6 Tips to Save Money on Streaming Services
Sometimes we can get carried away with the subscriptions of streaming services. So many options can easily influence you into signing up for their services. Who knows what happens as a result of it? Before you even realize it, you end up spending more money than you anticipated or even wanted to. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube TV, and other such streaming services may be cost-effective alternatives to cable TV but when combined, they cost you way more than a single monthly subscription of cable.
However, the good news is that you can still save money on your streaming services. In this article, we will give you every tip that can help you cut your budget for streaming services.
Plan Your Budget
Okay, we know how tempting it could get to just subscribe to every other streaming service. You want to watch the biggest hits of Netflix original but at the same time, you want to binge-watch the old sitcoms on Amazon Prime Video. You can get carried away pretty easily and before you even know it, you have got yourself subscriptions of platforms you may have lost track of.
In such a situation, start with proper planning of how much you are willing to spend. The best way to go about is to first get yourself an internet connection that sits perfectly well with your budget. In this regard, we recommend checking out Spectrum plans because they are one of the most affordable internet plans you can find for yourself. You can get an amazing download speed,- perfect for streaming, with no data limit so you can again save money by avoiding overage fees. Also, in this way, you will have more room to choose your favorite streaming services without making big sacrifices.
Moreover, now that you know how much money is left for you to spend, you can make an estimation by identifying which streaming service you use the least and cancel your subscription from there. For instance, if you subscribed to HBO Max a few months ago and have already watched most of the shows available there, cut it loose and save yourself the extra bucks going away from your bank account. You can always re-subscribe when there is a new show that piques your interest.
Ditch Live TV
Live TV costs a massive amount every month. Even the services that are apparently “budget-friendly” can set you back significantly. If you have signed yourself up for a live TV streaming service, then maybe give it a second thought. The truth be told, people don’t usually watch live TV that much on a regular basis.
You can watch sports every now and then or maybe some news, but that is about it, right? As a matter of fact, unless you are a news junkie, you are not going to watch these platforms daily but the jaw-dropping monthly subscription amount will continue to come out of your credit card.
On the other hand, there are numerous services that offer live news for free such as CBSN, ABC News Live, or Pluto. In this way, you will be able to save yourself a considerable sum by simply cutting on your live TV subscription.
Find an Alternative Source of Income
Streaming platform subscriptions usually don’t cost that much, but it is still a monthly expense you need to pay from your salary. That said, there is a way to make some extra money on the side, that will cover your Netflix or HBO subscription, and that is money-making apps. There is a wide variety of these apps on the internet, some of them are more hands-on, while others offer passive income. One of these apps is Honeygain.
Honeygain is a crowdsourced web intelligence network, and this app works by taking your unused bandwidth and paying you real-life money in exchange. It is effortless since the app can run in the background without requiring your attention. All you have to do is download the app and register. This won’t make you a millionaire, but it can certainly cover your streaming subscription. If you want to learn more about Honeygain, visit their website here.
Go For Free Trials
Here is a hack for you, you can take advantage of free trials offered by plenty of streaming services. Almost all major platforms give an option to their users to watch movies and TV shows without paying a single dime but of course, for a specific period of time.
While keeping this thing under consideration, you can plan to binge-watch series or movies for the given time. All you need to do is keep a track of when your trial expires so that you won’t have to pay extra after it.
This is an incredible hack for all those people who work around a strict budget but also want to keep up with the entertainment world. And we believe that none of you should sacrifice your time of enjoyment. This is why free trials offered by streaming services are your chance to watch the shows you have been desperately wanting to for the longest time and that too without spending a single penny.
Share Subscriptions with Friends and Family
Here is an idea, if one of your friends or family has a subscription to a certain streaming service, chances are that they can share that with you. Take an example of a Netflix Premium Plan that allows streaming on up to four devices, does it matter that all those devices must be under the same roof? Of course not.
If your friend Amy has a subscription to Disney Plus and is looking for someone to share it with, meanwhile you are looking for a cost-effective way to use the said platform. Why not share the subscription and save yourself the hefty amount? After all, if you are going to solely have a Premium Plan, what are you going to do with the option of streaming it on multiple devices?
Spread the word in your circle that you need someone to share a streaming service with, you never know, maybe Aunt Darla is also looking for someone to share her account with.
Choose Non-Premium Subscriptions
We get it, no one likes to watch ads but what if it saves you money? Maybe you can tolerate watching an ad or two so you don’t have to make big changes in your budget. The ad-supported subscription plan of Hulu currently saves you $6 every month. Why not grab that chance with both hands? After all, ads are not that bad, if you think about it. You can go and get yourself a snack during the commercial.
You pay a considerable extra amount every month only to watch ad-free content. Is it really worth spending that much money? Also, some services make you pay extra for 4K streaming but the truth is told, there is no point in getting that subscription especially if you are going to stream the programs on your phone or tablet.
So, save money as much as you can and go for the basic subscription plans, as opposed to the premium ones that are only going to take more money out of your wallet.
Go For the Free Streaming Platforms
You can find yourself plenty of free streaming platforms that allow you to watch all the seasons of your favorite TV shows or even one of the most popular movies. Many of these services include some pretty good content that you can watch without paying a single buck. On the other hand, the same TV shows and movies are available on other major platforms for paid viewing.
Again, you will have to watch these shows and movies with ads but that is totally doable considering that they do not cost anything. So, instead of immediately paying to one platform, look for alternatives that may offer the same service without any payment.
Final Verdict!
Who does not like to save money, especially on things that are rapidly emptying your bank account? One of such is streaming services. You might have cut the cable cord in your home but the multiple subscriptions of said services are costing you way more than the cable alone.
Therefore, with the aforementioned tips, you can cut back significantly on the amount you spend on these platforms without really making any big compromises on your binge-watching habits.
