For those of us who grew up in the pre-streaming era, there's a lot to love about the home entertainment options currently at our fingertips; massive streaming libraries of movies and music, plus the Kindle store at our fingertips. But all this access comes at a cost.
While at first the value for money on some of these services feels like a no-brainer, the multiple automatic monthly fees and the instant purchases on our screens and devices can all add up. Especially when you add kids into the mix with their near-endless appetite for new media.
Here are some ideas for cutting down on your annual home entertainment and media costs.
1. Become a member of your local library
It's mind-boggling to think that there are people out there who read books but are not a member of their local library. To state the bleeding obvious… the books at the library are totally free!
If physical books aren't your jam, libraries also have apps with enormous digital catalogues of e-books, audio books, magazines, comics and even movies, TV shows and music. And these apps are usually compatible with e-readers (although often not Kindles). If the library's free apps won't work on your e-reader, you can just download them onto your phone or tablet and read books there instead.
Anyone with young kids is definitely missing a trick if they aren't using the library's resources. It's a great place to get kids interested in books without worrying about the cost.
If the library's free apps won't work on your e-reader, you can just download them onto your phone or tablet and read books there instead
And if you're considering buying an expensive Yoto player or Toniebox (a fancy gadget that plays audio stories, with each book sold separately), I urge you to simply try the library app – which has an enormous selection of children's audiobooks – and couple it with a simple, cheap bluetooth speaker.
As well as books, your local library often has a range of audiobooks, movies, music and magazines you can access – all totally free!
2. Buy old-school physical media
If you're of the opinion that they stopped making good music and movies more than a decade ago (which, let's face it, is an idea with some merit), then you might consider returning yourself to the era of physical media.
You can pick up old CD players and DVD players at second-hand shops extremely cheaply nowadays, and op shops sometimes even give away DVDs and CDs for free. Take a break from your streaming services and try going old-school for a while – you might find you're not missing much.
This is a particularly good idea if you have young kids in the home. You can collect your favourite animated films, soundtracks and albums from your youth and let your kids take control of loading and playing them all by themselves without needing to navigate online streaming services.
Shop around for your streaming services
If going totally old-school with your music and movies isn't your thing, it certainly pays to be a little discerning about the streaming services you're paying for. Unless you have a heck of a lot of free time, there's probably only so many shows and movies you can watch in a month.
Choose the streaming service with the most content you want to watch that month and subscribe to it, then instantly unsubscribe to prevent being automatically debited again the next month (if it's a monthly subscription, even if you click unsubscribe straight away you still get access for the full month that you've paid for).
It's easy to get into the habit of just setting and forgetting multiple auto-renewals, but it's actually not very hard to cancel and recommence subscriptions
When the month is up, shop around for the service with the shows you want to watch next month. This prevents you from paying for multiple services each month.
It's easy to get into the habit of just setting and forgetting multiple auto-renewals, but it's actually not very hard to cancel and recommence subscriptions. A simple change of mindset to "which streaming service should I pay for this month?" can save you plenty over the year – and possibly encourage more mindful media consumption, too.
Also, don't forget the catch-up and streaming services offered by the free-to-air channels like SBS OnDemand, ABC iView, 7Plus and 9Now. If the show you're bingeing happens to be on one of these, you can skip the paid subscriptions altogether for a month. And as well as TV shows and series, they often have an extensive catalogue of movies, documentaries and kids' content you can access for free.
Go offline for gaming
If you're an adult gamer, I'm sure I'm not going to change your mind about how you game. But if you're the parent of kids who are begging for their own gaming console, consider choosing an offline option.
Rather than splashing out on the latest and greatest models, you could absolutely buy a second-hand console on Facebook Marketplace and save a lot of money.
Plus, if you choose an older model (like a PS3 or an old Nintendo 3DS) you can pick up 20–30 old games for cheap and avoid the ongoing cost of online subscriptions and games (and bonus, you don't have to worry about navigating the minefield of keeping kids safe when gaming online).
You can pick up 20–30 old games for cheap and avoid the ongoing cost of online subscriptions and games
If you do decide to go with newer tech (like a PS5) don't buy the discless version, because hard copies of games from gaming stores like EB Games or JB Hi-Fi are much cheaper than the digital versions (and you can't trade digital in or sell them on when you're done with them).
We're on your side
For more than 60 years, we've been making a difference for Australian consumers. In that time, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family. And our recent sunscreens test showed just how important it is to keep business claims in check.
So you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
