How to Save Money on Streaming Services

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Streaming services are more popular than ever.  They’re appealing because viewers can watch programs whenever they want, get recommendations based on their viewing history and spend less than for cable TV.  The downside is costs for subscribing to multiple services quickly add up.  A FinanceBuzz survey found that 1 in 4 people spend over $75 per month on streaming services.  Luckily, we have some tricks you can use to trim those bills.

Take advantage of student discounts

College students can save big on streaming services by claiming special discounts.  Your student status can get you Hulu’s ad-supported plan for just $1.99 per month (normally $7.99).  If you’re looking for a music and TV bundle, you can get Spotify Premium Student which comes with Hulu and Showtime for just $4.99 per month.  That’s a savings of almost $23 per month.  Finally, you can sign up for Amazon Prime Student.  After a 6-month free trial, you pay just $7.49 per month (50% off) for access to prime videos, prime delivery, prime music and free food delivery with Grubhub+ Student.

See if your phone plan includes a free subscription

Some cell phone plans include a free streaming subscription as an additional perk.  Typically, you’ll need to opt in to take advantage of the offer.  T-Mobile users with two or more Magenta lines can get a free Netflix Basic plan.  While those with a Magenta Max plan get Netflix Standard for free.  If you’re a Sprint customer with an Unlimited Plan, you can get a subscription to Hulu’s ad-supported plan at no cost.  The sweetest deal is reserved for Verizon customers.  Those with Verizon’s Play More and Get More unlimited plans get a Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle for free (normally $13.99 per month).

Choose an ad-supported plan

Sitting through a few commercials won’t kill you.  You can use the break to grab a snack or use the bathroom.  Plus, your wallet will thank you.  For a limited time, HBO Max’s plan with ads is only $9.99 per month for 12 months.  That’s five dollars less than their ad-free plan which costs $14.99 per month.  Peacock Premium which includes movies, TV shows, live sports and more is only $4.99 per month.  Opting for their Premium Plus plan that offers all the same things minus the commercials will cost you an extra $5 per month.

Cancel one of your streaming services

When you have multiple streaming services, chances are there’s at least one you don’t use as much as the others.  Decide which service you can live without, cancel your subscription, and pocket the savings.

Don’t overlook free options

There are plenty of streaming services that will keep you entertained for free.  Will they have the latest TV shows or blockbuster movies?  Nope, but you can still find things worth watching.  The Roku Channel has hit shows like House, 2 Broke Girls and The First 48.  It also has classic movies like Déjà Vu, What’s Love Got to Do with It, and Lean on Me.  Some other free streaming services worth checking out are Pluto TV, Crackle, Tubi and Kanopy.

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