Just got the email from Netflix — another price hike. I'm now paying like $22/month and half the shows I watch aren't even on there anymore. Between Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and Disney+ I'm probably spending $70+ a month without even thinking about it. I finally canceled two of them yesterday and honestly don't miss them. Anyone else doing a subscription audit this year? Which ones are actually worth it to you now?
Makes sense. Once every service hikes at once, the old "bundle" stops feeling cheap. A lot of people seem to rotate one or two at a time instead of keeping everything all year.
A quick audit trick: look at your card statement for the last three months and cancel anything you didn't open at least twice. Many services also have cheaper ad-supported tiers or annual plans now, and some phone or internet plans bundle one in for free.
Did the same audit last month and it was kind of shocking — I was paying for two services I hadn't opened in weeks. Now I just rotate: one at a time, cancel when I finish whatever show I wanted to see. The internet bill is the one I can't rotate away from though, so that's the one that really stings.
Steven, the internet bill is the one place a phone plan can help too: some mobile carriers now bundle a streaming service or offer home internet discounts if you're already on their phone plan. Worth comparing the total for phone + internet + streaming instead of each bill on its own.
Did the same kind of audit back in September and it was honestly embarrassing — I was paying for three services I barely opened. Now I keep just one at a time and rotate monthly when a show I want actually drops. Probably saves me around $40 a month. The trick is cancelling right away when you subscribe so you don't forget.
Dennis, rotating one at a time is probably the biggest saver. A small extra: before cancelling, check whether the service offers a "pause" option or a discounted return offer. A lot of them email a cheaper deal a few weeks after you leave, so coming back later can cost less than staying.
Did the same audit a couple of months back and found three services I barely opened. Now I rotate one at a time too — cancel when I finish a show, resubscribe when something new drops. Feels weirdly satisfying. The sneaky one for me was an annual plan that auto-renewed at the higher price before I even noticed the email.