How to Get the Benefits of a Subscription for Free or Cheap
Some of the subscription services are worth it (you can snatch Netflix out of my cold, dead hands), but this month we’ve challenged you to save money by canceling subscriptions you don’t use or need. To help you, here are some ways to get free perks of some popular subscription services like gym membership and cable TV.
Create your own food set
Services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh are great if you have poor meal planning . They send you a box of fresh ingredients and recipes, and all you have to do is prepare your food. These kits are convenient, but they are also quite expensive, starting at $ 60 per week. There are creative ways to get a couple of the same perks these packs offer without emptying your wallet.
Power kits save you the hassle of planning your meals, but there are several free or cheap apps that can do that for you, too.
Simple apps like Pepperplate (free for iOS and Android ) organize recipes for you and then automatically create grocery lists based on those recipes. Just search for a recipe online, download it, then go to the grocery store and get what you need. If you want even more convenience, you can skip searching for recipes with apps like Cook Smarts and Plan to Eat ( two of our favorite readers ). Just like Blue Apron, they plan your meals and come with step-by-step instructions. However, both Cook Smarts and Plan to Eat cost money. You will pay between $ 6 and $ 8 per month with the first to $ 5 per month with the second. They are not free, but they are more cost effective than a food set.
Of course, meal kits will save you the hassle of grocery shopping, which is another reason they are so expensive: your ingredients are delivered to your door. You can get around this with grocery delivery services like Instacart or AmazonFresh . Instacart has recently integrated with AllRecipes.com, so you can add recipes to your cart, and the app automatically generates a shopping list that you can schedule for delivery. Sure, you’ll pay a shipping fee (usually $ 4 to $ 6 plus tip), but you’ll get the same convenience as with a meal kit. You can also save recipes so that you can return to them.
Train at free facilities (or in your own home)
Gym membership is expensive, but provided you actually use it (or motivate you to exercise), it’s worth it. However, there are free or cheap places to work out . For instance:
- Public gyms . Search your city’s Department of Parks and Recreation for community gyms, fitness centers, or community centers. Some community colleges also offer cheap or free fitness classes.
- City Parks : As our very own Stephanie Lee points out , you’ll usually at least find a barbell for pull-ups in a city park, and many include other aids for abdominal exercises, lunges, push-ups, or other exercises.
- Playgrounds : If all else fails, playgrounds are also a great place to exercise. You have to get a little creative, butthis video shows you how to get amonkey barbell workout and this post from Nerd Fitness shows you how to turn a playground into your personal gym.
You can also build your own home gym , and this article will show you how to do it cheaply with just a few pieces of equipment. Small space? Here’s a list of cheap essentials that don’t take up much space: Hanging machines, dumbbells, a jump rope, and a Swiss ball to start with.
All of these options come down to a trade-off, so obviously you won’t get the same benefits that a traditional gym has. However, this is a good option if you are looking to save some money on your membership.
Give up cable and stream for free
Ditching cable is easier than ever, and while you can buy an HD antenna to access local channels , subscription streaming services cost money. This calculator will help you calculate how much you will save depending on what services you signed up for to replace it .
I’m not at all going to suggest that anyone give up these paid services (or even cable TV), but if you want to save money, there are ways to watch the content for free . You won’t get the latest season of House of Cards, but you will be able to watch old movies and cartoons online. For instance:
- Cartoon Network : You can watch full episodes of shows like Adventure Time, Powerpuff Girls, Pokemon and more, without having to pay or even create an account.
- Internet Movie Archive : Watch over 4,000 movies listed in the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization that archives all kinds of content, from photographs to books and classic films such as Plan 9 from Space .
- PopcornFlix : If you’re looking for more modern options, PopcornFlix has a pretty wide selection of shows and movies to choose from.
- Best documentaries : Watch popular documentaries for free and browse their list of the top 100 documentaries to see what other people are watching.
- Crackle : They’ve hit or miss, but they include episodes of shows like Seinfeld and Married With Children, as well as films like Being John Malkovich and Despair. They also have their own original content like Comedians In Cars for free.
If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you can also get a lot of streaming movies, shows, and original series for free with Prime Video . Every free service has its own limitations, and they are definitely not for everyone. That said, if saving money is your priority, you can still watch shows and movies without even paying for any streaming service.
If you have Amazon Prime, don’t pay for music or photo storage
Speaking of your Prime membership, it includes several other perks that you may have forgotten about . And a couple of them could potentially replace the services you pay for on a monthly basis.
For example, Amazon Prime Music can replace your Spotify subscription. Spotify is generally free, but if you want to be able to download music and play it offline, the Premium service costs $ 10 a month. However, you can also download and save music offline on Amazon. Their free collection is limited, so you might not find every artist you’re looking for, but it’s still pretty extensive. You can also create playlists and streaming stations, artists and songs.
Amazon Prime also comes with Prime Photos , which offers unlimited cloud photo storage . ( Google Photos also comes with unlimited storage for free, but it compresses your photos.) Amazon’s interface is clunky, but if you pay for Dropbox or any other service to store your photos, you can save money and store them for free if you’re an Amazon Prime customer.
Read your favorite magazines at your local library
And then there’s the original subscription service: magazines. If you’re on a tight budget and want to cut your subscriptions, try public libraries. Many of them use apps like Zinio , which allows library readers to read magazines for free.
You will need to create an account and link your library card with this account, but once you do, you will have access to the digital version of The New Yorker, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Of course, you can always just visit your local library and see the selection for yourself.
In many cases, your subscription is worth it. For example, I love Netflix and happily pay $ 7.99 a month for it. However, when you check your subscriptions during this month ‘s trial, consider these options to get the same benefits for a lower cost.