What the Tech: How to save $100 a month on streaming services
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Like most people, you probably subscribe to multiple TV streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, Disney+, or others.
According to one recent study, the average American household pays for four streaming subscriptions. Frankly, unless you’re constantly sitting on the couch watching TV, it’s impossible to watch them all enough to justify the monthly cost. And the cost adds up.
Netflix costs at least $11 a month, and some pay over $20. HBO Max is $10 or $15 a month. Apple TV is $5 plus tax. Disney+ is $8 a month. ESPN+ just raised its monthly subscription to $10 a month. If you’re a cord cutter, add the cost of YouTubeTV or Hulu at $70 to $75 a month.
There are also paid services such as Paramount+, Peacock, Showtime, Discovery+, and Shudder.
We’re not including Amazon Prime Video since most of its s get that service at no extra cost by being Amazon Prime . Depending on how many of these services you use, it can easily add up to over $100. One of the best things about streaming services is that there are no commitments.
Unlike cable or satellite TV, you can pause or cancel almost all streaming subscriptions for a month and then re-start them later.
This is good if you only watch Apple TV+ for Ted Lasso, or if you find yourself forgetting you even have Netflix until ‘Stranger Things’ comes back around.
This is a great time to put subscriptions on hold because we’re either spending more time outside and away from the TV, or you’re not really missing that much. There aren’t many sports this time of year, and sports is the sole reason many people subscribe to pay TV.
A third reason is there are great free TV options that’ll probably be fine for a month.
Pluto TV has both live channels and on-demand movies and shows. There are 70′s and 80′s movie channels, mysteries, and documentaries.
Tubi TV has a terrific slate of on-demand movies along with live channels that include local TV news from stations across the country. Amazon recently introduced Freevee, an ad-ed streaming service with plenty of quality movies you’ve probably seen offered on Netflix.
It also includes a limited library of Amazon-created movies and shows. You can watch all of these on tablets, phones, smart TVs, and streaming sticks.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you already have Prime Video with the subscription.
You can also dust off some of those DVDs you haven’t watched in years. That’s a lot of content. You don’t have to miss out on local news or networks if you plug an antenna into the TV.
That’s free network TV in high-definition, so you won’t miss weather alerts or local news. When you consider those options it’s quite possible to get by for at least a month using just freebies.
For most households that’s an extra hundred in your pocket. You might even discover you can go a few more months and use the money you save to buy a new 4k TV for football season.
Copyright 2022 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
