Cut Your Monthly Budget: Replace Netflix Hulu And More With Free Subscriptions
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Winter is in full swing, and you might be looking to save some cash while staying entertained during short, chilly days. Luckily, you can swap out many of the services you pay for -- including [/tags/netflix/ Netflix], [ Hulu], Apple Music, DoorDash and Grubhub -- for free alternatives. The free choices may not get you the exact same thing, but can often get you pretty close, especially if you're one of the millions of people whose [/personal-finance/coronavirus-unemployment-who-is-covered-how-to-apply-and-how-much-does-it-pay/ employment has been affected] by the [ coronavirus] pandemic, and you're looking to cut costs where you can.
Many of these free services operate with ads, unlike their paid counterparts. And the streaming services won't let you download stuff to watch or listen to offline. But some have decent free trials and deals that you can take advantage of now.
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Here's how to replace all of the services you pay for with free ones.
[ Best for streaming movies and TV shows]
[ Peacock]
[ ]
Sarah Tew/CNET
[ ][ ] highlights. You'll also get episodes of current NBC shows like This is Us the week after they air. In January 2021, The Office will also stream free with ads on Peacock.
You can sign up for the free version of Peacock without a credit card. You'll need to upgrade to premium (which costs $5 a month with ads, or $10 a month without ads) to watch full seasons of new original series, like [ ] and the [ Psych movie sequel]. You won't find a ton of brand-new movies, either. But the free tier is a great way to discover shows and movies you might have missed the first time around, or want to watch again.
Watch Peacock on Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple TV, Roku devices, Google devices like Android phones and Chromecast, Xbox One consoles, PlayStation 4 consoles, Vizio SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs. At the moment, you can't watch on Amazon Fire TV devices.
[ See at Peacock]
[ Best for streaming older movies and TV shows]
[ Crackle]
[ ]
Crackle
Replaces: [ Crackle] is an ad-supported streaming service that offers movies and some TV shows, including original content. You can find a variety of flicks old and new including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Adaptation, The Big Chill, Dr. Strangelove, Glory, It Happened One Night, La Bamba, The Natural, The Social Network and Star Trek: First Contact. In terms of TV, you'll find more than 100 different shows, including a lot of sitcoms such as All in the Family, Roseanne and Who's the Boss. But not every series has all seasons available.
You can stream on Crackle without signing up for an account, and can watch on virtually any device, with apps for all mobile platforms, game consoles and major streaming devices. If you do create an account, you can save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.
[ See at Crackle]
[ Best for free channel surfing]
[ Pluto TV]
[ ]
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
Replaces: [ ] (or your whole cable subscription)
Two big caveats here: Pluto TV is, like CNET, a division of ViacomCBS, and you'll find plenty of CNET, CBS and Viacom content on the docket here. And much of the programming on Pluto isn't the same live TV channels you'll find on pay cable or satellite, even if the channels have the same names. So, while news junkies will find live programming from CBSN, NBC News Now and Bloomberg TV, Pluto's versions of MTV, AMC and CNN are time-shifted or alternate programming from those providers.
Ultimately, none of that matters, khpk.ru because you're still getting a wealth of streaming video that's truly free (it's ad-supported, of course). And because there are literally dozens of in-progress streams to toggle through in real-time, Pluto offers the best analog to flipping through the myriad channels on a traditional cable system (or paid streaming alternative, like Hulu). You can also browse channels by categories like news, sports, comedy and movies, and find on-demand TV content, though it's mostly crime and reality shows.
Pluto works on desktop browsers, through a Windows client, or through apps for Android, iOS and different smart TVs and channels for Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku.
[ See at Pluto TV]
[ Best for streaming music]
[ Spotify]
[ ]
Angela Lang/CNET
[ ][ ] thanks to its easy-to-use interface, extensive catalogue and device compatibility. Plus, you can always listen to its full music catalogue for free, with ads. If you do want to upgrade, you can choose between [ ] for yourself or to split with others.
If it's your first time subscribing to Spotify Premium, you'll get a month free trial.
[ See at Spotify]
Best for ordering food
Just call the restaurant
Getty/svetikd
Replaces: DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates and Uber Eats
I know, it's not exactly a service. But [ ] often charge big delivery and service fees that add to your bill -- not to mention the [ ] and the [ ]. The best option when you're trying to save money and support local restaurants is to call the restaurant directly to pick up your food or see if it has an in-house delivery service. Lots of restaurants now offer [ ] for staying safe and healthy.
[ Best for exercising]
[ Nike Training Club]
[ ]
Nike Training Club
Replaces: Your gym, or [ Nike Training Club] is a free app for iOS and Android with a variety of home workouts and programs to help you set a workout schedule. You can filter workouts based on what equipment you have at home, and find bodyweight-only exercises, yoga and training programs.
[ See at Nike]
[ Best for learning a new skill]
[ MasterClass]
[ ]
MasterClass
Replaces: Online classes
MasterClass offers thousands of online lessons taught by veritable masters in their fields -- we're talking Gordon Ramsey on cooking, Ken Burns on documentary making and Helen Mirren on acting. While an annual membership costs $180, you can find a series of free courses called [ MasterClass Live] available now. These include a session on building suspenseful thrillers with Dan Brown, the importance of science with Neil deGrasse Tyson and poker tips from six-time World Series of Poker champion Daniel Negreanu.
[ See at MasterClass]
[ Best cooking class replacement]
[ Food Network Kitchen]
[ ]
Food Network
Replaces: Magazine subscriptions, cooking classes
If you spent the first part of your quarantine experimenting with cooking projects such as [ sourdough], [ ] or [ ], grow your cooking chops even more with the [ ]. It brings [ ] from celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Ree Drummond to iOS and Android devices, the Amazon Echo Show 8, Fire tablets, Fire TV and Alexa. The app's goal is to become your personal kitchen companion, helping you step by step while you cook.
While the service usually costs $5 per month or $40 per year, Food Network is offering a [ 30-day free trial] right now.
[ See at Food Network Kitchen]
More money-saving tips [/personal-finance/11-ways-to-save-money-every-day/ 11 ways to save money every day][/personal-finance/updating-your-budget-to-be-recession-proof/ Updating your budget to be recession-proof]
[/how-to/money-saving-tip-cancel-one-of-your-streaming-tv-subscriptions/ How to decide which TV streaming service to cancel]
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