Recurring costs
Subscriptions and Personal Inflation
Subscriptions and personal inflation connect because recurring costs can creep up and change your basket. A small price hike in a subscription raises the category inflation assumption and can nudge your personal rate higher over time.
Published: December 30, 2025 · Updated: December 30, 2025 · By FinToolSuite Editorial
Disclaimer
- Educational purposes only, not financial advice.
- Examples are illustrative and simplified.
- Results depend on your inputs and assumptions and are not guaranteed.
- This page does not predict subscription prices or future inflation.
- See the Privacy Policy for handling details.
Open the personal inflation basket calculator
Add subscriptions, set weights, and test before/after price hike scenarios.
Quick answer
- Recurring costs change your basket every month.
- A price hike raises the inflation assumption for that category.
- Convert annual subscriptions to monthly so the basket is consistent.
- Use scenarios to test before and after changes.
Subscriptions and personal inflation basics
Subscriptions are predictable and easy to overlook. Many renew automatically. Small hikes across multiple services stack up and change the weight and inflation assumption for that category in your personal basket.
How to convert annual to monthly
If a service bills yearly, include it by dividing by 12 so the basket stays consistent.
| Annual price | Monthly equivalent |
|---|---|
| $120 | $10 |
| $240 | $20 |
| $360 | $30 |
Example: a price hike changes your basket
| Scenario | Subscriptions monthly total | Subscription inflation assumption | Weight (illustrative) | Effect on personal rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before hike | $80 | 3% | 4% | Small contribution to the total rate. |
| After hike | $92 | 8% | 5% | Higher category rate and weight nudge the personal rate up. |
Illustrative only; your numbers will differ. The point is that recurring costs can change both the category inflation assumption and the weight.
Find your subscription total without guessing
Review your statements locally, or use the Subscription Waste Spending Detector to summarise recurring charges and export the totals. Keep your data private and avoid sharing bank statements.
Scenario ideas to test
Before price hikes
Save a scenario with current prices. This is your baseline.
After price hikes
Adjust the subscription category to the new price, keep other categories the same, and save a second scenario. Compare in the tool and read the projection table to see Year 5 and Year 10 costs.
For deeper context, see subscription price hikes and your basket.
Safety notes
- Projections are not guarantees.
- Your subscriptions list can change month to month.
- Bundles and free trials can create one-off spikes.
- Rerun quarterly or when a big plan changes.
FAQ preview
Should subscriptions be their own category?
Yes. It keeps hikes visible and weights clear.
How do I handle annual plans?
Divide by 12 to include them monthly.
What inflation percent should I use for subscriptions?
Use your own recent changes; this page does not set a rate.
Why does one price hike change my personal rate?
It changes both the category price and sometimes its weight.
Can I compare scenarios?
Yes. Save before and after, then compare rates and future costs.
Can I export results?
Export tables and charts for your scenarios.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is educational and depends on your inputs; outputs are estimates.