5 Subscription Hacks That Can Help You Save Money Without Missing Out

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Subscription fees add up fast. One minute you’re paying $12 here and $15 there, and before you know it, you’re spending $200-plus each month just for streaming, music and food delivery apps. You don’t have to cut them all out of your budget, but there are smarter ways to manage your subscriptions and save money. 

Here are five simple hacks that can help you trim the bill without feeling deprived.

1. Rotate Streaming Services

Do you really need Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max all at once? Probably not. If you signed up for Netflix to watch a show that came out five months ago (and you’ve already finished watching it), then it doesn’t make financial sense to keep the subscription. 

Figure out which platform you use the most and stick with that one month to month. For the others, subscribe only when a new season or series you care about is released. Binge what you want during that window, and then cancel until the next round. That way, you won’t be wasting money on services you barely use.

2. Use Family or Group Plans

Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium and some live TV bundles all have family or group options that cost much less than what you’d pay on your own.

For example, Spotify’s family plan is only $19.99 a month for up to six people, which comes out to less than $4 per person compared with the standard $11.99 per person. And with the family plan, everyone gets their own login, playlists and recommendations, so it’s essentially the same as having your own account. 

Note that some services’ family plans might require all members to live at the same address. 

3. Find Discounts You Might Qualify For

You might be paying full price without realizing you don’t have to. A lot of the time, students, military members and employees at certain companies can get lower rates on popular services.

For example, Spotify offers a student discount, where you can try Spotify Premium Student free for one month and then pay $5.99 per month after. The offer also includes access to the Hulu (with ads) plan. Another example is Amazon Prime Student, which is nearly half off the regular price and comes with food delivery perks and exclusive deals. 

Some employers also cover or discount subscriptions for gyms, learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning and wellness apps. So check your HR portal to see if there are any perks you’ve been missing out on. 

4. Earn Cash Back on Subscriptions

If you don’t want to cancel any of your subscriptions, there are still ways to save money. Cash-back portals like Rakuten and Honey often run promos where you can get cash back when signing up for certain services.

You can also use a rewards credit card to pay for your subscriptions to earn points or cash back. Over a year, that can stack up to free flights, hotel stays or gift cards. 

5. Pause Instead of Canceling

If you don’t need certain subscriptions year-round, pause when you don’t use them.

Many fitness apps, meal kits and some streaming services let you hit pause for a month or two. For example, Peloton lets you freeze your All-Access membership for up to three months without losing your history or stats. Meal kits like HelloFresh and Blue Apron will also let you skip weeks or pause plans whenever you want.

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