How to find the $200 to $600 a year leaking out of your bank app

A personal finance piece argues that small recurring charges—often hidden by bank app category labels—can quietly add up to hundreds or thousands per year. The author cites examples such as multiple streaming services, delivery fees, app and game spending, and gym-related costs, including a Peloton subscription and ClassPass charges continuing beyond “expired” credits. It also notes “mental accounting,” where people question certain purchases but ignore others. The article recommends exporting last month’s transactions (merchant names and amounts only) into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok to categorize spending, flag recurring charges, and rank the five biggest “leaks” annually. It then suggests canceling three items, setting two spending caps, and making one cheaper swap, repeating the exercise monthly.