Stop Cancelling Your Streaming: Here's How To Slash Your Monthly Bill Without Losing Your Favorites

Faced with rising subscription expenses, many people’s first instinct is to cancel streaming services. Yet before you take that step, there are legitimate ways to significantly reduce what you’re paying each month. Several major streaming platforms offer bundling options and plan downgrades that can slash your bill substantially while maintaining access to the content you love.

The Disney Bundle Strategy: Cutting Costs by Nearly Half

Keeping separate subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu separately is burning money unnecessarily. Currently, Disney+ costs $11.99 monthly with ads or $18.99 without, while Hulu’s individual plans mirror these prices. This means paying $23.98 or $37.98 monthly for both services independently.

The solution lies in bundling. When you combine these two services, you’ll pay only $12.99 per month with ads or $19.99 for the limited ads option. This strategy delivers savings of 45% to 47% on your monthly bill—a significant reduction that makes the bundle worth considering over separate subscriptions.

Want to maximize your entertainment value? Add HBO Max into the mix. Combining all three services costs just $19.99 with ads or $32.99 without, compared to the $41.97 to $59.97 you’d spend subscribing individually (Disney+ at $11.99 or $18.99, Hulu at $11.99 or $18.99, and Max at $10.99, $18.49, or $22.99). This bundled approach reduces your bill by 41% to 42%.

Apple TV+ and Peacock: A Viable Budget Alternative

For those seeking premium content outside Disney’s ecosystem, Apple TV+ and Peacock offer a partnership worth exploring. Apple TV+ runs $12.99 monthly, while Peacock ranges from $7.99 to $16.99 depending on your tier preference. Subscribing to both separately costs between $20.98 and $29.98 monthly.

Bundle them together and choose the $14.99 ad-supported option to achieve 29% savings, or opt for the $19.99 ad-free version for 17% to 33% reduction on your bill. This pairing works well for viewers who want variety without committing to the Disney ecosystem.

Netflix: The Downgrade Path to Maximum Savings

Netflix presents a different opportunity. Rather than cancelling altogether, consider switching between their three tiers: $7.99 monthly with ads, $17.99 without ads, or $24.99 for their premium plan.

If you’re currently on the $17.99 plan, switching to the $7.99 tier saves approximately 56% monthly. Moving from the $24.99 plan to the $7.99 option delivers an impressive 68% reduction. These figures demonstrate that downgrading your plan—rather than cancelling—can dramatically decrease your bill while keeping you subscribed to Netflix’s entire content library.

The trade-off is simple: ads in exchange for significantly lower monthly expenses. For cost-conscious viewers, this represents one of the most substantial savings opportunities available.

Additional Bundle Options Through Wireless Carriers

Xfinity, T-Mobile, and Verizon each offer Netflix bundles integrated into their service plans. However, these require existing subscriptions or commitments to those carriers, so they’re only practical if you’re already a customer or considering switching providers.

The Bottom Line: Strategic Planning Beats Cancellation

Before you cancel streaming subscriptions due to high monthly bills, evaluate these bundling and downgrade options. In many cases, you can cut your streaming expenses in half or more while retaining access to the shows and movies you actually watch. The key is being intentional about which services you need and how to structure them for maximum savings.