With the move from cable to streaming, lots of people wonder, “Are we actually saving anything?” Let’s find out. Typically, you’ll see more niche content, news, and sports with cable, but you won’t see as much quality original TV or newer blockbuster movies. That’s streaming’s arena. For most people, streaming is more of a one-and-done. They sign up for the service and that’s all. But other folks may find themselves cracking open their wallets to improve their streaming experience. An Apple TV isn’t as expensive as some HD or 4K TVs, but buying one still costs more than streaming on the TV you already have. That’s $190 you could spend on something else. (To learn more, check out How Much Does an Apple TV Cost?) And these aren’t the only devices you might buy to improve your streaming experience. Quality speakers, faster routers, plasma screens—the sky’s the limit. As long as your budget can keep up, that is. Exact plan details and costs depend on your chosen phone or internet provider. Here’s what we recommend for phone data and home internet speeds. How much more? Well, Hulu with no ads is $7 more per month, and HBO Max with no ads is $6. That’s not a mind-boggling price jump, but upgrading either service does increase your streaming costs by about 10%. Upgrading both is a 20%ish increase. In some cases, you’re saving money by only watching the content you want, when you want. But with services you keep going back to, you’re missing out on the long-term savings of 12-month discounts. For instance, if your small children live off Doc McStuffins, you’ll save around $15 when you pay for a year of Disney+ up front. Not every service offers year-long plans, but many do. We recommend taking advantage wherever it will save you money. (Hint: it won’t save you money with a service you use one month every year, but it will with a service you continually use for months at a time.) Buy a new iPhone? Sweet, now you have three months of Apple TV+. Switch to T-Mobile? Enjoy your free Netflix account! We’re not saying you should buy any of these things because you get freebies. That kind of defeats the purpose! But it’s nice to know that if you make any of these purchases, you’ll also save a little on streaming. The only downside? You can’t take advantage of a sale for a service you’re already signed up for. And we can help you stay updated with current internet and strreaming deals. Tons of apps stream previously made content, original content, or even both at no cost. Some of our favorites include the following: Not all setups have the same apps, though, so the content and content quality will depend on what device you’re using. We chose our top five streaming services based on value, content, and price. For a deeper dive into why each one made the list, check out Best Streaming Services. Could they be more worth it? Also yes, especially if you find yourself spending a lot on the hidden costs of streaming. If your streaming is too expensive, can you fix the problem? Easily. It’s not hard to find ways to save money on streaming to get an even better value out of your dollar.
