Streaming services seem to multiply daily eating up more and more of our income. Many of us are paying for services we aren’t regularly using or could be getting for free. Here are our top tips for saving on streaming.
- What has your mobile provider done for you lately? HBO Max is free with certain AT&T unlimited plans and ad-supported HBO Max is free with certain Cricket plans. Verizon offers the Disney+ bundle (Disney+, ESPN, Hulu) for free with certain unlimited plans and sometimes more. Hulu is free with certain Sprint unlimited plans. T-Mobile offers a free year of Apple TV+ and some other streaming perks subject to certain conditions. Metro gives you an Amazon prime membership and all that includes. It’s worth a quick search on your provider’s site to make sure you aren’t paying for services you could be getting for free. (If you have cable, a lot of streaming services are also available for free through the cable bill you’re already paying).
- Free Streaming Services: With a library card, you gain access to Hoopla – which allows you to stream a wide selection of movies, tv shows, music, audiobooks and even gives you eBook options – and Kanopy to stream classic movies, documentaries, independent and foreign films. Other free streaming options include Tubi, Amazon Freevee, Crackle, Pluto TV, and for the anime fans, RetroCrush.
- Rotate: Chances are you don’t need every streaming service you have year-round. Figure out when your favorite shows are released and plan to start and end your service accordingly. Make a list of all the other shows/movies you want to watch on that channel and binge away, then cancel and move on.
- Free Trials & Deals: Many services offer deals throughout the year or for paying annually instead of monthly. Many also offer a free trial period, allowing you the opportunity for a few days or weeks of no-cost bingeing. Just make sure to set a calendar reminder to cancel the trial before the charges start.
- Downgrade to a Lower Tier: Netflix, Hulu and more offer their services at a lower cost if you will suffer through a few ads or give up HD. Use the ads as a workout moment with some crunches, chair dips or laps around the sofa and you’ll be benefitting your health while you increase your bank balance.
- Explore Bundles: Does bundling make sense? Disney+, ESPN and Hulu are much less-expensive together than apart, but this only makes sense if you’ll watch at least two of the three.
- Could Cancelling Get You a Lower Price? Often when you call to cancel a service, the customer service rep will offer you an introductory or lower monthly rate to keep you as a customer. If there is a service you just can’t live without, it’s worth employing this tactic to see if you can reduce your cost – at least for a few months – while maintaining your service. Just make sure you pay attention to all the conditions they will throw in with that discount.
Last, but not least, constantly evaluate whether the services you have are still meeting your needs. With new services popping up left and right, content may be disappearing from your tried-and-true service. Once every month or so, really look at your streaming services and see if you can give one a rest.