Who isn’t subscribed to something these days?
Everyone and their mothers are making some monthly payment that does not include their car or mortgage payment.
Heck, some of you have probably decided to buy a house that you can’t even afford.
There wasn’t much thought put into it, and you were easily influenced by everyone else around you who had the best reasons as to why you should buy a house.
The same thing goes with all these subscription services simply because they come at a very affordable price.
Today, I want to explain how something so simple can be a huge dent in your wallet.
Why Cut Subscription Services?
You don’t NEED them.
We live in a world filled with technology, and the idea of having what is in makes you do some crazy things.
Subscribing to something is one of them, and they usually come from your smartphone, your kid’s tablets, or that 4k TV that you spent entirely too much money on.
I want to go over some of the most common subscription services that are wasting a lot of your hard-earned money.
You won’t notice the waste now, but after reading what I have to say, things might change.
I’m hoping for the better, but you can decide for yourself.
Netflix and/or Hulu
These are the two most common subscription services out there.
Not to say that this is a bad service, but it is something you can live without.
I have it, and it is one of our main sources of entertainment.
Do we need it?
Of course not.
Is it worth it?
You bet it is.
Now, when you look at the selection they have, it is not that good.
It does offer a bunch of TV series shows, which is fair, but you can find better elsewhere.
I am not bashing them, but I am really talking about this because it is something that will help those of you who are looking to save more money.
$10 might seem like nothing until you see yourself go into the negative just for spending $2 on your debit card that wasn’t there to begin with.
You then have to pay $25 for a dang overdraft fee when it very much could have been prevented.
Now, just imagine if you didn’t have Netflix.
That problem would’ve easily been avoided.
Oh, and I’m sure you have seen all the price increases that seem so minute.
Give it about two years, and you might just be spending $20 for something like Netflix.
Update: Netflix is now $19.99.
Digital Storage
Smartphones are almost a must these days, and they are our go-to when it comes to capturing life.
We pull it out when we want to snap a photo and use it to record things like our kids’ soccer games.
After so many hours of recording, we tend to need more storage.
We deal with having to delete some unwanted photos and videos until we give into the marketing for more storage.
You then get stuck on another subscription that you don’t need.
I recently opted for some iCloud storage thanks to my computer slowing down, but I also recently stopped using it.
Since I am always looking for the most frugal way out of financial problems, I researched how I can get around spending for storage.
With just a little effort, I found the solution.
For one, you can use other services like Dropbox, but I found an even better way.
It is called Google Drive.
Instead of paying just to store pics and videos that you will probably never print, store it with Google Drive.
You can always transfer it later, and you don’t have to pay a single penny.
Spotify or Pandora
I love music, and I’m sure a lot of you do too.
Some of you might be crazy about purchasing music from iTunes.
If you do, it’s time you get introduced to something like Spotify or Pandora.
They are a free service that most likely has any song you want.
These do come with a paid subscription, but it is not necessary.
The free versions work just fine, and if done right, you can use them to their full potential.
I once was subscribed to Pandora until I gave Spotify a try.
I now use Spotify, as they have some great features that I’m sure you would enjoy.
You can create playlists and play your music while on the go.
The only advantage of paying monthly is the fact that you can download as you please.
That is not necessary, and I don’t recommend you pay if you don’t need it.
There are also some 3-month type trials, so you can give that a try so can see that you really don’t need the paid version.
Food Services
This is the perfect way to throw money in the trash.
If you are subscribed to something like Hello Fresh or some gourmet meal kind of service, now would be a great time to stop throwing money away.
These are never cheap, and they are not necessary.
I know you like to feel healthy and be a part of some kind of club, but this is one subscription you don’t need.
There are many recipes online that you can find with a simple Google search, so don’t feel that you are getting the best of the best recipes with your subscription.
There isn’t much that needs to be said here besides DO NOT waste your money with anything like this.
Shaving Clubs
In the beginning, something like Dollar Shave Club sounds awesome.
I don’t know if it’s the idea of being a part of a “man’s club” or if you really need/enjoy the service.
Or it’s all the other additional services they have recently added.
Whatever your reason may be, I’m sure it is convenient.
Now, when you crunch the numbers, you will clearly see that you are spending way too much money to feel like a little princess.
If you use a nice Mach 3 for a couple of months, you will see that you do not need to change your razor every single month.
Shave right when you get out of the shower, and you will see that your razor does not need to be changed.
Shaving clubs are definitely in, but that does not mean you need to jump on the bandwagon.
Conclusion – Subscribe Wisely
I have no problems with subscriptions, and I think they are great.
But when it comes to budgeting and savings, they are definitely something you can cut out until the time is right.
$10 might sound like nothing, but when you add everything up, you will see how much can be saved if you weren’t subscribed to many services.
You don’t need to be like everyone else as no one is watching you at home, so don’t feel pressured to remain a loyal customer.
Even if you can afford a subscription, it does not mean you need it.
Subscribe to what you can afford, and don’t ever feel like you can’t cut any of the services you are subscribed to.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to always subscribe responsibly.