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Video streaming is rising in popularity as the years go by. However, watching videos can cost a pretty penny if you are not careful, with some services costing upwards of $10/month!
Luckily, there are several ways to save money on your streaming habit that works for most providers.
Below we have mentioned 8 ways you can save money on your streaming (we encourage you to try them all).
1) SAVE MONEY BY FIGURING OUT WHICH STREAMING SERVICES YOU WANT TO CANCEL
Paid streaming services can cost a lot of money. Savings come from canceling the subscriptions to ones you don’t use often or at all, and finding less expensive replacements.
The first step is to authenticate your accounts with each service and make sure you use them every once in a while.
Keeping track of how much money you’re spending will help you decide which subscriptions you definitely want to keep.
2) LEAVE LIVE TV OR GO WITH AN ANTENNA
How much do you use Live TV? You need serious consideration.
The strange thing about traditional TV is that it has a lot of benefits, such as live TV on your favorite programs and channels.
There are a lot of sources that can replace the streaming TV benefit, such as by using an antenna to receive local broadcasts.
Or you can use sites like YouTube and Hulu to watch your favorite programs at almost any time.
Another thing is Philo. It costs only $20 per month and still has available channels such as A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, Cheddar, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, and so on.
It is also available with the use of Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
3) TAKE FREE TRAILS BEFORE SPENDING MONEY ON STREAMING SERVICE
If you subscribe to Netflix (or access U.S. Netflix if you are living within the U.S.) then you can enjoy a 1-month free trial that allows subscribers to view any movie or TV show in its library but remember this will apply when you are using Netflix first time.
If you’re looking for movies, try Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime Video, which both offer one-month trials.
Free trials not only give you an idea of how the service works but also if you can fit it into your budget.
And if a free trial still doesn’t work for you, see if the streaming service offers a discounted monthly subscription rate for new members.
4) TRY MONEY-MAKING APPS
There are money-making apps on the internet that will allow you to earn a couple of extra bucks pretty much effortlessly, that can be allocated for your streaming budget.
For example, the passive income app Honeygain will pay you money in exchange for your unused internet bandwidth. All you need to do is download the app, register, and start earning, the app will run in the background while you go about your usual daily activities.
This won’t make you a millionaire, but it can certainly cover your monthly streaming subscription. If you want to learn more about Honeygain, check it out here.
5) CHOOSE STREAMING SERVICES THAT IS COMMERCIALLY AD-SUPPORTED
To save money on your binge-watching you can subscribe to ad-supported streaming services.
These options cost less, but may have more ads than their subscription counterparts:
By ad-supported, we mean that the service is free and has commercials.
Hulu and NBC, for example, both offer ad-supported services with limited content and short advertisement breaks.
They also allow you to purchase a no-ads option for $6 extra.
Ad-supported free streaming is often supported by ads and product placement.
The service may be supported by advertisers who provide ad revenue, in addition to what you pay for the service.
YouTube is mostly ad-supported with some paid subscription options.
6) CHOOSE NON-PREMIUM PLANS
Premium Plans are always expensive and thus providing the best watching experience in terms of 4k Quality but do you really need a 4K? I think not because it is totally useless if you watch mostly on a phone or tablet.
So, why not go with basic rather going premium? Basic Plans are good enough for watching movies and TV series.
Fox example on Netflix you can save $3 monthly by choosing a basic Plan rather than a premium Plan. So, always explore cheaper options for your streaming.
7) DIVIDE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION FEES WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
When it comes to saving money, password sharing is one of the options to consider.
You can use your Netflix account to share with friends or family members who also have accounts, while you save some money for yourself.
Watch out though, because there are some services that would warn you if they noticed too many logins coming from the same area.
In this way, you can share subscription fees amongst your partners or friends and save some money for your own account.
8) CHOOSING FREE STREAMING SERVICES
If you’re looking for free streaming services, your best bet is YouTube. You can search through their catalog of music and videos using the Artist or Song Name.
Even if you don’t find what you want there, it’s still good to use YouTube because they offer a free-with-ads account option (which is better than nothing).
If you search on the internet, it will give some streaming services that are free without ads involved.
Like Crackle, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, and so on. But there is no guarantee that all these websites are available all around the world.
So you have to check if one is available in your country or not before going ahead with it.
9) CHOOSE BUNDLES, NOT A SINGLE STREAMING SERVICE
There are many streaming services that offer bundles for you to save money.
For example, you can save $14 monthly by subscribing to ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+ and getting all three services from Disney at once.
You can find a bundle that fits your multi-streaming habits easily.
If you only want to pay for a single streaming service, another option is to combine one with a free TV channel.
For example, CBS All Access lets you sign up with an antenna and Showtime offers free trials.
This way you are not paying more for streaming services you are not using.
CONCLUSION
There are many ways to cut down on how much you spend streaming TV and movies.
You can lower the price of your subscriptions, choose ad-supported options or purchase a bundle with other services.
The best part is that there are so many different options for saving money when it comes to streaming, so no matter what you like watching, you can find a way to save money on your streaming.
If you like my writing and if you need any help, so feel free to comment below!
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.