The price of streaming services seems to increase almost as much as the content that’s added monthly, leaving many people wondering if streaming is even worth it compared to cable. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t keep watch over how many “$4.99 only” channels you order, you’ll quickly begin to despair over your streaming bill each month. Thankfully, you’ve got several ways to fend off streaming bill blues. Get attentive to your bill and strategize before you buy.
Also, read to know if you: Got Enough Speed for a Great Streaming Experience?
How to Reduce your Streaming Bill
Cable services are usually a one size fits all package that offers a viewer little control over things. Streaming, on the other hand, is a highly user-controlled service that’s easy to reign in. How can you cut your streaming service bills this year? Follow some of the more successful customers.
1. Annual Discounts
Paying monthly for anything is usually the most expensive way to do things, even if you pay less money upfront. One way to quickly slash your TV streaming bills is to simply sign up for an annual subscription. Yes, you lose control over whether to cancel the service for that first year, but you also pay a much cheaper monthly rate. That’s a few more dollars in your pocket over the course of the year, all with your great content intact and in front of you.
2. Cancel at Will
Almost every streaming service makes it quick and easy to cancel your subscription. If you choose to stick with monthly subscriptions or no-contract TV, you can cancel them during months when there’s less likable content. For example, Netflix may have a great original show out that you want to binge-watch, but it’s the only show on there you like. Sign up for just that one month, commit to watching that complete season, and then call it quits. You’ll only pay for that one month.
3. Free Trials All-Around
The free trial is available on almost every service except Netflix. If you want to watch Hulu free for a week, you can do that. Here’s how that plays into your plan to save. If there are just a few pieces of content that you want to watch, a free trial can give you access to that content at no charge. Once you’re done watching that movie or series, that’s it. You’re under no obligation to pay anything and grab a monthly subscription.
4. Free Content
If you’re having a slow month at work and fear you won’t be able to pay for all your streaming services – or maybe any of them – then you should explore some of the free content available online. Peacock and Roku Channel have the best kind of inexpensive viewing: completely free. You can watch many older classic shows and movies from the past all for free. This quick dip in your streaming bill is certain to ease your bank account’s burdens.
5. Use Credit Card Rewards
Most credit cards come with cashback rewards. Over the year, those rewards will accumulate into a small but useful sum of money. If you’ve accumulated some real cashback over the course of the year, be sure to contribute some of that haul to your streaming service payments. You’ll feel like you’re getting something for free.
It’s Always Free to Save
Saving money on streaming services is a lot easier than people believe. Just by following one or all of these helpful tips, you’ll save plenty of money off your online entertainment and in some cases nix the price altogether. If Peacock or Roku Channel has plenty of shows that you want to explore, why not put the other costly services on hold for a while? You have complete control over your streaming experience and whether you pay or cancel for the month. Start to get inventive with your strategies and soon you’ll be a bit richer, all while still getting entertainment you love.
