You Can Stop Spending $800 or More a Year on Streaming. Do This Instead

Remember when Hulu was free and Netflix was $8 a month? Streaming TV isn’t what it used to be, with price increasesadditional usage fees and sports packages this can bring your monthly streaming bills to $200 or more.

Every year we see an increase in the costs of services like Netflix, Peacock, Philo and Disney platformswhere the average price for an ad-only plan starts at $9 per month. Thin packages like DirecTV’s Genre Packs and YouTube TV’s Skinny Bundles bolster bundled play, but all those extra choices put me in the position of a coach trying to figure out who to cut.

CNET latest survey found that on average we spend over $200 per year on subscriptions we are not using.

If you’re keeping six different streamers just to catch a few shows, it might be time to rethink your setup. You don’t have to cancel everything – just be strategic. Here’s the simple system I use to reduce my streaming costs without sacrificing the shows I love.

Rotate your streaming subscriptions

Whether you stream exclusively or do it while holding the cable cord tightly, you can save money. With monthly plans, it’s easy to subscribe to a streaming service and cancel if prices increase or you’re bored with the content.

According to Deloitte’s 2026 Media Trends report, the average U.S. household spends $71 per month on four streaming services, or a total of about $850 per year. People cancel their streaming subscriptions primarily due to price and the availability of – or lack of – engaging content. Media companies refer to this behavior as “unsubscribing.” We call this the rotation method and we recommend you try it.

The incentive? You save your room and avoid content droughts. Let’s say a series like X-Men ’97 or Dutton Ranch should premiere on a streaming service. Find the total number of episodes and wait until all episodes are available at the same time on a platform. You cancel Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, or other services, then resubscribe once all episodes are available to catch up. Alternatively, you can start airing a show mid-season to cut costs.

The downside? You won’t have immediate access to all the shows you want to watch and will have to wait for the full season to air. And since many streaming services release new episodes every week, you might not be caught up at the same time as your friends. If you prefer to watch episodes immediately after they’re released, you may decide it’s worth having multiple subscriptions at once. However, if you are patient, you can save money.

The strategy can also work if you have a live TV streaming service to watch a particular sport or a major event like the Super Bowl or the World Cup. Once the season ends, cancel the service or move to a cheaper platform with fewer channels, like Sling TV.

Need help determining the best way to rotate? Follow the tips below to learn how to reduce your streaming subscriptions until your wallet is happy.

Tip #1: Cancel your subscription before being billed

Set calendar reminders for your billing cycle and release dates of upcoming TV shows or movies. Give yourself enough notice to start or end a subscription. Apps like JustWatch and TV Time help you find out when and where TV shows and movies appear on a streaming service. And JustWatch added a tracker specifically for sports. If you have a smart home device from Google or Amazon, you can set reminders for specific dates and allow a voice assistant like Alexa to notify you of an upcoming bill or streaming release date.

Tip #2: Sign up for streaming service offers

To research streaming discounts services. For example, Starz regularly offers one-month deals that reduce its price by $11 per month. You can also take advantage of the Disney Bundle, which provides access to Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus in one package at a discounted price. Finally, make sure to look for student discounts and check with your cell phone carrier or grocery store to see which ones offer free or discounted streaming subscriptions.

Tip #3: Choose one or two default streaming services

Subscribe to one or two must-have services for the year and select just one or two additional options based on your monthly budget. Rotate the bonus service(s) based on what you want to watch, ensuring you don’t miss your favorite shows while staying within your monthly spending cap.

Tip #4: Only use monthly billing

Avoid annual subscriptions and pay attention to your auto-renewal payment dates, even if that means using a tracking app like Rocket Money. Your billing cycle can help you determine the best time to leave a service, even if you only signed up for a free trial. The only advantage of subscribing to an annual plan is that the price is significantly reduced.

Tip #5: Don’t cancel your subscription, pause it

Hulu lets you suspend your subscription up to 12 weeks, and Sling offers a similar option with stipulations. Check with your streaming provider if you can take a temporary break without canceling.

Try it, and if you don’t like it, you can always subscribe again. For more great streaming TV tips, check out this guide to Netflix’s hidden tricks and our advice on best VPNs.