Get out a pen and paper, or open the Notes app on your phone, because you are going to compile a list. This list – which I will explain momentarily – is designed to save you time and money, and ensure you are viewing all the best entertainment around.
Whether you want to watch blockbuster movies or prestige television shows, there’s a simple way to do it, and you don’t need to fork out an arm and a leg to keep up with the new releases. Likewise, there’s no need to endlessly scroll through the back catalogue of various streaming services, trying to find something to watch, because YOU are going to get ahead of the game.
How? By writing the aforementioned list!
Not just any list, but a list of all the shows and films you want to watch, followed by a note about which streaming service they appear are on.
—
What to watch?
Want to watch My Life with the Walter Boys or Heartbreak High? Then make a Netflix list and put these titles under it.
Feel it’s time to finally catch up on Samurai Jack, Harley Quinn, or Primal? Then you’ll need to create a list for HBO Max.
Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters and Pluribus? You’ll need a list for Apple TV.
Cross, Scarpetta, Invincible? That’ll be Prime Video.
Keep listing the shows and movies you want to watch, and place them under the title of their respective streaming services. Do it for all the major ‘paid-for’ streamers, Disney+, Paramount+, etc, as well as anything that’s doing the rounds for free on YouTube, Tubi, and so on.
Once you’ve compiled a long list, with all of the shows and films placed under the correct streaming platforms, give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve now just created an excellent entertainment list which you promise yourself you will to stick to AND will utilise to the fullest.
—
Don’t give in to FOMO
Now, from here you begin to prioritise what you are going to watch and in what order, taking ONE streaming service at a time. You then cut the cord on all the other platforms you currently pay for (it literally takes seconds to unsubscribe), and you concentrate on the one streamer.
So, if you have six shows and five movies to watch on Netflix, you start there and you spend the next month focusing on completing that part of your list. Once you’ve made your way through everything, cancel your Netflix subscription and move to the next streaming service, which might be Disney+.
Sign up for that service, again for a month, and work your way through the next part of your list. Once you’ve completed everything you want to watch, cancel your subscription and move on again.
Stick to the rule of ‘one subscription at a time’, and don’t be swayed by huge promotions for ‘must-see’ shows. If Netflix starts advertising a brand new series and you’ve just cancelled your subscription, don’t rush back to the service, just stick the name of the show on the bottom of your list and come back to it at a later date once you’ve built up half-a-dozen other titles.
All of the streamers want you to have FOMO (fear of missing out), and want you to feel as if you must stick with them at all times or you’ll miss out on a hot new bit of content, but you really don’t need to. If their so-called must-see shows and films are as good as they claim, then they will be around for a while, and if they are not, well that should speak volumes about the quality of what they are offering.
—
Sub then go
Keep going with your entertainment list, subscribing and then cancelling from month to month. Take advantage of any ‘free trials’ or special promotions that come along (but only when you are ready to jump to the next service), and don’t deviate from this way of thinking.
During the summer months or during periods when you are busy or out of the house more, opt for a service which has less shows or movies you want to watch. We all have times where work or social engagements take over, so use this time to target the service which only has a couple of series or films you want to view.
Also be mindful you don’t have to pay for every service every month. So if you are very busy, or you have a few financial commitments on the horizon, use this time to catch up on what’s available on the free services.
There are plenty of old shows on YouTube, as well as content creators with interesting videos and channels you’ve been meaning to watch, so take this time to catch up. Likewise, slotting in a few free services here and there is a great way to stretch your budget a little bit further.
The important thing is to remember there’s no point paying for a service you don’t have time to use. So, if you’re busy, pivot to the free stuff!
—
Don’t be so passive
Streamers need and want you, but you don’t necessarily need them (at least not all the time). They will constantly try and entice you with new content, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep funding them every month with passive income.
And that’s what so many of us do. We subscribe to a service (probably Netflix), and let it run for years, often going through significant periods of time where we’re not using it.
Or worse, we run out of the best shows and movies to watch, and simply sit through endless dross. There are probably nights where you’ve even spent hours scrolling through the service and haven’t watched anything!
But have you cancelled it? Nope.
You should, but the streamers are very clever at keeping you invested. It’s one of the reasons that nowadays they produce shorter seasons and more shows, rather than giving us twenty-odd episodes of the same long-running show like we used to get.
They don’t want to keep investing in the same show over and over again, they would much rather have lots of sparkly new shows, as this is more appealing to subscribers. More new shows means more new ways to entice customers, or more ways to convince long-term subscribers to stick with the platform.
And if that’s what they want to do, that’s fine. Just be aware of this way of thinking, and don’t just toss money at them if you’re not benefiting.
—
Maximise what you pay for
Streaming has radically altered the way we view TV shows and movies, it is convenient, and it is the most popular way to watch, but that doesn’t mean it always works in our best interests. Streamers want our money, aren’t always bothered if we’re watching or not, and will happily take subs fees for as long as we are willing to let them.
But if they are taking our money then we need to make sure we are maximising what we are paying for. It’s all very well and good having access to thousands of shows and movies, but if we aren’t watching them what’s the point?
There are also only so many hours in the day, and no one wants to spend them scrolling, looking for something to watch. So, plan ahead, get the most from your hard-earned cash, and make your watch list today!
—
—
Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post. For more posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment