Netflix, Disney +. HBO Now, Peacock, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video to name a few are all demanding our attention with high quality movies, tv shows, original content, and exclusive first looks. None of them overlap. And we want to have access to everything. But can we get high quality entertainment without paying $50 a month to subscribe to all of these services?
Yes! And you can do it without sharing your passwords with friends, family, and minor acquaintances.
3 Ways to Save on Home Entertainment
Cut down to one subscription at a time.
How many of us have subscribed to a streaming service to watch one show, finished that show, and then never unsubscribed? Most of us do this. Over the course of a few months we’ve subscribed to two, maybe three services. We only use one regularly though. By just being intentional about what you want to watch you can drastically reduce your bill. Instead of subscribing to all of them, try subscribing to one of them while you watch your current favorite show. Then, once you’ve finished with that show and want to watch one on another service, just unsubscribe from your current service and then subscribe to the next one. Don’t worry, they won’t really delete your account and you can get back in at any time by resubscribing.
Rent movies for free.
What if I told you that you could have high quality entertainment without paying a dime (if you aren’t late that is)? And you don’t have to watch ads to do it either! Most public libraries have a wide selection of movies, tv shows, and don’t forget about books. These are available to anyone with a library card. And the best thing is that library cards are free! The more people use libraries the easier it is for them to get funding and keep offering this great service. So start supporting your local library, and get high quality entertainment at the same time.
Start a movie club
Another cheap way to get more entertainment in your life is a movie club. Get together with some friends (the more the better), have them bring movies they recommend from their own collection, exchange movies, watch the movies, the come back together to talk about it (preferably with food) and repeat. This way you get social interaction and high quality entertainment. You can also revisit some of your favorite classics, watch new movies without wondering if it will be any good, and get more use out of those old movies you just don’t watch anymore. It makes buying movies actually worth it.
Entertainment doesn’t have to break the bank
Movies and tv shows aren’t the only ways to have fun even though it seems like that sometimes. It is important to cut down on our movie and tv expenses, but you don’t have to replace streaming services with more tv. There are so many other ways to have fun without spending a dime. You could take up an indoor hobby, go for a hike or ride a bike, read a book, create a homemade obstacle course, or whatever else you can think of. Regardless, spending less on entertainment is an easy way to cut your expenses fast. Just remember you don’t have to stop having fun to do it.
Author Bio
Shaun Morgan is a personal finance blogger at simplyknowmoney.com which is dedicated to helping low income earners use their money wisely to obtain financial security and freedom. He is also a Middle School Teacher who loves to focus on economics and teaching his students sound financial principles.
