66 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE^ 10/2019providers have been slow to curb the
practice of password sharing, although
some have taken steps to control the
number of devices that can be used
to stream at the same time or on one
account. Still, sharing policies often
lack clarity, leaving users free to de-
duce whether their household includes
roommates or a kid at college.
You may be able to get a deal on
streaming from another service that
you already use. Earlier this year, mu-
sic streaming service Spotify offered
a package deal with Hulu (the $6
monthly plan) at no extra cost.
Cell-phone service providers are
using streaming subscriptions to
sweeten the deal on some wireless
plans. Sprint’s basic unlimited plan
includes a subscription to Hulu’s $6-
a-month plan; the company’s mid-tier
unlimited plan also adds a Tidal pre-
mium music streaming service. Its
top-tier unlimited plan includes both
and tacks on Amazon Prime. Similarly,
T-Mobile’s One plans knock $11 a
month off the price of Netf lix’s mid-
tier package (regularly $13 a month),
and Metro by T-Mobile’s unlimited
plan includes Amazon Prime. ■as Amazon Prime Video, Fandan-
goNOW, Redbox or Vudu. Pricing is
generally similar among services, but
paying for an entire season of a show
can be a better value than purchasing
each episode individually. For exam-
ple, you can purchase single episodes
of Brooklyn Nine-Nine for $2 each or
all 18 episodes in season six for $20.
Many streaming services offer sub-
scriptions at different price points.
Netf lix, for example, offers three
plans priced between $9 and $16 a
month. If you share a Netf lix account,
the mid- and upper-tier options—
which allow you to stream to two and
four screens, respectively, at the same
time—may fit you. You might also con-
sider paying a few extra dollars for the
premium plan for its ultra high-defini-
tion streaming if you have a 4K TV or
monitor. Similarly, Hulu subscribers
who use the platform for only a hand-
ful of shows might opt for the $6-a-
month plan, which has commercials,
instead of spending twice that amount
for content without ads.
If the service you’re using allows
multiple viewers to stream content at
the same time or you don’t need full-
time access, you can share accounts
within your household. The majorUntangle.TV, which will lead you
through a series of questions before
recommending streaming services and
devices based on your viewing habits.STRATEGIES TO SAVE
You don’t want to pay as much as (or
more) for streaming services as you
did for cable. Test the waters before
taking the plunge with a new service.
Many streaming services offer a free
trial—usually a week or a month—to
new customers. You can use the free
trial period to decide whether you
want to subscribe or to binge the
content you can’t find elsewhere.
Unlike cable providers, streaming
services generally don’t require a con-
tract. Rather, most bill monthly, leaving
you to come and go as you please. (A
few, including Acorn TV, DC Universe,
ESPN+ and The Criterion Channel,
offer discounts for paying a full year
up front.) If you do most of your
viewing during certain times of the
year—say, during the colder months—
consider subscribing seasonally.
If you only watch a few movies or
shows each month (or find you need
to fill gaps in your streaming service
line-up), you can rent or buy episodes
or films à la carte with services suchREWARDS
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