Situational Shock

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Every month, I receive email notices about routine payouts from my credit cards, PayPal account, and such, covering subscriptions to heaven knows how many online and streaming providers. My suppliers provide music, books, videos, newsletters, and who knows what else I might unwittingly have tapped into. The outputs seem small, like a dollar-fifty or a few bucks, but they add up.

I rarely bother to listen to music and books, ignore most of the online newsletters in my email, and only occasionally want to stream movies and documentaries. I see money regularly flying away; I can’t grasp the flow or control it.

Additional cloud storage space (always needed) is a recurring cost. Sometimes, I want to listen to or watch something, and unfortunately, accessing requires subscribing. I can’t discount other routine charges, say, for online safety monitoring and periodic odd purchases.

Although unsuccessful in wrapping my head around the “what all,” I’m certain monthly “little outputs” add up significantly. It’s high time I start making myself feel underwhelmed. That’ll require creating a spreadsheet and carefully tracking recurring online charges and details.

Maybe some charges are cancellable because I never or only rarely access their benefits. Maybe some charges aren’t very understandable, but are necessary for operating a computer optimally and being online safely.

Dear Friends: Another need to know and a to-do in our increasingly online era. Diana