There are so many different streaming services that one could go broke in subscription fees. If I just wanted to watch my favorite sports teams or sporting events I could end up spending an additional $100 per month -- one for Cardinals baseball, another for Blues hockey, and a few more for different MMA promotions. Fortunately, I'm not that tied to any sport that I feel like paying extra for the privilege of following a particular team.
Nor am I a big TV watcher in general.
Living in semi-rural SWMO cable TV isn't an option for us. Satellite service is expensive and I have found it to be unreliable. Our internet is T-Mobile's 5g service, which is the best affordable option I could find. Through it we get enough bandwidth to watch two TVs and operate our phones and my Chromebook. We have a paid streaming subscription to Netflix, Prime Video that comes with our Amazon Prime subscription, and we get HBO Max as a perk to our cell service. Roku gives us access to several other services and news, but we still don't have access to local news or programming. In the past we have had paid subscriptions to Peacock (NBC), Paramount+ (CBS), ESPN+, and maybe a movie channel or two.
Although there are shows that I watch on TV, I think I could get along just fine without it.
I had considered renewing my subscription to Paramount+ this year when the UFC signed their multi-year contract with them, but I don't like the idea of supporting a network that is so willing to sell off its integrity to a corrupt administration. I don't think I can say I'm boycotting it since I wasn't a subscriber before they gave me a reason not to be one.
I guess I'm just too cheap to pay to watch TV.
The one subscription that I do indulge in is Kindle Unlimited. I know that I could get free e-books from a number of other sources (including our local library), but I enjoy the "free with subscription" library through Kindle Unlimited. At some point, I may give that up as well, or trade it for a subscription to something else. I'll probably read around 60 e-books this year and could easily find more than enough material without the subscription fee.
What are your necessary and indulgent streaming services and subscriptions?
I feel like ours are relatively few, but they still add up to a significant monthly dollar amount.
John
Friday, May 29, 2026
Streaming Services
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personal stuff
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