We all like to be entertained, that’s why we spend a great deal of time on our phones, watching TV, or listening to music. It’s a natural part of life to want to have some time to yourself where you can just lay low and relax.
There’s just one teeny, tiny, slight problem; it costs money. These days, if you add up all the individual costs of entertainment in your home, you’ll be surprised at how much you’re spending. Especially on things like cable, subscription services, and everything else you purchase too.
Well, what if I told you you could still enjoy all the entertainment you love, without breaking the bank. It might not sound plausible, but it’s very much possible. Read my advice, and you’ll learn how to keep saving while listening to the songs you love and watching the shows you cherish. I’ll also throw in a few tips for things you shouldn’t do, which some people try because they think it helps them save! Get the latest home entertainment technology news at Gadgets Made Simple.
Make Use Of Free Trials
If there’s a subscription service out there, the chances are there’s a free trial too. I know most music streaming services offer a 3-6 month free trial period for new customers. You can claim this trial, then cancel your contract before you pay any money. After this, you move onto a different streaming service, use their free trial time, and move on again.
The idea here is that you basically avoid paying for a streaming service for as long as possible. You can even experiment with different email addresses and payment details to try and get more free trials. Check with your mobile network provider too as they can sometimes have deals with subscription services offering longer free trials.
It sounds like a cheap thing to do, but that’s the whole approach we’re going for here! You can definitely make it through a whole year without paying a single subscription fee just by using different free trials. See how long you can keep it going for, and you’ll be amazed at how much money you can save.
Don’t Download Things Illegally
A lot of people think they’re smart by downloading TV shows, movies, music, games, etc. without paying for them. They usually do this using something called a BitTorrent client. The files can be found online and downloaded for absolutely nothing at all. Think of all the savings you could make, there’s no need for Netflix, Spotify, or any other subscriptions ever again! It’s almost as though it sounds too good to be true.
That’s because it is. Doing this might not cost any money now, but it can cost you in the future. Downloading things for free from a torrent website is illegal, and you can face charges for this. If you look at the Wallin and Klarich information on their site, you’ll see a criminal charge known as ‘internet crimes.’ This is what illegal downloading falls under, and you really don’t want to get into legal trouble. You may be forced to pay a lot of money in damages, and may even be sentenced to time in prison. I know people still do this because they think there’s no chance they’ll get caught. However, the authorities are really cracking down on this stuff; it’s just not worth the risk.
Use Student Discounts
If you’re a student, you can use your student privileges to save money on lots of entertainment goods. Mainly, you’re looking at subscription services again. They sometimes offer student prices that are a lot less than the regular. This is because they know a lot of their target audience are students. They also know students don’t have a lot of money and their subscriptions are the first costs they cut. So, by dropping the price, they keep their target customers!
If you’re not a student, you can still utilize these discounts by using someone in your family to get them for you. You might have a sibling or a child that can get you the student discounts for the entire family.
To be extra sneaky, you could enroll in an online course and become a student. There are some courses that you can complete in your own time, and they technically make you a student. You’re eligible for student discount cards which can help you get these discounts!
Try Not To Be Tempted By Big Bundles
When it comes to your TV entertainment, a lot of us like a big bundle. We see a basic cable or satellite package, and then we see the ones above it offering more things. Suddenly, we’ve bought the most expensive bundle because you get all the channels and it claims you can save money.
The thing is, you only save money because the price of the bundle is cheaper than if you bought the smaller bundles individually to make up all the channels. Realistically, you could save a lot more money by just getting a basic package. How many channels do you actually watch? Is there any point in getting all the kids channels when you haven’t got any young children? Don’t be sucked in by big bundles, stick to the cheapest packages and save money.
You can save loads by not even buying a TV entertainment package and just watching free TV. Use the free trial tip from earlier to get a TV/movie streaming service, and you’re onto a winner!
The New Customer Trick
Finally, we have the new customer trick. What is this? Basically, companies always give out the best deals to their new customers. This can be for internet service, your TV package, even a streaming service.
The idea is to entice new customers with the best deals, getting them to switch. You should do this – and keep doing it. Switch between providers at the end of all your contracts to enjoy other companies ‘new customer offers’. You may find you save a load of money this way. It’s similar to the free trial method, only you can use it when there are no free trials involved.
That’s all I’ve got for you today, I hope it helps you save money on your entertainment the right way. Now, put the money you save away in a savings account, and keep yourself in a better financial position.
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