News Subscription Audit 2026: Cut $30-100/Month in Media Costs
Updated February 2026 • 8 min read
📊 The average news-conscious American pays $30-100/month across 3-5 news subscriptions. Meanwhile, the same information is available through libraries, free news sites, and strategic subscription rotation.
The Common News Subscription Stack
- New York Times: $17-25/month ($204-300/year)
- Wall Street Journal: $40/month ($480/year)
- Washington Post: $12-17/month ($144-204/year)
- The Athletic: $8-10/month ($96-120/year)
- Apple News+: $13/month ($156/year)
- Substack newsletters: $5-15 each ($60-180/year each)
- Combined: $50-125/month ($600-1,500/year)
The Library Strategy (Seriously)
Your local library card — free — provides access to:
- PressReader: 7,000+ newspapers and magazines from 120+ countries — free with library card
- NYT: Many libraries have NYT digital partnerships
- WSJ: Available through some library systems
- Magazines: The New Yorker, Atlantic, Economist via Libby/OverDrive
- Audiobooks/ebooks: Libby, Hoopla — thousands of titles, $0
If you don't have a library card, get one. It's free and replaces hundreds of dollars in subscriptions.
The Optimized News Strategy
Tier 1: $0/month (Free)
- Reuters + AP (wire services, factual)
- NPR + BBC (excellent free journalism)
- Google News (curated, free)
- Library PressReader access
Tier 2: $13/month (One Subscription)
- Apple News+: Includes WSJ, NYT (select), Atlantic, Wired, 300+ publications — best single subscription for news junkies
- OR: NYT All Access at win-back rate ($4-8/month)
Tier 3: $20-25/month (Power Reader)
- One major newspaper at win-back rate ($4-8)
- Apple News+ ($13)
- One Substack you truly value ($5-10)
The Annual Rotation Hack
- Subscribe to NYT at promo ($4/month × 12 = $48)
- Cancel at year end when price jumps to $17+
- Subscribe to WSJ at promo ($4/month × 12 = $48)
- Cancel, switch to WaPo promo
- Total: $48/year for premium journalism (vs $900+ for all three at full price)
Cancel Guides
- Cancel New York Times — price hike playbook + win-back hack
- Cancel Wall Street Journal — phone-only cancellation + negotiation
- Cancel Washington Post — online cancellation + free access
- Cancel Apple News+ — when 300 publications isn't enough
🔍 Find every news and media subscription
Upload your bank statement to JustCancel — we identify newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and every other recurring charge.
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