Practical Ways You Can Save Money on Online Entertainment

Whether it is after a long day at work or on an off day, most people spend more of their free time and money on online platforms for entertainment. From video and music streaming services to online gaming, the online entertainment sector offers people quick and convenient access to libraries containing thousands of hours of entertainment.

As online entertainment platforms have grown, the cost of online subscriptions has increased alongside. These days, it is not uncommon for subscription fees to creep into hundreds of dollars, costing as much as, if not more than, traditional entertainment mediums.

With online subscriptions getting more expensive, many people are left frustrated as they can no longer afford to access their favorite shows and games. The costs of subscriptions might be rising, but there are many ways you can reduce your online entertainment spending. From canceling unused subscriptions to bundling streaming services, this article will explore practical ways you can save money on online entertainment.

Choose Platforms That Offer Bonuses

Our first practical tip saves you money by choosing platforms that give you a little bonus, extending the value of the service. Many platforms offer some sort of sign-up bonus or loyalty rewards for staying on the platform for long periods of time.

Video streaming platforms are an example of services that provide these bonuses. By signing up to one platform, you might receive a limited-time free subscription to a sister platform or a website that offers your bonus content.

Another example can be found in iGaming platforms that offer players lucrative bonuses. These bonuses come in the form of welcome bonuses and loyalty programs that help players reduce spending while playing. When selecting platforms based on bonus options, players often end up selecting offshore casino sites that offer better bonus value and lower wagering requirements.

Offshore and international entertainment platforms are generally great for people looking to save on subscription fees. Looking into offshore options allows users to take advantage of regional pricing changes and can result in finding the same subscription at a lower price. Be sure to use a VPN to change the location of your IP address to access offshore entertainment options.

Pausing Subscriptions

It is easy to stack up subscriptions these days as different platforms hold exclusivity over certain shows, movies, or games. This platform exclusivity results in people having to sign up to multiple platforms, often to watch one show or play a single game. The cost of all these various platforms can quickly increase, causing panic and frustration because of how much you are paying.

A simple solution is to pause subscriptions you are currently not using. Pausing your subscriptions provides the benefit of saving you money, while not completely removing your membership with a platform.

Your favorite show has ended, or you are waiting for the next season, and this would be a perfect reason to pause your subscription to the platform that the show is on. An added benefit of pausing a subscription is that you will continue to receive platform notifications and updates, keeping you up to date with your favorite entertainment.

Cancel Unused Subscriptions

On the topic of subscriptions you no longer use, a more permanent money-saving option is to cancel your subscription to a particular platform. Reports have shown that a large number of Americans have subscriptions they no longer use, with estimates suggesting they may be losing up to $1000 a year because of those unused subscriptions.

There are many reasons why subscriptions might end up being unused, from titles being dropped and prices increasing too much to platform fatigue. Many Americans are abandoning platforms without canceling their subscriptions.

As many reasons as there are for subscriptions to go unused, there are equally as many reasons why people do not cancel subscriptions. Many people may feel it is too much effort to audit their subscriptions and manually cancel each one that is unused. This is time-consuming and laborious, so they decide to keep the subscription active, hoping that it will one day be useful again. Another reason is that online entertainment platforms often make canceling subscriptions to their platforms difficult by hiding the cancellation option behind multiple web pages and menus.

Fortunately, apps now exist that allow users to instantly cancel all their unused subscriptions. These apps go through the process of auditing all the subscriptions associated with your email address and then provide you with the option to unsubscribe with a single click.

Cancel Cable Subscriptions

Traditional cable subscriptions still make up a large portion of digital entertainment spending in households. Unfortunately, traditional cable television has not been able to keep up with the rapid innovation in the online entertainment sector. Cable television feels like a clunky, out-of-date technology amidst the sea of more advanced online options.

In addition to not being able to provide the extensive libraries that online services can offer, cable subscriptions are often more expensive than online alternatives. While sports remained the number one seller of cable subscriptions, modern online streaming platforms are starting to buy exclusive streaming rights for sporting events. Streaming services have more technological advantages than traditional cable television. An example of this is the amount of live analytics that streaming services can provide on screen, thanks to advanced AI data analysis algorithms that run during events.

For these reasons, canceling cable subscriptions is a great practical way to save money on digital entertainment every month.

Bundle Subscription Services

Once you have cleared out and canceled unused and unnecessary subscriptions, another great way to save is by bundling streaming service subscriptions. This often involves packaging two or more services into one single offer, often at a discounted price. This not only saves money but also simplifies subscription management for users.

Streaming subscription bundles can be created through a single company, referred to as a multi-service bundle, or involve multiple companies, which are referred to as a multi-party bundle. Many bundling services let users bundle online entertainment subscriptions and services with other non-entertainment-related services. This is a great way to save money beyond your entertainment budget.

Use Free Streaming Services

There are many apps and websites these days that offer free television shows, movies, and videos. These services are great alternatives to traditional streaming services that charge high subscription fees. Platforms like YouTube and The Roku Channel offer premier shows and videos on their free plans.

Adding on to free platforms, many streaming platforms offer free plans that users can take advantage of. The trade-off for free plans is usually advertisements that might play during the video, but in many cases, these advertisements are free and unobtrusive.

In addition to free plans, users can also search the web for premium streaming services that offer free trials. These free trials often range from 7 to 30 days and come with no obligation to pay for the full subscription at the end of the trial period.

Final Thoughts

Saving money on digital and online entertainment does not mean that you have to cut back on entertainment; it simply means being strategic and finding creative ways to reduce your monthly spending. Careful budgeting, planning, and comparing can take you far in saving up to a few hundred dollars on subscriptions each month. It is important to remember that being mindful of entertainment choices and spending not only protects your finances but also enhances the long-term satisfaction you receive from online entertainment.