I used to be not so organized when it came to TV. I was a collector of streaming services, not a curator. It started with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but before I knew it, the golden age of television added Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, Paramount Plus, and Now TV to my wallet-busting list of subscriptions (I live in the UK. , so no Hulu or Peacock for me).
This all-you-can-eat approach worked for a while. The relatively low monthly or annual cost of new attracted me Streaming Services Aggressively trying to gain market share. It was also exciting to have unlimited entertainment at my fingertips. That said, I can make do with being a streaming service aggregator financially the same way everyone else can: sharing an account.
But then everything changed Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown, Suddenly, a service I was paying almost nothing for became an expense of £18 ($23) per month if I wanted to continue seeing the quality I was accustomed to. And considering the amount I invested in a 4K, surround-sound setup, yes, I did.
once inevitable Disney Plus password-sharing crackdown was announced, things got serious. And all this was made worse by the cost-of-living crisis and massive streaming price hikes.
The streamers’ evil plan had worked: Get me in at a low price, then I’ll be screwed when the costs go up.
The amount I was spending on steaming per month has started skyrocketing, things can’t go on like this. The mix-and-match, gut-busting buffet had to make way for a sensible a la carte option. I came up with a plan that is now saving me over $50 per month – one type of home-cooked meal black friday streaming deals, you might say – and with just a little bit of time and energy spent on planning and administration, I’m going to help you do the same. Here’s how I did it.
How to Save Money on Subscriptions by Organizing Your Watch Lists by Streamer
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1. Find an organization app that works for you
The first step is to find an intuitive platform where you can organize the content you want to view. i highly recommend it couch – I used to use it for all kinds of entertainment, but given all the streamers, shows, and subscriptions to keep track of, I now only use it for TV and home movies.
2. Create a watch list for each streamer
Use the app to keep track of which shows and home movies you want to watch, and divide them up by streamer. heard of a great comedy new on netflix, Stick it on your Netflix list. Your friend told you about one of the coolest new Paramount Plus movies, Add it to your Paramount Plus backlog.
3. Subscribe to the streamers with the most exciting list for a month, and turn off auto-renewal
Once your streamer-specific watch lists are created and you’re ready to start watching, subscribe to the service with the most engaging list. Just make sure that once you’ve paid for the month, you turn off or cancel auto-renew immediately so you’re not automatically billed. It’s just another obstacle between you and your next desire. best netflix moviesBut in most cases, it’s as easy as a few clicks.
4. When your subscription expires, repeat step 3.
ready to deal with you disney plus Next backlog? Or maybe you haven’t finished The Wheel of Time Season 2 amazon prime video Yet and need to sign up for another month to get it over with? Maybe you’re on vacation this month and don’t need to subscribe to anything. Whatever it is, do what works for you.
Advantages and disadvantages of my brainstorming system
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And all. It really is as simple as that. The thing is, while what they call “churn” has a lot of benefits (and it’s not just saving money), the month-by-month approach also has some drawbacks:
Pro: You save money
Naturally this is the main motivator, so here’s an example of how much I’m saving. The main services I’m interested in, along with their US monthly costs, are:
So, if I choose a service other than Netflix or Disney Plus’s premium offerings, I’m saving over $50 per month. Then, with the money I’ve saved, I feel more comfortable when it comes to the relatively expensive Netflix Premium. I’d prefer to pay for it a few times and get the best quality rather than being bothered through ads all year.
Of course, there are alternatives to cheaper packages with ads or lower quality, if that works for you. Even if you can’t decide and choose to subjugate two or three, you will still benefit from subjugating them all.
Con: Spoilers!
Depending on the show you’re watching and your threshold for spoiler pain, you may have to keep half your eyes closed if you scroll through social media from month to month. That said, the alternative is to ingest each new entry for weeks and subscribe/pay for longer than might otherwise have been possible.
Pro: You’re less likely to have to wait week-to-week
I understand the fun of pondering over a problem and anticipating it to be resolved a week later. Chatting with friends, theorizing, excitedly counting the hours – but I don’t have time for that these days. Today, I’m just sitting with both parts the witcher season 3 Ready to log back in once and relax.
Con: You miss out on exciting shows on other services
Let’s say you’ve narrowed down your favorite streamers to Apple TV Plus for this month’s streamer selection. slow horses Before the new series – but you completely forgot about it scott pilgrim flew On Netflix. For your favorite new releases, a month may be a long time, but I wouldn’t recommend starting different services at different times of the month if you’re trying out my system. It would be very confusing to keep track of all this.
Pro: You’re less likely to start a show that gets deleted
Chances are there are more hours in the day than you actually have to watch TV that’s worth your time, so you don’t want to waste it on a show that takes off. Netflix is notorious for canceling poorly performing shows just in the last week Netflix cancels Shadow and Bone and four other shows, You’re not immune to these risks if you go month-to-month, but it does reduce your chances.
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We have enough of this in our everyday jobs, so why should we waste our free time planning, organizing and fiddling with logins and passwords? Just think: is the extra time worth the money I’m saving? Especially when I consider how little time it takes to subscribe and cancel a service and create a few simple watch lists, the answer to the question comes into its own for me.
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