You're Paying for Software You Don't Use
The average company wastes $18,000/year on unused SaaS licenses (Zylo State of SaaS Report). Here's how to find that waste.
Step 1: Inventory Every Subscription
Pull credit card and expense statements for the last 12 months. List every recurring software charge:
- Tool name
- Monthly cost
- Number of licenses
- Active users (actually logging in)
- Contract renewal date
Step 2: Identify Waste Categories
Unused licenses — paying for 20 seats, only 12 used
Duplicate tools — two teams using different project management tools
Forgotten subscriptions — free trial that converted, nobody noticed
Overpowered plans — Enterprise tier when Standard would suffice
Step 3: Calculate Potential Savings
| Category | Typical Waste | Your Estimate |
|----------|--------------|--------------|
| Unused licenses | 15-25% of spend | — |
| Duplicate tools | 10-20% of spend | — |
| Forgotten subs | 5-10% of spend | — |
| Plan downgrades | 5-15% of spend | — |
Step 4: Consolidate
The biggest savings come from consolidation. Replace 5 tools with 1:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| CRM ($50/user) | Automo ($19/user) |
| Helpdesk ($55/agent) | ✅ Included |
| Email marketing ($200/mo) | ✅ Included |
| Project management ($25/user) | ✅ Included |
| Invoicing ($30/mo) | ✅ Included |
