Before you sign anything

The questions to answer before you commit to a contract, a lease, a subscription or a loan.

Most bad commitments were signed in a hurry, and almost all of them had an exit clause nobody read. Work through this before you sign, not after.

What you are actually agreeing to

The document, not the summary.

Read the whole document, including the parts in small print The clause that costs you money is rarely on page one.
Find the exit terms: notice period, penalties, cooling-off rights Ask in writing if it is not stated.
Confirm what happens if you stop paying or want to leave early
Check who else is bound by it (guarantor, partner, employer)
Note every date, renewal and deadline in your calendar
Get the exit terms and any verbal promise in writing optional

Total cost, not monthly cost.

Work out the total cost over the whole term, not per month A small monthly figure over five years is a large number.
Check how the price can change (indexation, variable rate, renewal)
Add the one-off fees: setup, deposit, admin, delivery
Compare against the cheapest realistic alternative
Ask what this money would do otherwise That is the opportunity cost, and it is part of the price.

The hour that saves months.