Document A
The Spec Sheet
> for the machine · speed · precision
Paste a statement, get a categorized cancel-list ranked by waste.
Required
- ChatGPT / Claude (privacy note: redact account numbers)
- 1
Export card statement
Last 90 days, CSV or PDF. Redact card/account numbers first — share amounts and merchant names only.
- 2
Ask for the audit
Prompt: "Identify recurring charges in this statement. Group them, estimate annual cost of each, flag ones appearing twice (double-billing), and rank by likelihood I forgot them."
- 3
Get cancellation intel
Follow-up: "For each flagged service, what's the cancellation path and are there retention deals I should ask for?"
- 4
Execute the cancel-list
Cancel top-down. For services you keep, note renewal dates in your calendar with a reminder 3 days prior.
EFFICIENCY NOTE: Turns 2 hours of statement squinting into 15 minutes of decisive cancelling.
Document B
The Worksheet
— for your hands · craft · patience
Manual sweep using your bank's own tools and a simple spreadsheet.
Materials
- Bank/card app with search
- Spreadsheet (or paper)
- 45 minutes
- 1
Search for recurring patterns
In card statement, search common billing names (Netflix, Spotify, Zomato Pro…) plus 'auto debit'/'recurring'. UPI autopay mandates live in the bank app under Autopay.
- 2
Score each subscription
Three columns: last-used date, monthly cost, joy delivered. Anything unused in 30 days with cost > ₹0 goes on the cancel-list.
- 3
Cancel properly
In-app cancellations often hide behind 'Manage plan'. For UPI autopay, revoke the mandate itself in the bank app — that's the real kill switch.
- 4
Set the quarterly ritual
Calendar reminder, first Saturday of every quarter, 30 min. Subscriptions drift back otherwise.
OLD-HAND TIP: Annual plans are the sneakiest: one charge, twelve months of forgetting. Check for them explicitly.