Netflix Free Trial Can Save You Money

A Netflix promo offer might be able to save you a chunk of money.  The one month Netflix free trial offer has been around for new customers for a while but I wanted to share how using Netflix has saved us money.  The cool thing is you can test it out for a month and see if it works for you with their free trial of Netflix – try it here.

Saving Money with Netflix

I recently pulled the plug on my cable bill, saving us around $85 per month, so I’ve been increasingly interested in online streaming options for our content needs.

With traditional television services such as cable and satellite you pay a rather large monthly fee to access a varying quantity of programming. The more you pay, the more premium channels (like ESPN and HGTV) you get.

Personally speaking I think it is a broken system. I don’t watch Oxygen, Discover Health, or American Movie Classic. Why should I pay for channels I don’t use?

Unfortunately it will be quite some time before you’ll be able to purchase a handful of channels that meet your entertainment needs. That is, of course, if it ever happens. Providers have no incentive to make this change so it seems unlikely.

Until that happens you do have a couple of options to get some of your content. There has yet to be an option available that covers everything, but one significant piece of the equation for many people is Netflix.

What is Netflix?
Netflix and Redbox are the companies that killed Blockbuster and forced it into bankruptcy. In the past you had to physically go to a video store to rent a movie. You paid a relatively high rate to rent the movie for 2 to 7 days.

Enter Netflix. Netflix started by offering DVD rental through the mail for a fixed rate. There were different tiers and the more you paid the more movies you could have out at the same time. For smart users that watch a lot of movies Netflix was more convenient and much cheaper than renting from a store.

Redbox offered another alternative by letting you rent your movies for less from a kiosk.  Of course the difference between Redbox vs Netflix is that Redbox has a much smaller set of choices than Netflix and lacks the conveinence of having the movie delivered to your door.

But the coolest feature of Netflix, the one that helped us save money on your cable bill, is that the service lets you stream shows online.

How Does Netflix Streaming Work?
As technology progressed so did Netflix. Now instead of having to wait for a DVD to arrive in the mail you can simply stream the movie directly to your playing device immediately.

There are certain devices that work with Netflix streaming. These include the major gaming consoles (Wii, X-Box, Playstation 3), some high definition televisions, Apple’s iPhone and iPad, and media center players such as Roku and Tivo. You can also stream directly to a Windows or Mac computer.

You plug the device into your internet connection, access Netflix, and decide on what you want to watch. Make your selection and it will begin streaming to you immediately.

What Can You Stream with Netflix?
Netflix can stream movies and television shows. The selection can fluctuate as more selections are added. Some television shows are not immediately available. New episodes can be delayed as little as 1 week to as long as the following season.

Can Netflix Streaming Replace My Cable Company?
The ability for Netflix to replace your cable or satellite company depends on your entertainment needs.

If you don’t need to see the most recent episode of a television show the instance it airs, then Netflix’s streaming service might work for you.

On the other hand if you need to watch live sports on premium channels then Netflix isn’t designed to cover that specific need.

That isn’t to say Netflix can’t take care of some of your other entertainment needs, just not instant television shows and live premium content.  Like I said earlier, you can test it out for a month and see how it all works for you.  There’s no coupon code required to get the offer, just sign up their free trial. 

Kevin Mulligan is a debt reduction champion with a passion for teaching people how to budget and stay out of debt. He's building a personal finance freelance writing career and has written for RothIRA.com, Discover Bank, ING Direct, and many others.

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