Unused or unwanted subscriptions cost consumers £1.6bn.

Writer Sadhbh O’Sullivan looked into her own forgotten subscriptions when she became a first-time buyer, and realised how much she was wasting on things she wasn’t using.

I’d long considered myself to be quite a reasonable spender. 

But the hidden costs across her bank accounts, like free trials that hadn’t been cancelled and memberships for abandoned services, proved otherwise.

It was full of small amounts, £2.99 here, £4.50 there. These small amounts added up.

Sadhbh isn’t alone.

19%

According to a Nationwide survey almost one in five Brits don’t use every platform they pay for.

The bank suggests they could save as much as £400 a year by ditching them. 

4.7 million

National Trading Standards’ 2025 research found 4.7 million people were paying for subscriptions they didn’t know they’d signed up for.

In 2024, a government report found unused and unwanted subscriptions cost consumers up to £1.6bn a year.

Hunt them down

Banking apps usually list your ‘subscriptions’ separately from direct debits and standing orders so you can easily spot what you’re shelling out on.

How to deal with subscriptions

Look over 13 months

Many businesses have changed from monthly to annual payments so look further back.

If companies don’t let you cancel online, don’t fear the customer service line.

• With TV and broadband, call the new customer number as it’s often answered more quickly.
• If you’re happy with the service, but not the price, speak to a real person that may offer a better deal.
• Look for a phone number and press the ‘thinking of leaving us’ option. It’s usually a fast track to a team with authority to offer bigger discounts.

Donations to charity have increased dramatically

But staff say many people treat their shops like a tip.

Here they share the most useful donations they get, and the
ones that drive them mad.

The quality of donations over the last year has diminished.

Claire Stockman, head of retail for St
Luke’s Hospice [pictured], says many donations include used items from fast fashion like Boohoo and Primark, which they cannot sell for more than £2, if at all.

60%

of what comes into St Luke’s Hospice is unsellable, Stockman says.

She adds its soiled, damaged beyond
repair or smelly.

Vinted

Harriet, a volunteer at Crisis in Dalston,
says people bring in clothes that are dirty and stained – things that they cannot sell
on Vinted.

She also sees dirty kitchenware and technology that no longer works.

A good donation is anything new with tags on, anything that hasn’t been opened, or higher quality items.

Items that have been well looked after are more likely to sell and generate a better price for charity too.

Harriet adds that knick-knacks and wine glasses are surprise hits in her branch.

The feeling of dread that the weekend is over is all too familiar.

Here, psychologists, career consultants and sleep experts give their best advice on how
to beat the gloom that the
work week is looming…

Pave the way on Friday

Psychologist Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack says to wrap up tasks and not to leave big or difficult things for Monday. And write a to-do list for the next week so you know what to expect when you return after the weekend.

How to avoid Sunday scaries

How to beat the Sunday scaries

Structure your week

If possible don’t stack your Mondays with high-pressure tasks.

If the Sunday scaries are constant, listen to them. If every Sunday fills you with dread and nothing seems to quell it it’s worth asking if it’s the job, the culture or the career itself. No one should spend half their weekend bracing for impact… ” says Victoria McLean

The UK has one of the most stable electricity grids in the world.

But no country’s energy system is 100 per cent secure and large-scale blackouts, although rare, are possible.

Here’s how to prepare, and what could happen, if we do have a blackout.

For EV owners that are already on the road, Professor Keith Bell, who works in electricity planning, recommends that those with an EV with reasonable charge use it as a generator, like your own store of electricity.

In the case of the power system going down, petrol isn’t a totally safe option as queues at petrol stations could be huge and places are likely to run out of fuel.

The longer the power takes to return the worse things are likely to get. In 2021 Storm Arwen physically damaged power lines across the UK.

Things to buy now to prepare

Bottled water

A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended.

A blackout is unlikely but we should make small changes.

• If possible, don’t let your petrol tank run down to almost empty. Keep it over half full so you’re never caught short.
• Always have a portable power bank, and spare batteries, to charge your phone and other essentials.
• As card machines could fail, keep some cash at home.
• To keep yourself distracted and entertained, keep board games and a pack of cards handy to play.

How to keep your kids off screens

Create a schedule

Designated screen-free times helps children develop a routine that balances screen use with other activities.

Creative hobbies

Getting creative, through drawing, painting or model construction, enhances cognitive skills and offers an alternative to screens.

How to keep your kids off screens

Have a reward

Implement a reward system where screen time is earned through positive behaviour. 

Can following a particular diet
help prevent or delay dementia? 

Some studies suggest so.

These are the eight brain-boosting foods registered dietitian Fareeha Jay
recommends people consume as part of a weekly diet…

Foods that can cut dementia risk

Coffee

Caffeine can reduce inflammation and
slow the degeneration
of brain cells.

Foods that can cut dementia risk

Walnuts

These improve heart health markers, which is linked to a lower risk of neurological disorders.

The diet aims to reduce dementia risk and the decline in brain health. 

• It was created in 2015 by Dr Martha Clare Morris and colleagues at Rush University Medical Centre and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
• It encourages vegetables, berries, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, fish, beans, and poultry.
• These foods contain nutrients that promote good brain health by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation.