New York - As the year began, I decided I would get serious about digital cleanup - to save money and improve my online life.

For a while, I had been putting off tasks such as backing up computer files and canceling the premium cable channels I never watch. Usually, I'd remember to do something while riding the bus, then soon forget. It took some discipline over a few months to get my digital life in order. As a result, I'm due to save more than $2,000 a year, money I can spend on a nice vacation.

You can do many of these things, too.

Review your subscriptions and recurring payments.

Are you still paying for an AOL account even though you can get most of its services for free? If so, you're one of about 2.6 million people who pay AOL an average of $19 a month. But, unless you need dial-up access, you likely can cancel the charges. You won't lose access to your email and other services, which have been free since 2006.

If you have a Netflix, Hulu or other video accounts, think of how you use them. Perhaps you can drop the DVD portion of Netflix if you're mostly watching TV shows and movies over the Internet. Or if you still want the occasional DVD, you might not need a three-disc plan if the discs are continually collecting dust on a bookshelf. If you are paying for a Hulu Plus subscription, are you actually using it for viewing shows on mobile devices and other features you can't get with the free version of Hulu?

As for your cable or satellite TV service, are you paying for premium channels you don't watch? I had been.

As I started researching what I'd save by dropping Encore and Cinemax, I realized I wasn't watching most of the other channels either. I ended up suspending my entire cable TV service for a few months to see whether I'd miss it. So far, I haven't missed much and am looking at savings of more than $1,300 a year. I figure I could watch much of what I need on Netflix or Hulu and buy the occasional show from Amazon or Apple's iTunes.

I also reduced my Internet charges by buying my own cable modem on eBay for about $20. Rental charges would have run $3.95 a month, or more than that one-time purchase after five months. After that, it's nearly $50 in annual savings.

Still have a landline phone? Perhaps you can get rid of it if you're satisfied with having just a cellphone. I was paying more than $55 a month for landline service I hadn't used in years. Keep in mind that landline phones are typically more reliable during power outages and other emergencies. My cellphone had some difficulties in the wake of Superstorm Sandy last fall, but I didn't even have a phone to connect to my landline service, so continuing to pay those charges was plain silly. Annual savings: more than $650.

Before you finish, check your credit card bills for any recurring charges. Perhaps there's a gym membership you never use. In my case, there was a credit-monitoring service that I signed up for years ago. I can get a free credit report each year anyway, so I decided to drop the $11-a-month service, saving $132 a year.

My total savings from all this: more than $2,000 a year, even after budgeting about $150 a year to buy TV shows online.

One final tip: If you take advantage of a free trial, such as with Hulu Plus, leave a reminder in your online calendar to check back a few days before the trial is up. That way, you can remember to cancel it if you don't want recurring charges on your credit card.