Congrats to MrBeast on 300 million subscribers on YouTube! Watch out, buddy! I’m right on your tail. 😉
7 ways to stop paying so much on streaming every dang month
Five years ago, Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu with Live TV would cost you around $56 a month. Not bad! Today, the exact services will run you over $106. How’s that for outrageous?
New research shows we’re more cutthroat than ever about what we pay to stream. Let’s look at some clever ways people save so you can, too!
It’s all about the Benjamins
If it’s not clear by now, we’re all scaling back on streaming primarily because of how dang expensive these services are. Sure, some people hit their TV limit during the pandemic (🙋♀️ raising my hand), but costs are still out of control.
Here are a few recent increases in monthly prices:
- Ad-free Netflix plan: From $13.99 to $15.49
- Ad-free Disney+ premium: From $11 to $14
- Ad-free Hulu with Live TV: From $70 to $77
- Ad-free Amazon Prime Video: From $0 to $2.99, plus you need to pay $14.99 per month for Prime
Over the last two years, roughly 25% of American streaming subscribers have canceled at least three services. Yup, I’m in that category, too!
OK, I’m ready to save
I feel you. You don’t need to cut all your streaming to save significant cash, either.
- Get creative. What do you pay for that you don’t need all the time? Looking at you, sports add-ons. Cancel those once specific events or seasons are over.
- Focus on what you watch most. If we’re not watching anything on Netflix, it goes away until our show returns. A couple of active services are usually more than enough for one family.
- Watch ads. Streaming companies are desperate to keep you, and you can get free or cheaper options if you’re willing to put up with commercials.
- Get a grip. Sometimes, you forget what you’re even paying for. I use Rocket Money (a sponsor of my podcast) to do it for me. You can also comb through your bank and credit card statements to find all your streaming charges.
- Consider an antenna. This is a no-brainer if you’re a sports fan and your favorite games are on local channels. Here’s a solid option that includes a DVR, and this one gets the job done on a budget. Try this site to see what channels you can get at home.
- Test the freebies. Pluto TV, Tubi and plenty of others still cost absolutely nothing. Ads? Yes. Free? Yes. Big list of freebies here!
- Sharing is caring. Not everyone has banned this yet. Amazon lets up to six people share. Through Apple’s Family Sharing feature, six folks get Apple TV+. Disney+ started cracking down on password sharing for Canadian users, but it’s still OK here in the U.S. — for now.
My husband, Barry, is a serial subscriber
If there’s a paid app or service, he somehow finds it. I regularly go in and cancel stuff he’s not using, and then every few months, he’ll yell, “KIM! Did you cancel this?” I just laugh.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
MrBeast: How the most popular YouTuber made his fortune
Are you a Netflix fan, or do you prefer binge-watching YouTube videos late into the night? Tap or click here for the magic number that may dictate your preference.
If you have young kids or grandkids, you may have heard of MrBeast. He’s an internet sensation whose viral videos consist of stunts, comedy and massive acts of philanthropy.
MrBeast breaks the internet
His channel has more than 300 million subscribers, making him the most subscribed YouTuber in the world. What’s the key to his meteoric rise? Plus, X allows porn, don’t try this castor oil TikTok trend, and watch out for the latest scammer tricks.
🇨🇳 Patreon copycat: Communist China app TikTok’s new Subscription feature lets you offer paying subscribers exclusive content, like videos, notes and unique badges. To qualify, you must be 18 or older and have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the past calendar month. I wouldn’t put my efforts into this until we know what’s going on with the ban.
300 million subscribers
On YouTube for MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson. “I remember freaking out when I hit 300 subscribers 11 years ago,” he posted on X. Here’s a quick vid where Andrew and I talk about his rise to internet fame.
Do you share a Netflix account? That's about to be banned
Netflix is undoubtedly one of the most popular streaming services. By the end of 2022, it had just over 220 million subscribers worldwide.
Imagine how many subscribers Netflix would have if so many people didn’t share passwords. Well, you won’t have to imagine much longer. The streaming giant is banning account sharing in March. If you have a profile on someone else’s account, it’s time to transfer it and create your own account.
Check your streaming bills NOW or else
Streaming services constantly compete for new users, content deals and additional income. But they also fight to keep their current subscribers, who can cancel at the click of a button.
Netflix is an unfortunate example, as it lost almost a million subscribers between April and July this year. It’s the second quarter in a row where it lost subscribers, which could be attributed to its price hike in March.
MrBeast's backstory: Rise to No. 1 on YouTube
MrBeast surpassed the top YouTube channel #tseries, then broke a world record for most subscribers in one day. How did this enormous creator get where he is? We did the digging.
Talk to me: OpenAI’s advanced voice mode is coming to some ChatGPT Plus subscribers. This is the same feature that debuted with a Scarlett Johansson-like voice. They hired voice actors instead of, you know, stealing a celebrity likeness.
MrBeast hits 300M subscribers
No other YouTuber has ever done this before. In other news, hackers stole 193 million Ticketmaster barcodes, and Airbnb has a hidden-cam problem. Plus, NASA’s heat maps show ground temperatures reaching 160 degrees in Phoenix.
$1 million a year
What a YouTuber with 1.8 million subscribers makes. Jake Tran, 25, posts documentary-style vids about controversial topics, conspiracy theories and scams. He says he gets “paid for learning how the world works.” I feel the same way teaching you all about tech!
MrBeast broke the YouTube record
His channel has more than 270 million subscribers, making him the most subscribed YouTuber in the world. What’s the key to his meteoric rise? Plus, X allows porn, don’t try this castor oil TikTok trend, and watch out for the latest scammer tricks.
1,000 Wordle puzzles
Now available to New York Times Games subscribers. I like the comradery of everyone doing the same puzzle each day, but it’s also fun to catch up on older Wordles if you missed them! Pro tip: My favorite opening word is “stare.”
Premium subscribers are getting an AI-powered “Jump Ahead” feature to skip to the best parts of videos. Enable the feature, double-tap to skip as usual and hit the new button that appears. It’s available on Android devices only (for now). You’ll know about it first because you get my free newsletter!
9.3M new subscribers for Netflix
In the first quarter of 2024, bringing the platform’s global total to 270 million. Netflix execs are stopping sharing subscriber numbers. My guess: They’re reaching saturation, and soon, there’ll be nowhere for these numbers to go but down.
500 subscribers to be a YouTube Partner
That’s the minimum to make money from your vids. If you want a cut of AdSense revenue, you need 1,000 subs. You’ll need to rack up watch hours, too — 3,000 for Partners and 4,000 for AdSense. Not to toot my own horn here, but I have 82,500 subscribers on YouTube. Toot-toot.
And then there are the Elon Musk scams: Cybercriminals are using the SpaceX Starship test launches to push bogus crypto giveaways. They’re looping videos, faking Musk’s voice and tricking folks into sending crypto. One phony account even roped in 2.3 million subscribers.
Plot twist: Spotify wants to win over Audible subscribers, but its offer must be fiction. The Audiobooks Access Tier is $9.99 per month for 15 hours of audiobook-listening and ad-supported music. Compare that to Spotify Premium, at $10.99 a month, 15 hours of audiobook listening and ad-free music. Do they think we can’t read?
Netflix and bill: It’s that time again! Streaming giant Netflix is bumping up its prices. Analysts say the cheapest ad-free plan is soaring to $17.49. Entry-level with ads? $7.99. And for 4K subscribers? Get ready to pony up as much as $25.99 per month. Gulp.