It feels like we’re going backwards. Streaming services were supposed to give us freedom — the ability to watch what we want, when we want.
But over the past few months, it’s started feeling a lot like the old cable days.
Prices are climbing, platforms are merging (Hulu and Disney+ being the latest example), and the number of subscriptions it takes to keep up with everything is getting ridiculous.
So I made a change. I stopped chasing every big release and started rotating my subscriptions based on what I want to watch. It’s saved me money and made streaming enjoyable again.
Not every platform needs to be on all the time
I only keep the ones I’m actually using
Until recently, I subscribed to every streaming service available — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, you name it. But having all those subscriptions active all the time doesn’t make sense.
I’m the kind of viewer who watches one show all the way through before starting another. For example, I’ve been watching the new Squid Game season on Netflix, and until I finish it, I know I won’t watch anything else.
This essentially means I was wasting money paying for services I wasn’t using. I looked deeper into this a few weeks back, and I realized I hadn’t watched anything on Amazon Prime Video all year.
Now, I only keep subscriptions for the services I’m actively watching and cancel the rest until something I want to see comes along. Canceling and resubscribing only takes a few minutes these days anyway.
You don’t have to watch every new show the week it drops
Waiting often makes them more fun to binge
One reason I stayed subscribed to all streaming services was that my favorite shows weren’t all on the same platform.
Now, much like the old days, many services have gone back to slowly releasing TV shows and movies. Only a few episodes or parts of the content are released at a time, with the rest coming later.
I used to stay subscribed everywhere to watch new content the moment it dropped. But now, I neither have the time nor the patience to watch shows one week at a time.
I have also realized that waiting for full releases often makes binging more fun.
I do not have to wait weeks or months for the next part, and watching something after the hype has faded a few months later can be more enjoyable because I can watch it entirely on my terms.
Rotating subscriptions have kept my watchlist exciting
Every month feels like a fresh TV lineup
So, what I do now is subscribe to only one (or two) streaming services at a time to watch the show I am currently watching and put the others on pause.
For example, I am subscribed to Netflix and Disney+ right now, but I plan to watch Shrinking next, so I will drop one of the two services for Apple TV+.
Plus, I’ve also found that this habit makes it easier to organize what I want to watch.
For example, I keep a dedicated Google Keep note of what I want to watch and categorize it by the streaming service it is on.
I then subscribe to a service, clear that watchlist, and move on to the next service based on the shows on my list.
I’m saving a surprising amount without any real effort
It’s a simple hack to save money
All in all, this rotation of services over the past two months has saved me money.
When I first canceled my monthly plan, I thought I might regret it because of the shows and movies I would miss, but I soon realized I could always go back. I was not watching the service anyway and paying for nothing.
Even if you add up the annual plans that supposedly save money, having only two services per month for a year would still cost less than paying for all of them annually.
This is such a simple hack that has gone under the radar for a long time. Yes, I do need to stay alert for when a subscription is about to renew to avoid automatic charges, but I have a monthly reminder set for that, so I am covered.
Rotating my streaming services saved me money (and my sanity)
By rotating between streaming services every few months, I can make the most of my time by watching content I genuinely want while also saving money along the way.
But this is just the start. There are even more ways to save on streaming, such as using a streaming device to watch foreign TV shows and movies, or taking advantage of free streaming plans.
