Entertainment: Cutting Costs Without Ruining Your Fun

Source

When it comes to saving money, entertainment choices are always ripe fodder. Entertainment, while important, isn’t strictly necessary. You can live without a weekly trip to the movies in a way you can’t just choose to go without heating– so the entertainment budget is usually one of the first to go.

While in some ways this is admirable, there is a potential downside. Even if you’re saving for a big purchase or trying to pay off substantial debt, life still needs to be lived.

Mindlessly going through the motions, all work and no play, is a surefire way to make yourself miserable. We all need a little entertainment to put a smile on our faces, so it’s a budget you should want to reduce, but not so much that you suck all joy out of your life.

To try and preserve your enjoyment without ruining your money-saving measures, here are a few ways you can lower your spend on entertainment without having to completely deny yourself.

 

Why Not… Opt For A Combination Package?

Most of us tend to source the packages for our telephone, internet, and TV service separately. We see them as separate bills, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Services like Optimum.com could save you a lot of money by grouping these three requirements into one, simple package. Not only does this often cost less than buying each service separately,  but it also makes budgeting easier as you only have to account for one outgoing amount instead of three

What’s more, many companies that provide bundles will now also provide a subscription to streaming services like Netflix– one of the most affordable ways of getting at-home entertainment. So if you never have, this is definitely an area that’s worth investigating.

 

Why Not… Pick One Streaming Service?

There are now so many forms of streaming services, from the big hitters like Netflix and Amazon Prime, through to smaller niche services like HBO Go. If you, like most people, have a subscription to more than one, then you may be overpaying unnecessarily.

For a month, try just subscribing to one streaming service; this is especially easy if you follow option one and subscribe to a bundled package. While this decision may mean that you miss out on some of your favorite shows, it will nevertheless force you to explore shows you might otherwise have missed out on.

This could introduce new favorites into your life, as well as save you a bundle of money for the month as a whole.

 

Why Not… Go Back To The Library?

Source

If you’re a fan of reading, then you’ve probably got a Kindle — or a device like it — and think nothing of buying a new book to put a smile on your face. Ebooks are easy like that; one flick of your finger and you can be reading it 10 seconds later.

The cost of this convenience could begin to mount up, however. Libraries are still a functional way of getting your hands on new books to read, and many will even let you request novels they don’t currently have in stock.

As detailed on phactual.com, libraries also offer a range of other services you might not be aware of too, so it’s worth getting reacquainted. It might not be as easy as just buying an ebook, but it’s free, so it’s definitely worth trying.

Reducing your entertainment expenses doesn’t mean you have to go without your favorite ways of enjoying yourself. Explore the options above and you can still have fun, but without having to worry about the bill at the end of the month.

So what are you doing to save money on entertainment cost?  I know for me cutting down on my cable bill is a big one and the good thing is new services are coming out all the time offering better prices.

So what are your thoughts on this?  How are you saving on things like your cable bill?  Share your thoughts and comments below.

Cheers!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

eighteen − 7 =