Reader’s Digest UK – August 2019

104 • AUGUST 2019

which you don’t need and won’t use.

Do be cautious of how this could

affect the cost of other services you

get from the same telecoms provider,

such as a phone line and broadband.

Are you subscribing to too

many streaming services?

Netflix and Amazon Prime have

changed how we watch TV. Rather

than catch a new episode each week,

we now binge entire series in a few

days or weeks.

Half of the people with a streaming

package subscribe to more than one

of them. This is likely to increase if

you add on the new Apple or Disney

services when they launch later this

year. Which begs the question: how

can you possibly watch everything

you’re paying for?

Very simply, I don’t think you can.

So, once more, think about what you

watch and how you watch it. You’ll

probably find you have more than

enough to watch if you just subscribe

to one service at a time. When you

run out of things, cancel it and move

onto a different service. And repeat.

Turn your TV into a smart TV [box]

An issue many have with on-demand

and streaming services is watching

the programmes on your TV rather

than just on a computer or tablet. But

it’s a problem that’s actually very easy

to solve.

If you don’t have the apps on your

TV or DVD player already, you can

month. But they are all often
available at lower prices thanks to
special offers online.
The final option is “Sports”. The
Day (£7.99) and Week (£14.99)
passes can be of great value for
occasional fans, but if you’re an avid
day-in-day-out Sky Sports viewer,
you’ll probably be better off sticking
to a normal Sky package.
Though you can’t record, you can
watch everything live, and all but
the sports channels are available
on-demand.
Alternatively, if you want to stick
with the likes of Sky and Virgin you
should get on the phone to your pay
TV provider and haggle. Say you’d like
to cancel and listen as the sales
person on the other end of the phone
throws discount after discount at you
to prevent you leaving. Don’t feel like
you have to accept the first offers, and
be wary of extras being added for free

MONEY