10 Things To Cut From Your Budget Today, According To Tae Kim
Your $12 monthly subscription feels harmless until it's somehow costing you $144 every year — and that's just one. Layer on similar invisible charges, and hundreds slip out of your account without actually improving your life. The trick is spotting which expenses have become automatic money drains you don't even notice anymore.
Tae Kim, founder of Financial Tortoise, recently broke down 10 of these sneaky budget-killers in a YouTube video. What connects them all? They linger long past their usefulness, masquerading as normal parts of your spending.
Take Action: 6 Subscription Traps Draining Millennial Budgets in 2026
Find Out: 11 Subtly Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money — That You Should Do, Too
1. Underused Streaming Services
Each individual service feels cheap until you do the math: four $15 subscriptions equals $60 a month or $720 a year. If you have used a platform for 30 days, Kim said to cancel it. He also suggested subscription rotation: Pick one or two services, burn through your watchlist, then switch.
2. An Unused Gym Membership
The useful number here is not the monthly fee but the cost per visit. A $60 membership used twice a month works out to $30 per workout. Canceling does not mean abandoning fitness. Kim described it as “giving up on throwing money at a problem you’re not actually solving."
Home workouts, walks, recreation centers or day passes often fit actual life better than the promise of gym discipline ever will.
3. Apps That Do the Same Job
A financial audit often surfaces two music services, multiple cloud-storage accounts or three productivity platforms doing the same job. Annual renewals slip through because nobody's paying attention.
Kim once managed several organizational apps before realizing the overhead became its own problem. His takeaway: "One great tool that you actually use regularly beats three okay tools you use here and there."
4. Frequent Food Delivery
The restaurant bill is only the starting point on a delivery app. Service charges, delivery fees, small-order fees and tips can turn a modest order into an expensive convenience.
“Before you know it, your $12 burrito is $23 and you’re already committed,” Kim said.
Ordering that meal twice a week would cost nearly $2,400 a year. Pickup strips out most of the fees while keeping the convenience.
5. Routine Dining Out
Kim’s concern is not the occasional restaurant meal. The problem begins when dining out becomes the default because there is nothing quick at home.
He recommended cutting the current frequency in half. Frozen meals, sandwich ingredients and portioned leftovers can cover evenings when cooking from scratch is unlikely.
6. Name-Brand Household Products
Brand loyalty can be expensive when it extends to cleaners, paper products and toiletries. Consumer Reports tested multipurpose cleaners from several major retailers and found that none performed worse than the more expensive name-brand products.
Comparing unit prices and trying one store-brand item at a time can reveal savings without committing to a disappointing bulk purchase.
7. High Investment Fees
Expense ratios quietly drain money from your investments every single year because the fee hides inside the fund. Kim uses 0.1% as a benchmark when comparing index funds tracking the same market. A pricier fund isn't automatically worse — especially if your employer plan has limited options — but it's worth asking why you're paying more.
8. Bank Fees
Monthly maintenance, overdraft and out-of-network ATM fees can take money from an account without providing much in return. Check your account terms, maintain your balance and stick to in-network ATMs. Many banks waive fees with direct deposit or a minimum balance. If yours doesn't, switching to a no-fee account is a no-brainer.
9. Credit Cards With Unused Benefits
An annual fee works only when the cardholder uses benefits worth more than the charge. Kim canceled a $150 airline card after he stopped flying with that carrier. Airport lounge access, free checked bags and travel credits have no practical value when they go unused. Before closing an account, ask about downgrading to a no-fee version.
Keep in mind that closing cards can spike your credit utilization and ding your score.
10. Unnecessary Auto Insurance Coverage
Older policies sometimes carry collision or comprehensive coverage that no longer fits the car's value. Kelley Blue Book suggested considering a drop when the vehicle is worth less than 10 times the annual premium. That said, the math depends on your deductible, the potential payout and whether your lender requires it. Financed cars usually have to keep full coverage.
The Bottom Line
These budget cuts are hiding in plain sight. A quick financial review usually surfaces $100–300 monthly in expenses doing nothing but draining your account. The shift isn't about spending less; it's about spending on purpose. Start with one category, kill what doesn't work and watch your actual financial priorities get some breathing room.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
More From MoneyLion: