How to Spend Smart When Buying Digital Subscriptions

 Keep these tips in mind to keep the monthly bills for your digital subscriptions as low as possible.

18:27 28 April 2022

Most people sign up for digital subscriptions because it is a quick and easy way to get desired services, regularly, at the lowest cost. These digital subscription services can include music and video streaming, cloud storage, video libraries, software packages, etc. However, over time, users may not recognize how many subscriptions they have, or how much they are paying. This guide will help to evaluate digital subscription use and identify ways you may be able to save money in the process.

 

Look For Free Options

There are many ways to reduce costs online, such as Vimeo promo codes. But there are also some no-cost options for many digital services and goods. One example is cloud storage. While each of the major cloud storage providers does not provide much free storage, tech-savvy customers can spread out their files and utilize all of the free space before having to purchase any. Google provides 15 GB free, Apple has 5 GB for free, Dropbox provides 2 GB, Amazon has 5 GB, OneDrive provides 5 GB, and Box will give 10 free GB. This equals 42GB of free space to use as you like. Google photos will also keep all photos and videos, although they will reduce their size to 16MP and 1080p. 

 

While it may be difficult to stream newer movies and music for free, there is plenty of older movies and alternative music that can be had without paying a dime. For those who must have services like Apple Music, watch for bundles that can reduce the price. Also, don't forget about services that may be accessible through a public library. This includes free streaming services, such as Kanopy.

 

Frugal shoppers can also save money on software subscriptions. One example is using GIMP or Pixelmator instead of Photoshop. They are free, or at least a much less expensive version of Adobe's Creative Cloud. Users can easily forget Microsoft Office 365 to use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

 

Combine Accounts

Often, users have more than one account that provides the same service. For example, Apple Music and Spotify essentially do the same thing, so don't pay for both. Another example is cloud storage. Don't store things in both Dropbox and Google for $10 if you aren't using the full storage of one of them. It is worth looking over a bank account regularly to evaluate what you are paying for to see where you can combine.

 

Digital Subscription Management Apps

There are plenty of apps available to help manage digital subscriptions. Give them access to a bank account, and these apps can identify all of the regularly outgoing payments and give the option of canceling them in one click. Clarity Money, Trim, and Truebill are just a few apps available. While this type of accounting can also be done by pencil and paper, having it right on the phone is convenient. Be careful that these apps are not sharing information with third parties, and be sure to disconnect the apps when they are no longer in use.

 

Share Accounts

Many digital subscription services have family share plans. Amazon Prime, Pandora, Spotify, and Apple Music all allow multiple people to use a plan. Some services, such as Netflix, even allow for multiple user setup. Just be careful that by sharing passwords you aren't jeopardizing your financial security.

 

Digital subscriptions are a convenient way to maintain services on the go or at the home. Keep these money-saving tips in mind to keep the monthly bills as low as possible.