The television landscape has changed drastically over the last five years. Not too long ago, consumers had to have a cable subscription to enjoy the best TV programming available. These days, more people than ever are forgoing cable and opting instead for a streaming subscription. In fact, with the content available on services like Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and YouTube TV, the case for signing up for a pricey and lengthy cable subscription is less compelling than it’s ever been. One of the ironies of the new streaming landscape, however, is that people aren’t necessarily spending less on TV entertainment. While a monthly cable subscription is pricey, signing up for a slew of streaming services can add up quickly. There is, however, a quick and clever way you can save money on Netflix and other streaming services.
Save Money on Netflix
Netflix, to its credit, makes it incredibly easy to cancel your subscription and sign back up. In contrast to draconian cable subscriptions, there are no long-term contracts or hidden fees to be wary of. In short, it’s a smart budgetary move to simply set a reminder for when your Netflix subscription is going to end and cancel it if there’s nothing you plan on watching.
The idea is obvious when you hear it, if not a bit silly. But a friend of mine has used this strategy with great success. Especially given the fact that many people binge shows, as opposed to watching programming week to week, there’s really no reason to have an ongoing Netflix subscription if you’re not watching anything for months at a time.
Think of it this way: let’s assume that Stranger Things season 4 is hypothetically coming back in late 2021. And let’s assume that Stranger Things is the main reason you signed up for Netflix in the first place. Instead of keeping your subscription active for the next few months when you’re not watching much Netflix content, you could save money every month by cancelling now and signing back up later in the year. And once you sign back up, you can binge everything you’ve missed out on in a few weeks or short few months. After that, you can cancel your subscription again.
It may sound tedious, but if money is tight, it’s certainly an option worth considering.
How to cancel Netflix on time
Again, saving money on Netflix by cancelling periodically is easy. All you have to do is go to Netflix on the web and log in. Tap on your account icon in the upper right-hand corner and select “Account.” Here, you’ll see when your next Netflix billing date is. Now, all you have to do is set a reminder on your phone to cancel a few days before the next billing cycle begins.
To actually cancel, proceed with the steps above and select “Cancel Membership” underneath the Membership & Billing heading. You’ll see an additional cancellation prompt at this point. Hit “Finish Cancellation.” and you’re good to go.
It’s worth noting that if you cancel your Netflix subscription, you can restart your membership at any time with no added costs. What’s more, all of your viewing preferences and account details will be saved if you rejoin within 10 months of cancelling. And needless to say, you can use the same trick with any other streaming services you want.
