat, it’s a good bet that you may not be using your gym membership regularly enough to justify the price every month. Gym employees are great at talking people into autopay and annual memberships, too, which can make for a big surprise withdrawal.
Trending on Cheapism
6. Free Trials
We’ve all signed up for free trials and then gotten bit by the autopay feature that’s inevitably turned on by default. When you sign up for any free trial service, double-check immediately that the autopay option isn’t activated, or you’ll be sorry.
If the free trial requires you to leave autopay on, set up a reminder on a smart device a couple days before the trial ends to cancel it.
Related: 31 Simple Ways to Save Money Every Day of the Month
7. Streaming Services
If you’ve cut the cable cord, chances are you did it to save money. Streaming services are getting more and more expensive, though, and it’s easy to lose track of which ones you’re actually paying for if you don’t use them regularly. Paying your Netflix, Disney+, and Max subscriptions monthly will ensure you’re only paying for what you actually use.
For more money-saving tips, sign up for our free newsletters.
8. Subscription Boxes
Subscription boxes for things like Japanese snacks and kids science experiment kits are fun for a while. Eventually, they get repetitive, boring, or the novelty wears off. Don’t inadvertently sign up for another whole year by putting that monthly gift box delivery on autopay.
Sign up for our newsletter
9. Newspaper Subscriptions
Newspapers often lure you in with enticing introductory rates, but the renewal price can skyrocket when that promotion ends. If you put your subscription on autopay, you may end up paying much more than you expected when your renewal hits.
Keeping it off autopay ensures you’ll remember to shop around for better deals or even consider whether you still want the subscription at all. It’s a simple way to stay in control of your budget and avoid being stuck with a subscription you don’t need.
