One of my goals for this year is to spend less on streaming services. I’ve mentioned it a few times in posts over the last 12 months or so but it has became a real focus for 2025. I totted up how much I’d spent on streaming services in 2024 and whilst it wasn’t a completely extortionate number, it was more than I was comfortable with considering there are only so many hours in the day for watching television… even at x2 speed.

So the crackdown has begun in earnest, and I set everything to cancel over Christmas so that I could start January afresh. The only subscriptions I’ve left running are Apple TV, because it’s part of the bundle I’ve opted into, and Channel 4+ because it’s only £3.99 a month, and gets rid of the ads. There’s always something to watch on Channel 4 (Bake Off, Taskmaster, Grand Designs) and so for that price, totally worth it.

I was surprised at how quickly you can adapt to not having instant access to the most talked about thing, and how much there is to find on ’terrestrial’ channels anyway. ITV had the fourth series of Snowpiercer which wasn’t great but at least allowed me to cross that one off my list as complete. BBC has complete series of loads of surprising things: Suits, Gossip Girl, etc, alongside all the amazing things the BBC actually makes.

I wasn’t missing the other subscription services, but when everyone started raving about Adolescence, I did have to admit defeat and re-subscribe to Netflix. But the fun and super-self-controlled thing is that I’m watching as much Netflix as I can for a month, then cancelling again before subscribing to the next thing. The next one is a toss up between Disney and Prime, because Andor is back for a second season with Welcome to Wrexham not far behind, but there’s also Clarkson’s Farm to consider.

It takes a bit more planning, and decision making, and a bit of tightening of the purse strings, but so far my spending on streaming services this year has drastically reduced, and it also makes the access when you do indulge in one or other of them far more exciting, like a real treat, instead of just another app you can access anytime. I’ve always said streaming services are worth the money they charge and are the way of the future, but I can totally see how it’s easy for the numbers to really start adding up in an unsustainable way.

It’s a balancing act, but one I’m happy to attempt for the year ahead.