Being a stay-at-home dad often means spending lots of time online studying, looking for useful tutorials or guidelines, trying to entertain the child, or trying to relax for a minute when the child is finally asleep.
If this applies to you, check out this post for a couple of useful tips on how to cut expenses for online services.
Utilize Free Trials
Many online services offer free trials for a limited period. Take advantage of these trials to evaluate whether the service meets your needs before committing to a paid subscription.
You don’t need to immediately buy a product or service if there is an option of trying it out for free. Some people believe this is a kind of fraud or a cunning marketing scheme. However, in reality, this is a viable option for both the customer and the service provider.
For a customer, checking out the quality of the service before they pay means being able to make informed choices and opt for the product or service they really need and like. Grabbing something that is behind the paywall immediately makes little sense these days. Sometimes, you only need a service for a couple of days to perform your particular task. There’s nothing wrong with using it for free if the provider gives an opportunity to do so.
For service providers, having a free trial makes even more sense. They give their potential customers an option to try the service out, and if the person subscribes after that, it means the service is of decent quality and it is worth advertising and promoting. However, if the person leaves after the trial, or worse, cancels the subscription after making a payment, the provider is in trouble.
The bottom line is that free trials are legit so use them.
Look For Student or Military Discounts
This one is very simple. If you are a stay-at-home dad and you want an online service, double-check if they give discounts to students or the military. These discounts are usually mentioned in the service’s terms and conditions document.
However, don’t be shy to contact customer support and specify if they have these discounts. In some cases, even if the service initially has no such offer they might consider adding it for you, or just overall for the whole platform.
Opt For Family Plans
Many streaming services offer family plans that allow multiple users to share an account for a reduced cost per person. Consider sharing a plan with family or friends to split the cost.
Ask your friends and family what services they use, and whether they already use, or mind using, a family plan. Just create a family account and split the bill annually or monthly. Some family plans are so affordable that paying for one will not impact anyone’s wallet much.
Before you sign up for the family plan, just make sure whether there are any limitations in access to the users. These might be applied by some services.
Give Preference To Annual Subscriptions
If you want a subscription check out the tiers carefully. Calculate the options and decide whether you want it for a couple of months or maybe an annual subscription will be better.
The point is that most annual subscriptions are cheaper eventually if compared to the case when you pay month-to-month. If the service is something you really use and would like to take advantage of longer than a month or two, perhaps getting an annual tier is the best option.
If you can combine an annual subscription with a family plan, this can be your top choice.
Look for Alternatives
The idea behind online products and services is that there is always an alternative. Yes, there are certain unique offers out there that are nowhere else to be found. However, if we are talking about video games, streaming platforms, series and movies, podcasts, music streaming, and so on, the point is that there is no one single platform that is only good enough to pay for.
Most online offers have decent alternatives, you just have to explore a little. For example, if you like watching series, you will find more than one streaming platform and can choose the most affordable plan. Or, if you like playing casino games, there is more than one $10 minimum deposit casino out there, with similar games and bonuses, so you can choose which one you like more.
You can choose a platform or service that is not only more affordable. In fact, after some research, you can even find something cheaper and also better. So take your time to browse.
Use Ad-Supported Versions of Everything
Gaming platforms, applications, streaming services, and other sites often have free versions that are supported by ads. The deal is simple: you as a user don’t pay for the product or service but in return, you have to watch the added ads that the platform shows you.
These platforms get paid for the ads they place, and you don’t even have to follow the links or click on anything, the ad being exposed already means that the platform you use received its payment. If you watched the ad you have accomplished your part of the deal. Now use the service for free with a clean conscience.
Just Choose Free Over Paid
The mindset of paying for your education or entertainment online, because someone has put in effort and time creating the content you consume, is a good mindset.
However, if you’re struggling or just want to cut your online expenses, just shift your mindset to using free over paid.
There are plenty of very decent resources that provide useful information and quality entertainment free of charge. Take advantage of these and only pay for something you really need but it is behind a paywall.
