Interest of younger generation to watching television continuous to dip. According to Ofcom’s annual study into media habits of UK population, less than half of 16–24-year-olds are watching TV in an average week as compared to 76% in 2018. Similarly, there was decline among 4-5-year-olds.

The decline is not only limited to time spent on watching traditional TV but with shorter periods they spend on the media. Some 16-24 reportedly spends 33 minutes each day.

As traditional TV audiences continue to decline, audience of video streaming platforms continue to explode.

Many people have switched to using streaming services instead of traditional TV. Advantage of streaming is that you can choose the media to consume (pause, stop, forward – or like DVDs with extremely huge number of shows in catalog), hence not relying on what is being shown on channels.

Popular video streaming services today are Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube, and more.

The prices of these services have increased in the past years, and they have their own catalog. This means, one platform does not have the same movies or shows as the other. Problem arises when you want to watch a show from another service.

This has led to people subscribing to multiple platforms at once. These adds up.

There are several options to cut down on your budget on streaming. Here are 5 terrific tips to cut extra streaming subscriptions and maximize your cash.

Use Free Streaming Sites

There are ways to watch shows legally without having to pay anything. For example, many media companies are now uploading their movies and shows to platforms like YouTube and Bilibili where you can watch those for free (there are ads but it’s free.)

Platforms like Tubi TV, Pluto TV, and Roku allows users to watch live news, on-demand shows and movies without spending anything.

There are also those that are bundled for free with existing subscription, like how Converge (a telecom company) bundles a BlastTV subscription in their internet plan.

Subscribe to One Platform A Month

Easier said than done, but rotating your subscription is one of the strategies to cut on streaming spending. Focus on one platform and maximize your plan. Then, only switch if you need to right after your subscription from the former has ended.

With this strategy, you’ll need to keep track of the shows you’re watching in a separate app or sheets of paper (if analog). Likewise, do not delete your account so you can go back to platform if you want to consume from their catalog again or continue an unfinished episode.

Never subscribe to more than a month to have the leeway of switching anytime. Also, after subscribing, immediately stop the auto-renewal at the setting.

Find Subscription Deals

Many services offer promotional discounts to first-time subscribers, and others on Black Friday deals. Netflix, for example, offers a free one-month trial for new subscribers.

Otherwise, you could explore bundled options. Bundled options refer to combo of subscription platforms in a single package. A good example of this is the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle.

In the Philippines, Cignal has launched the Cignal Super App which is a streaming aggregator and enables you to subscribe to multiple platforms at once.

Keep Track of Subscription Spending

Maintain a record of each of your subscriptions, which includes the name of the platform/s, the amount spent, and the expected end of the plan.

Without keeping one, you’ll soon find yourself subscribed in many platforms and most of which were never used only to be automatically renewed the next month.

Temptation to overspend is there, and you won’t realize it until you have entered your card number.

Create a Viewing Schedule

Set a time of the day or a day when you are going to open a streaming application, otherwise you would keep maximizing using your subscription until all you do for the whole day was to watch a show.

Moreover, you might be mindlessly switching shows without finishing anything. Watching shows is a form entertainment, a way to relax, but utilizing too much time on watching soon makes it feel like work.

By setting a specific time, it allows you to zone out and appreciate the quality of the shows. In this way, you are paradoxically making the most out of your subscription.

Final Thoughts

Streaming platforms have revolutionized the way people consume media, particularly video. Popular ones are Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max. The time families use to spend on traditional TV keeps decreasing as streaming takes over.

While it seems a better option – no ads (or less), huge catalog, you choose what to appear on screen – this could take huge cash from your digital wallet if left unchecked. This includes the temptation to subscribing to too many platforms at once, or subscribing to a platform you will never use.

Likewise, there are free alternatives. You can watch quality movies and shows without paying anything.

It is always better to keep track, cut extra streaming subscriptions, and maximize the value you get from your spending.