Remember the times when we thought ditching the cable TV might be a good idea to save time as well as all that money? Little did we know that platforms like Netflix, Hotstar, Hulu, HBO, Paramount, Disney Plus, and Apple TV Plus together cost more than the cable alone.
On the brighter side, there are ways to curb your streaming costs without much sacrifice. Do you want to binge-watch all your favorite shows at much fewer costs? Read on some great tips to save all that streaming costs to watch great content.
Identify Which Services to Select
A simple yet effective tip is that you may drop one of your streaming services. Just pick out the one you use the least and cancel the subscription. For example, if you’ve already exhausted a couple of decent shows on Apple TV, you can cancel the subscription. It may save you only some money monthly, but at least it’s a start.
You can pick your choices based on the music services you use, such Spotify or Amazon music, and then make your final decision. In case a service is not available or not working properly, check for solutions.
For example, you might want to stream a movie on your iPhone, but missing an iOS 15.5 could be the reason behind technical issues.
Do Away With Live TV
Take out a minute and think about it–how much live TV do we watch? There’s little news or sports that happen here and there to make up for the background noise. Therefore, these platforms make for the right choice only if they’re paid for strategically.
The clarity of the picture is better; the sound quality is better; what else do we need to make our cinematic experience great?
Do Not Forget Free Trials
There is a free trial available for almost every platform. If you plan your viewing wisely, you might even be able to binge-watch a couple of series without paying a penny. That’s a great deal to start with.
Do not forget to set up your calendar to cancel the subscription. Otherwise, you will be billed after your trial expires.
Plan Your Binge-Watch List
One of the best parts about Netflix, Hulu, and other such platforms is that the subscriptions can be canceled and re-bought any time, like when the next season of your favorite show releases. You can take that time off and pocket the savings.
You can also set a rotation schedule instead of subscribing to multiple platforms at once. Choose one, catch up on all your favorite shows, cancel, and move on. Hulu in July, Netflix in August, and so on.
Don’t Go for Premium Subscriptions
It’s true nobody likes to watch ads and commercials in the middle of your browsing experience. But, if it adds to your wallet, why not? Use that ad-time as we did back in those days to refill snacks, use the bathroom, fold your laundry, take a short walk.
While you’re still thinking about this commercial option, ask yourself, are all those premium plans worth your money?
This is the reason why it is advised to go for a basic plan, rather than a premium one. The difference in cost might only be a few bucks, but monthly and yearly, it will make a considerable impact.
Try to Share Subscriptions
Different streaming services have different policies for password sharing. Netflix, for example, has specific plans where two users can play shows on different devices. Amazon prime does not have any such restrictions, and a number of people can stream it simultaneously.
It doesn’t matter whether all of you live under the same roof; you can still share user IDs and passwords and pitch in the subscription amount. That way, it’s not a burden on anyone, and you get to stream your favorite content endlessly.
Look for the Freebies
In addition to these paid platforms, there are a lot of free streaming websites and platforms available over the internet. Yes, you might have to bear the pain of watching commercials in between your content, but otherwise, they are free. Best part? You may also get your fill of free live streaming news updates.
Look for Feasible Credit Card Deals
There are a lot of credit cards in the market that give you cashback for multiple purchases or maybe discounts and vouchers also on a minimum amount purchase. Similarly, they offer deals if you buy these subscriptions too.
The most common subscriptions that come with great deals are Netflix, Hulu, Sling, and FuboTV. You can also check if your credit cards offer any good deals on these platforms and make the most of them.
Have a Word With Your Phone Carrier
What do you think about a free subscription to Hulu or even Amazon Prime? That sounds just about right, isn’t it? Your service providers can offer better plans and subscriptions to your favorite platform for free. You need to check with your respective service providers to get an update on the offers and activate the same.
In times when these streaming services are peaking their prices because of the popularity they receive, it is wise to keep looking for options and discounts everywhere and capitalize on the same to save yourself the expense of all those fancy subscriptions.
