Streaming costs have quietly ballooned while we weren’t paying attention.
The average U.S. household now spends $61–$65 per month on streaming services, and most people don’t realize they’re spending that much until they add it up.
You subscribed for one show.
Forgot to cancel that trial.
Your teenager needs their own platform.
Someone wanted sports for the playoffs and never canceled after the season ended. Suddenly, you’re paying for seven services even though you actively watch only two.
So, we pulled together a simple 1–2 week audit challenge to help you see what you actually watch, what you don’t, and where you can consolidate – without sacrificing the content you love.
Step 1: Set Your Audit Timeframe: 7–14 Days
Track every show or movie watched, every family member’s platform usage, hours spent on each service, and which devices are used. Identify “dead subscriptions” where nobody logged in that entire week.
Give each family member a separate tracking row or use color coding to see individual patterns clearly.
Step 2: List All Your Subscriptions
Write down everything: Netflix, Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Peacock, sports packages like Sportsnet+ or ESPN+, add-on channels like Paramount+ or AMC+, cable or IPTV subscriptions, and free trials converting to paid soon.
Include the monthly cost and renewal date for each one.
Step 3: Calculate Your Actual Monthly Total
Add it up honestly. Compare “what I thought I was paying” against “what I actually pay.” Bundles, regional sports networks, and premium add-ons cause the biggest bloat.
According to a survey by C + R Research, people surveyed underestimated the cost of their monthly subscription services on average by 2.5x more than their original estimate!
Step 4: Analyze Your Viewing Patterns
High-Value Services (keep): Used weekly by multiple people, offers several shows or sports you actively follow.
Medium-Value Services (rotate): Watched occasionally, great for 1–2 big shows yearly. Perfect candidates for pausing or seasonal subscriptions. For example, subscribe only during the NFL season or when your show airs.
Low-Value or Zero-Use Services (cancel): Nobody used them during the audit, you subscribed for a single show months ago, the content duplicates another service, or you genuinely forgot you had it.
Step 5: Explore Bundles & Smart Alternatives
Disney Bundle: Disney+, Hulu+, and ESPN+ often cost less than buying any two separately.
Carrier Perks: T-Mobile frequently includes Netflix or Apple TV+. Verizon often includes the Disney bundle, Hulu, or AMC+. Switch your subscription billing to your phone carrier and cancel duplicates.
Amazon Prime Add-Ons: Starz, Discovery+, AMC+, and Paramount+ regularly offer $0.99 introductory months through Prime. Perfect for targeted, temporary streaming of specific shows without committing to full subscriptions.
Canadian Example: Many buy Sportsnet+ for the NHL playoffs (May–June). Sportsnet+ Premium plus Crave can sometimes bundle through providers for less than buying separately. Cancel Netflix temporarily and combine Crave plus Sportsnet during the playoff season.
Step 6. Use a Rotating Subscription Strategy
Stop paying for everything simultaneously.
Try this pattern:
- January–March, subscribe to Netflix
- April–June switch to Max
- July–August use Disney+
- September–December focus on sports apps for NFL, NHL, or college football
This approach cuts monthly streaming costs by 40–60%, reduces decision fatigue about what to watch, and allows guilt-free bingeing of everything a platform offers before rotating to the next.
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Step 7: Build a Smart Family Media Plan
Consolidate accounts and eliminate duplicates.
Assign each family member a “must-watch” list and decide which services support everyone: sports fans need ESPN+ or Sportsnet+, parents want Netflix or Hulu, and kids prefer Disney+.
Eliminate services where one person watches once every few months. That’s not valuable enough to justify $15 monthly.
Step 8: Create Your Cancellation Plan
Make a “Cancel or Pause” list.
Set cancellation reminders in your calendar, bank app alerts, or tracking worksheet. Note which apps let you pause without losing profile data. Hulu allows pausing for up to 12 weeks, which protects your watch history and recommendations.
Step 9: Recalculate Your New Monthly Total
Compare the before audit against the after audit spending.
Many households save $300–$700 yearly after cleanup. That’s real money returning to your budget for things that actually matter.
Step 10: Maintenance Plan: Monthly Check-Ins
Once a month, quickly review what you actually watched and what’s changing seasonally.
Quarterly, do a deeper dive: rotate services, re-evaluate bundles, check new carrier perks, and review kids’ subscriptions that may no longer get used.
Take Control of Your Streaming Services Budget
You don’t need fewer shows. You need a smarter strategy.
Most content isn’t going anywhere, and rotating subscriptions means you can still watch everything you want without paying for seven services collecting dust eleven months a year.
Try the 14-day audit challenge. Track honestly. Calculate ruthlessly. Cancel strategically. Your streaming budget will thank you, and you’ll still have plenty to watch.
