This grad student was horrified to learn she owed $12K in library fines — learn from her mistake by watching out for these 3 'stealthy' fees

Jones, who attends Binghamton University in New York, told The Daily Dot she first checked the books out three years ago when preparing for exams. In March, she received four email reminders to renew or return the books but “kept putting it off.” However, once she received the email about the amount owing, she immediately notified the library she hadn’t lost the books and still had them with her, and the majority of her fees were waived.

Despite only paying $20 for her mistake, Jones says she’s learned her lesson when it comes to small fees sneaking up on you. Many institutions quietly levy penalties against customers, similar to library late fees. It’s a problem many of us can experience if we’re not careful. Here are three types of fines to look out for.

1. Banking fines

There are several ways a bank can charge you fees, so it’s important to read the fine print before engaging in any business.

For example, if you miss a credit card payment, issuers can charge you as much as $41, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Some banks may also charge you maintenance fees — fines you have to pay just to keep your account open — although these fees can be waived if you maintain a certain minimum balance.

And if you use your debit card to spend more money than you have in your account, you can be hit with an overdraft fee.

2. Subscriptions you forgot to cancel

We’ve all been there. You don’t have time to binge watch on Netflix anymore, or you’ve passed your free trial on Kindle Unlimited and forgot to cancel before the next billing date.

But these forgotten payments can add up over time. One survey from marketing insights agency C+R Research found that 42% of consumers have forgotten about a subscription service they were paying for but were no longer using. And while respondents initially estimated they spent $86 a month on average on their subscriptions, their actual monthly spend came to $219.

An easy way to avoid paying for unwanted subscriptions is to create a budget to track your spending. You could manually record everything in a spreadsheet or download an app that gives you a breakdown of your purchases.

3. Junk fees

Junk fees are extra fees that get tacked onto your purchases but aren’t disclosed upfront. You’ve probably seen them get added onto things like concert tickets or airline fares at checkout.

They may seem pretty small — sometimes just a couple of dollars — but junk fees inflate the cost of your purchases.

There are a few ways you can avoid these surprise expenses. For example, when scheduling your next flight, book through an aggregate site that will give you the actual price upfront. And before going to a fancy restaurant, check their website or call in advance to see if they include any extra charges, such as mandatory gratuity.