Fed up with ‘Streamflation’? How to save on TV | usagoldmines.com

Obviously, we’re all annoyed with the growing costs of streaming TV.

Netflix just raised prices, with the Standard ad-free plan now up to $20 per month. Paramount+ hiked prices in January, while Disney and HBO Max raised rates last fall. A recent Bango survey found that 23 percent of Americans feel they’re spending more on subscriptions than they can afford.

That doesn’t mean you’re powerless to do anything about it. By looking in the right places and being a bit more judicious about spending, you can easily get streaming TV costs back down to manageable levels.

Combine and save

Are you paying separately for Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max? Getting all three together costs $20 per month with ads (saving $4) or $33 per month without (saving $5.50).

Similarly, Apple TV and Peacock offer a $15 per month bundle—only $2 per month more than Apple TV alone—and you can upgrade to ad-free Peacock for $5 per month more.

Meanwhile, Comcast has started offering its own streaming bundles, even for internet-only customers. These combine Peacock with your choice of Netflix, Apple TV, HBO Max, and Disney+/Hulu, at prices ranging from $18 to $35 per month depending on how many services you get.

Comcast

Some live TV services include free streaming as well:

• DirecTV’s $35 per month MyEntertainment package includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max.
• DirecTV’s standard packages include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited if you also lease a streaming device.
• Hulu + Live TV includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited.
• Spectrum’s standard pay TV packages include Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, ESPN Unlimited, and AMC+.

Bundle with other services

Your wireless provider may also be a source of savings, as several of them offer streaming services for free or cheap:

• Verizon offers a $10 per month bundle of Netflix and HBO Max with eligible mobile and home internet plans; you can upgrade either to ad-free by paying the price difference.
• Also with Verizon, you can take $10 off the Disney Trio bundle (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), $5 off Fox One, and $5 to $6 off Apple One.
• T-Mobile offers Netflix with ads for free, or a $7 per month discount on ad-free plans. Certain T-Mobile plans also offer free Hulu and $10 per month off Apple TV.
• Other wireless streaming bundles include free HBO Max with Cricket’s Supreme Unlimited plan, free Amazon Prime with Metro’s $60 per month plan, free Disney+ with Total Wireless’ $60 per month plan, and free Walmart+ (which includes either Paramount+ or Peacock) with Straight Talk’s Gold Unlimited plan.

I’ve also written about how you can get free or discounted streaming with grocery delivery services and credit cards.

Use more free streaming services

Jared Newman / Foundry

YouTube already accounts for more viewing time on TV devices than any other streaming service, and for good reason: Using it costs nothing, the catalog is virtually endless, and you don’t even have to sign in. I suspect usage will only increase as other services get more expensive.

But you don’t have to stop there. Tubi, Pluto TV, the Roku Channel, and Plex provide vast numbers of movies and TV shows for free. Philo and Sling Freestream offer free streaming channels with DVR, so you can skip the commercials. You can even get free streaming from your library with Hoopla and Kanopy.

Drop down to ad-supported

Jared Newman / Foundry

As streamers have realized what they can make from advertising, the price gap between ad-supported and ad-free streaming keeps growing. Even if you prefer to watch ad-free, spending some time on an ad-supported tier can help defray the cost of those price hikes. You can also look into skipping the ads with tools like PlayOn or Multi Skipper while pocketing the difference in price.

Take a month (or more) off

It’s also worth considering whether you need all the streaming services you’re paying for in the first place. One or two subscriptions at a time could suffice, and you can rotate through additional services based on what’s worth watching at any given time. Using tools like StreamWolf can help you keep track of what you’re paying for and figure out the best times to cancel.

Keep an eye out for deals

By now you should realize that Black Friday is the best time to lock in savings on major streaming services, but there are also other deals to keep track of throughout the year.

Did you know, for instance, that you can get a month of Apple TV for free, and that other members of your Apple Family Sharing group can do the same? Or that Paramount+ Premium has a $1 per month deal for returning subscribers who use code N8C27L? These deals are a great way to dip into specific services as needed, and I’m always keeping track of them here.

Find another pastime

While I’ve dedicated myself to helping folks save money on TV, my dirty secret is that I don’t watch a lot of it myself. I have only so many leisure hours to give, and video games have always been my preferred way to destress. (Former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings once said that Fortnite was a bigger competitor than HBO, so I’m not alone.)

Streaming has worked out for me because I don’t need constant access to a half-dozen streaming services. If there’s something I really want to watch on a streaming service I don’t have, I’ll find the cheapest way to get it for a month and immediately cancel after signing up.

We live in an age of abundant ways to waste time. Many of the streamers that keep raising prices may soon realize they’re less essential than they think.

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