We all love streaming for different reasons; some go for entertainment purposes and even educational gains. However, balancing the fees, especially when the prices go unexpectedly up, is where you draw the line. Streaming can be costly and draining, especially when you don’t do it with discipline. If you are tired of seeing the monthly charges go up now and then, applying some restrictions goes a long way in helping you spend within your range. Many users want to know how to manoeuvre through this in their various countries; for example, one would want to know how to unlock US Netflix in UK. One can easily do this using a VPN; more specifically, a free VPN if you don’t want to bear any cost.

A free VPN would go a long way and allow access to multiple geo-restricted streaming services. However, you would need a reliable free VPN for this. Among multiple free VPN services, a top recommendation is ProtonVPN. For more details about this provider, you can check out the ProtonVPN review by VPNRanks.

However, while a free VPN is deemed to be the most effective option, below are six effective techniques you can apply to ensure you are saving on some extra coin:

  1. Share Subscriptions with Friends and Family

Taking advantage of the subscription plans enables one to subscribe with several people at a generally lower cost because cost-sharing can come through for you when saving. Why pay for more alone when you can pay for less as a group?

Take a look at Spotify Family, which costs a total of $14.99/month and grants access to up to six people. The individual plan price per month for each person would be $9.99/month, and this means a group of six people would only have to pay $2.50/month to subscribe. Now, this is a massive saving plan that you cannot afford to miss.

There are also third-party platforms like Together Price that facilitate cost sharing on such platforms. They allow you to form a group of a few people with the same preference, and then you share the cost between yourselves.

  1. Look for Student Discounts

Research shows that an ideally wide range of Streaming services offer student discounts that they need to apply. For instance, looking at Amazon includes a six-month free trial, and you get to pay $6.49/month for as long as you are still a student.

It is a whopping 50% off from the normal membership cost. It does not limit you, for you still get access to the free unlimited photo storage and access to Amazon’s catalog with dozens of shows and movies.

If this doesn’t convince you to apply for the discounts, then what else will?

  1. Use a bill tracker App

A bill tracker App aids in monitoring payments, managing your spending and keeping track of all the services you have subscribed to. These are important as they keep an eye on any benefits you may be paying for without your knowledge and update you accordingly on any increment in the fees. That is surely a deal-breaker.

A bill tracker App helps you stick to your budget and manage your expenses when it comes to streaming services. If you’re on the move towards making important saving goals, taking into account your spending is vital.

It easily comes through for you in meeting your financial objectives.

  1. Choose an Ad-supported subscription

Go for the streaming plans that give you an option of cutting down on your plan price if you choose the ad version. Nobody stomachs the idea of watching commercials, but if it involves saving money, why not take one for the wallet!

Hulu, for instance, offers to do away with all the ads for a higher price, and you surely don’t want to go down this road if you plan on saving while streaming. So why not opt for the ads at a fair price and go back to the old days when people would let an ad run while they grab a snack or visit the washroom.

You can also let yourself be distracted just for a while because it wholesomely pays off at the end of the day.

  1. Cut Down on Resolution

Streaming plans like Netflix and YouTube offer ranging tiers at different prices. It means you can save a few quid by deciding to go a bit less on the quality of the videos streamed. With saving comes consequences, and such require our discipline to make something out of it.

While reducing the resolution of the video or pictures streamed, you reduce the amount of data needed to load, and with the current Covid crisis, this can save up on the whole more that can be used to fill another gap.

The standard tier for Netflix is $13.99 HD resolution, while the premium tire goes for $17.99 Ultra HD. If you are watching on, let’s say, a phone can also eat up data and don’t give a hoot on quality; you can drop down to a basic tier and save!

  1. Pay for the subscriptions you’re using

Streaming services can be very addictive, and in the long run, be tempted to subscribe to a number of them. Eventually, you run out of time and realise you have not utilised all of them like you are supposed to, the subscription expires, and you lose a lot of money.

Why pay for something if you’re not using it? To ensure serious savings, why not work out a rotation schedule whereby instead of opting for all of them, you could choose only one, exhaust all your favourite shows and swiftly move to the next one. You can decide to rotate this in months. It even provides you with a better knowledge of all the available streaming services and how they operate.

Final Thoughts

Financial planning helps to increase your savings wether that’s through a free VPN, utilising student discounts, choosing an ad-based subscription service or any of the other options mentioned above. The first step to financial planning is cutting off all the toxic ways hindering you from meaningful saving. Such ways are like sharing policies on subscription services which cuts down on spending more, tracking how you channel out your money, and only cashing out what you need.

Suppose there is an opportunity of using a more affordable resolution that still serves the purpose; why not give it a go and, while at it, choose a streaming plan that gives you offers of watching ads and saving up. It’s not like the subscription plans give us limited options, so we can choose from the many that they provide.

Being all ignorant and going about streaming activities without thoroughly finding out about them while at the same time wanting to save does not add up as ignorance only costs you more. Well, unless you have some spare change, you want to throw it around.