Why Your Brain Treats a Subscription as a Sunk Cost Trap

Behavioral Economics with Fexingo: Decision Making, Bias, and How People Really Spend · Jul 21, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In this episode of Behavioral Economics with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore why consumers stick with unused subscriptions, from gym memberships to streaming services. They dive into the psychology of sunk cost fallacy, subscription inertia, and the 'use it or lose it' mentality. Using data from a 2025 survey showing the average American wastes $73 per month on unused subscriptions, they discuss how companies exploit this bias and what listeners can do to break free. They also touch on the concept of 'payment depreciation' and how subscription models profit from our…