Mom's bills are not the only charges that repeat. A newspaper, a streaming service, a magazine, a gym membership, cloud storage, or club dues can keep taking money after the reason for them has faded. Before you agree to keep one running, check its terms. This guide is about the decision to keep a subscription going, not the day-to-day bills.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
List every recurring charge
Go through two or three months of statements from the account that pays. Look for small charges that repeat. Check the mail for renewal notices, and ask Mom, or whoever handles her paperwork, what she has signed up for. Write each charge on one line with the company, the amount as it appears on the statement, the day it renews, and the card or account it hits. Include anything that renews once a year, since those are the easiest to miss.
Check the cancel route
For each one, find out how to cancel before you need to. Some companies allow cancellation online, some only by phone, and some only by mail. Note whether a notice period applies, such as a set number of days before renewal. Ask whether the account holder must be the one to cancel, and whether a family member can act for her with the right paperwork. Save the page or mailing address where you found the rule.
Ask what changes at renewal
Many introductory rates end, and some plans move to a different price when a term runs out. Ask the company what the price is after the current period, whether the plan adds anything new, and whether it can be paused. If the answer is unclear, write the question down and ask again in writing. A written answer is easier to compare than a note from a phone call. The sources page lists the public guidance we used for general rules about recurring payments.
Decide whose card pays
Ask whose name is on each subscription and whose card pays for it. A charge on your card for Mom's magazine is money you are fronting, and it belongs on the shared ledger until someone settles it. Sort each subscription into one of three groups: Mom keeps it and pays, you keep it and pay and it goes on your share list, or it ends. Record the group on the same line as the charge.
Name who checks the list
Pick one person to review the list each season, probably whoever holds the bill-pay paper. That person looks for renewals coming up, checks whether Mom still uses the service, and brings any question to the group before the renewal date. Keep the cancel confirmation numbers in the same folder as the list so the next review starts from facts, not memory.