👩🍼 Bundles of joy: Bundles can save you money by combining services at a lower total cost. Try Apple One, which bundles cloud storage, music, games and movies — or streaming services Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Share it with family and it’s even cheaper.
Streaming costs inching up? Cheapskate secrets you need to know
The top-tier Netflix plan is now a jaw-dropping $22.99 a month. I remember being shocked when it hit $19.99, and here we are again. And Netflix isn’t alone; Disney+ and Hulu have raised their prices, and you can bet every other streaming service will soon follow suit.
It’s the perfect time to take a step back and really examine what you’re paying for. Here are tips to help you trim down those monthly charges.
Audit your subscriptions
Streaming services thrive on autopilot subscriptions — you know, those monthly charges you barely notice till they all add up. My golden rule? If I’m actively watching a show, I keep the service, and if I’m not, I’ll cancel and only resubscribe when there’s something new I want to watch.
Set a reminder a few days on your calendar before each subscription payment to review whether you still need the service. This simple habit can save you from unexpected charges.
Canceling on mobile?
Streaming companies make canceling tricky. They know most of us are too busy or frustrated to follow through. The process can be especially confusing if you’re using a smartphone, so cancel from a desktop or laptop computer, where it’s much easier to navigate.
Don’t miss out on freebies
You might already have access to free movies and TV shows and not even know it! For example:
- Max (formerly HBO Max): Included with some AT&T phone and internet plans.
- Apple TV+: Free for three months with the purchase of a new Apple device or for T‑Mobile customers with specific plans.
- Paramount+: Some Walmart+ members get a free Paramount+ subscription included with their membership.
- Peacock: Free access to limited content for Comcast Xfinity internet and TV customers.
- Spotify Premium with Hulu: If you’re a Spotify Premium student subscriber, you get Hulu (ad-supported) and Showtime included.
- T-Mobile: Free Netflix with certain plans.
- Verizon: Offers the Disney+ bundle (Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+) free with some unlimited plans.
- Amex Platinum: Includes monthly statement credits for services like Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ as part of its Entertainment Credit (check the terms!).
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Offers subscription credits for select services like DoorDash, which sometimes bundles free streaming perks.
- Capital One Rewards: Occasionally offers free trials for streaming platforms via their rewards marketplace.
It’s worth checking if your cellphone provider, credit card company or internet provider includes streaming perks. I bet they do!
There are also great free streaming services, like Pluto TV, Tubi and Crackle, each offering a surprising variety of shows and movies without a subscription. Here are seven ways to stream TV and movies for free.
7 free ways to stream TV and movies
A dollar here, $10 there. Streaming services used to be the way to watch what you wanted for much cheaper than cable or satellite. Now? Not so much.
As with everything, what’s old is new again, and more and more folks are ditching paid options for freebies. Sure, you have to put up with ads, but most of today’s streaming services now have those, too!
Channel bundling is back
Major streaming services are banding together. Here’s what that means for your subscription fees.
Of course they are: Streaming services and advertisers are suing to stop the FTC’s new click-to-cancel rule. Yep, that’s the rule that forces companies like Disney to make canceling subscriptions as easy as signing up. They call the rule “arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion,” which is just a fancy way to say, “We don’t want to make it easy for people to cancel.”
How many minutes of ads are shown per hour of traditional TV? Is it … A.) 8 minutes, B.) 10 minutes, C.) 12 minutes or D.) 14 minutes?
16% decrease
In cancellations when streaming services offer bundles. It’s easier to convince yourself to keep the subscription if you’re still watching one or two out of three services. The new kid on the block is Comcast’s StreamSaver trio (Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+) for $15 a month.
Watch out for the new ‘ghost hackers’
Imagine if this happened to you: Your spouse passes away, and a few weeks after the funeral, you get a message from them that says, “Hi, I hope you’re having a great day.” Other friends report getting similar messages from your spouse. Some messages offer big returns on crypto investments.
Want better streaming suggestions? Try these hacks
I watched one episode of “Is it Cake?” on Netflix. Spoiler: Everything is cake, and it’s totally not for me. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s completely wrecked my streaming recommendations — and I’m guessing yours aren’t much better.
Android alert: Malware called SpyAgent is disguising itself within 280 banking apps and streaming services. This one is smart enough to recognize images and is stealing crypto wallet recovery phrases saved as screenshots. Stay safe: Only download apps from the official Google Play Store and never screenshot your passwords or seed phrases.
I don’t lightly interfere; I heavy metal: A North Carolina musician scammed streaming services out of $10 million. He created hundreds of thousands of fake songs with AI and used bots to stream them, raking in royalties from Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music. He pulled it off for seven years before the FBI figured it out. Now, he’s facing decades behind bars.
No, getting low-cost streaming content isn’t legit: Five guys behind Jetflicks, one of the largest illegal streaming services in the U.S., got busted. They charged $9.99 a month for more content than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video combined. They could face years in prison for the millions they raked in from subscriptions. If you subscribed to it, you might be fined for copyright violations, too.
“Try again”: Magic words if AI missed the mark on your question. I also like “Give me a [shorter/longer/more detailed] answer” and “Add 10 examples to the list.”
Stop paying for things you don’t use: It might sound counterintuitive, but with many streaming services, you can cancel immediately after subscribing (or let Rocket Money* do it for you!) and still enjoy the entire trial period. Just check their policy first. Perfect for when there’s one movie on your to-watch list.
Save some cash: If you’re trying to get a handle on all your streaming services and other subscriptions, use Rocket Money. It helped me save $532 a year by canceling services I wasn’t using and had forgotten about. So smart!
Double-check those “urgent” emails — they could be a scam
Imagine doing your morning Wordle (yes, I still do) when you get an urgent email from Netflix. Subject: Your subscription just expired.
After a little digging, you realize that your account never lapsed. Now, you’re stuck with a fake charge and a crook running around with your personal info.
I’m a tech expert and you need to make these tech changes now before it’s too late
Sometimes in life, you just can’t go back. I’m thinking of all the folks I’ve talked to who lost crazy amounts of money to scammers pretending to be in love.
We can’t go back to our old devices, either — as much as I miss that hot-pink Razr. On second thought, the iPhone it is. The same goes for certain steps in our digital lives. Follow the steps below, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Bundles of joy: Bundles can save you money by combining services at a lower total cost. Try Apple One, which bundles cloud storage, music, games and movies — or streaming services Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Share it with family and it’s even cheaper.
Playing hardball with the streaming services
Don’t want to pay to watch your favorite shows? Here’s a tip you need to know.
Tech security to-do: Lock down your smart stuff
Anything connected to the internet is a hacker target, and you better believe that includes all the Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets in your home.
A quick word of wisdom before we go any further: You probably don’t think about your router much. But the single password locking it down might be the only safeguard between you and someone up to no good.