You Can Save Nearly $200 a Year With One Incredibly Simple Money-Saving Hack
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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Life often costs more when you struggle with cash flow. If you have to spread out purchases over time through a buy now, pay later program, you’ll pay service fees. If you have to put a major purchase on a credit card, you’re likely to get stung by finance charges until you pay it off.
The opposite is also true: If you have the cash to pay upfront for certain expenses, you can save more than $100 a year. Many popular subscription services, for example, offer a discount if you pay for 12 months in advance.
Let’s explore how much you can save by paying upfront for popular streaming services. This will also protect you against any mid-year price increases that may arise.
Amazon Prime
- Savings: $40.88
Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month, or $139 if you pay upfront per year. The monthly option comes out to $179.88 per year, which means you can save $40.88 by paying upfront.
Hulu
- Savings: $19.89
Hulu only offers upfront discounts for its ad-supported plan, which costs $9.99 per month, or $99.99 annually. Paying the monthly fee comes out to $119.88 per year, which means you’ll save $19.89 by paying upfront.
Disney+
- Savings: $31.89
Most subscribers will find better cost savings by bundling Disney+ and Hulu. The Disney Bundle Duo Premium, with no ads, costs $19.99 monthly, which is $239.88 for the year. There’s no discount for paying upfront. However, Disney Premium ($15.99 per month, or $159.99 annually) plus Hulu with ads ($119.88) is $279.87, which totals $39.99 more than bundling the two services.
Looking to save on Disney+ by itself? Pay upfront for Disney+ Premium with no ads for $159.99. Since $15.99 monthly per year totals $191.88, you’ll save $31.89 when you pay for a full year.
Netflix
Netflix does not offer savings for annual subscriptions.
YouTube
- Savings: $13.90 or $27.89
YouTube Premium, which offers ad-free music and videos, costs $13.99 per month, with the first month free. A one-year subscription for an individual costs $139.99 for 12 months. If you are a new subscriber, the annual subscription will save $13.90 for the year ($13.99 x 11 = $153.89).
If you keep your account past the first year, your savings ramps up to $27.89 for the next year as an annual subscriber.
Max
- Savings: Up to $41.89
Max, formerly HBO Max, offers an annual discount on every service tier. Basic with Ads costs $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year, for a $19.89 savings. The Standard service costs $16.99 per month, or $169.99 per year. Multiplying $16.99 by 12 equals $203.88 — an annual subscription saves $33.89. The Premium service costs $20.99 per month ($20.99 x 12 = $251.88). Therefore, you’ll save $41.89 with an annual subscription at $209.99.
Paramount
- Savings: $35.89
Paramount offers two service tiers, both with discounts for annual subscriptions. Ad-supported Paramount+ Essential costs $7.99 per month, or $59.99 for the year ($7.99 x 12 = $95.88). Paying upfront delivers savings of $35.89. Paramount+ with Showtime, which is ad-free except for live TV, costs $12.99 per month, or $119.99 annually ($12.99 x 12 = $155.88) — that’s also a savings of $35.89.
Final Take To GO
If you subscribe to all of the services above, you could save as much as $198.33 per year. That’s roughly five tanks of fuel for your car, or nearly 40 cups of coffee at $5 each. This savings could also cover your electric bill for one month in many parts of the country, according to data from SaveOnEnergy.com, which lists the average U.S. electric bill at $145.44. Â
Can’t afford to pay for all your streaming services at once? Consider paying upfront for a full year for one service each month so you can spread out your costs. Make a note of when you purchased each service, that way you won’t be surprised by the charge the following year. You can also plan to use your tax refund in April and pay for all the services so you won’t have to worry about this expense until next April.
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