Subscriptions That Are Actually Worth The Cost

It’s easy to forget how many things you’re subscribed to, that is until money starts vanishing out of your bank account. Then you remember pretty quick, and might even feel the need to cancel most of them.

Whether you’re trying to clean up your subscription list or looking for a new subscription to gift yourself, there are some that are actually worth the cost, and others that are just a waste of money.

With the outrageous number of choices and companies begging for your regularly scheduled payments, being careful about your choices is key.

There are different subscriptions that are right for everyone, but here are seven subscriptions that can be well worth the money that goes into them.

Spotify Student Discount

The Spotify student deal requires nothing but a valid student email account, and you’ll get Spotify Premium for just $4.99 a month.

With Spotify premium, you have unlimited access to Spotify’s library and free range to make and share playlists ad-free.

Spotify’s music situation is more extensive and convenient than any of the other music streaming services, and that alone would make this heavily discounted deal worthwhile. However, Spotify is only a third of this offer.

The Spotify student discount also includes a subscription to both Hulu and Showtime’s streaming services. Using your Spotify login, you can create an account on both video streaming platforms at no extra cost.

You’ll get a standard Hulu account that includes ads and not live TV, but you’ll have access to everything else Hulu has to offer, originals and otherwise.

Showtime is an underrated streaming service, and maybe not worth paying for on its own, but it certainly sweetens this deal. With a Showtime subscription, you’ll have access to every Showtime original, as well as many big movies that are impossible to find anywhere else.

Hulu, Disney +, ESPN+ Bundle

Hulu has given itself an edge among other streaming services primarily by its willingness to bundle with other companies, something platforms like Netflix have adamantly avoided.

The launch of Disney+ has thrown every other platform, and streaming as a whole, into hot water. There are now so many in-demand streaming services that it’s becoming difficult for consumers to manage, but this subscription package offers a reasonable alternative to simply stacking one subscription on top of the other.

This deal, which includes a subscription to Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+, costs only $12.99 a month. This may seem steep compared with the costs of Hulu and Netflix, but a standalone subscription to Disney+ is $15.99 a month.

With that in mind, this package is actually a discounted subscription to Disney+ with two other subscriptions included.

Rather than forcing viewers to add yet another subscription to their list, this deal offers three for the price of one. Not to mention, these three services combined offer an extremely wide, family-friendly array of viewing options. With sports on ESPN, Disney’s entire library, and Hulu’s array of original series and classic content, there’s something for everyone on at least one of these three services.

AMC Stubs A-List

AMC Stubs A-List allows movie-goers to attend three movies a week for the monthly price of $21.95. This plan pays for itself after just three movies per month, and if you’re a regular movie-goer, the savings are huge.

This main incentive of A-List is worthwhile in itself, but AMC goes above and beyond to make its A-List members feel appreciated. With an A-List subscription, you’ll get points every time you see a movie or buy snacks, and these points roll over into $5 rewards that can be used on concessions.

A-List members also get to cut concession lines and get a large drink for the price of a small every time.

The A-List app is extremely user friendly and allows users to purchase tickets and select their seats as early in advance as they would like.

Even if you’re not an avid movie-watcher, having an A-List subscription makes going to the movies an easy and accessible outing whenever you’re looking to fill a rainy day. With this many movies at your fingertips, you might even find yourself at the theater much more often than you expected.

The New York Times

Professional, reliable news is hard to come by these days, but The Times delivers. They have well-cited articles on every subject, with interesting and insightful takes on several topics.

Even with a free New York Times account, the paper will email you a daily briefing every weekday at 7 a.m., keeping you up to date and informed without any added effort.

However, The New York Times limits access to its articles for everyone without a subscription.

For only $2 a week billed as $8 a month, you have unlimited access to The Times’ articles, and if you’re a student the offer is even cheaper.

In a time where being informed feels simultaneously crucial and impossible, $2 a week is a reasonable price to pay for a publication clearly aiming to serve the people.

Amazon Prime

One of the most popular subscriptions ever, this one hardly needs to be said, but Amazon has been one step ahead of consumer’s needs in every phase of the company’s life.

A Prime subscription normally costs $12.99, but for students, the company offers a six-month free trial (an unheard of length for a free trial), then sets them up with an account that comes out to being half the cost of a regular subscription.

With Amazon Prime, you’ll get access to Amazon’s streaming service, as well as free 2-day delivery on many of its products. A deal that spans into the several different facets of the company’s offerings, Amazon Prime is popular for a reason.

People Magazine

If you need to stay up to date on celebrity news, People is the magazine to go with. Unanimously agreed to be the most trusted source of gossip, People is also able to offer more exclusive pieces than other magazines which are little more than guesswork around a grainy paparazzi picture.

People also features multiple puzzles in every issue, as well as non-gossip related tips and tidbits.

Netflix

While other streaming services are quickly climbing the ranks, Netflix still has its place as the first and most reliable, and it hasn’t lost its worth.

Netflix has built a mountain of original content that will likely never grace any other streaming service. Stranger Things, You, and Orange is the New Black, among countless more, are still huge names in the world of TV that you can’t see anywhere else.

Netflix is also the only service that has managed to stay 100% ad-free for its original cost and has refrained from drastically raising its prices, even when it certainly could have gotten away with it.

No matter what other streaming services are up to, Netflix is here to stay, at least for the time being.