More ways to save on streaming without password sharing

Costs in the UK are mounting up, even when it comes to the things, we like to spend our disposable income on.

From your regular haircut to a takeaway treat, Brits are spending more and more each year. In fact, research from Online Betting Guide (OLBG) has discovered we’re spending 54% of our after-tax earnings on discretionary costs.

The OLBG Index found the average UK adult is spending nearly £13,500 a year (or just over £1,122 a month) across 12 popular spending categories.

What’s more, this is 62% higher than previous years!

One of the rising costs on the list is the amount we pay for streaming services.

According to the OLBG Index, there’s been a 28% increase in the average monthly subscription to a streaming service, with an annual increase from £38 to £49. For example, a monthly subscription to Netflix will set you back at least £10.99 a month.

So, where we can save on streaming?

The most common way the UK public try to cut the cost is through password sharing.

But Netflix hit headlines recently, hinting at the fact they want to crack down on password sharing, charging more for any additional profiles outside your household.

Fear not!

With some handy tips and tricks, you can save some pennies on your streaming services, whilst still enjoying a classic binge of your favourite shows and movies.

Choose a cheaper plan

Do you really need the option to watch Netflix on multiple screens at once? How about Amazon Prime alongside Prime Video?

If you’re willing to lose a few features which you don’t use or need, then it’s time to consider downgrading your streaming subscription plan.

After all, why pay for the extra functionality of simultaneous watching on four devices, if you’re only ever going to stream on one at a time?

With Amazon, for example, if you don’t need all the benefits of a Prime membership, switching to Prime Video on its own could see you save around £24 a year.

Dropping to a basic plan could help you save some serious cash, without having to steal your best friend’s password to their account.

Switch up your subscriptions

There’s always one show which you’re dying to watch, but isn’t on the streaming service you currently have.

As the likes of Disney+, Amazon Prime and Netflix now all produce original content, we can find ourselves chopping and changing between them to watch the latest series or film — but still paying for the lot every month.

So why not pause each subscription for the time you don’t need it?

Switching between your subscriptions each month, depending on what you want to watch, could mean you’re not overpaying for multiple, unused services at one time.

To make things easier, you could outline a plan for your viewing, so you know exactly what streaming subscriptions need to be active each month in order to watch your chosen show or movie.

Look out for cashback deals or offers

Are you looking to upgrade your phone plan anytime soon? Then take full advantage of the deals different providers can offer, as these often feature a free subscription to a streaming service for a certain period of time.

Whilst shopping around for the best phone provider, you should consider which streaming service you’d like to get for free alongside it. It can help decide which phone deal to go for.

Already have the phone you like? Well, there’s plenty of other deals and offers you can use. Take a cashback site for example. You could earn money back when paying for an annual subscription to your favourite streaming service, simply by going through a cashback website.

With a crackdown on password sharing just around the corner, there are plenty of ways you can make the most out of your streaming service, for the cheapest price possible.

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Dan Dunn

Executive Managing editor

Editor and Admin at MarkMeets since Nov 2012. Columnist, reviewer and entertainment writer and oversees all of the section's news, features and interviews. During his career, he has written for numerous magazines.

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