Subscription-tracking apps are useful but not foolproof; the best approach is to use them together with a monthly manual statement review. Apps scan accounts and flag recurring charges, which saves time and surfaces many subscriptions quickly. However, they may miss charges that use obscure descriptors, third-party processors, or family-member accounts. They can also misclassify one-off purchases as recurring. A manual monthly sweep of your credit card and bank statements complements automation by catching what the software misses: new 'ghost' charges, trial conversions billed under unusual descriptors, or charges coming from a platform (e.g., app store) rather than the merchant itself. The human review is also where you apply judgement — deciding whether a recurring item is worth keeping.

Practical routine: once a month, open your primary checking and credit card statements and do a 10–15 minute scan for recurring entries. Cross-reference the app's flagged list with your manual scan and immediately annotate unfamiliar descriptors. If you find a suspect charge, search your email for receipts (use the descriptor text as a search term) and check app stores or family accounts. When you cancel, keep screenshots or confirmation emails and set a follow-up reminder to verify the charge stopped. Treat tracking apps as assistants that reduce effort, not as authority — the combination of software speed plus human judgement is the most reliable way to find and eliminate unwanted recurring charges.