Everyone stop what you’re doing right now.
We need to talk about subscriptions. More specifically, how to save by sharing one subscription between multiple people.
Whilst helping people save money with Bean, we started to see a trend of several people in one household paying for an Amazon Prime account. That means you’re literally paying double for something that is supposed to save you time and money! You can even register multiple cards and addresses making keeping track of which package belongs to each person a real cinch. And this isn’t some huge secret; Amazon even encourages families and roommates to set up a “household” where you can share all services. The only downside to this is if you rely heavily on Amazon Music or the video streaming, which only one person can enjoy at a time, but I think that’s just a good excuse to whip up some extra popcorn and get everyone together.
But this got us thinking… Surely there must be even more places where sharing an account can save someone some money? Here are our top picks for subscription sharing.
Spotify
For a long time Spotify fell firmly into the solo accounts category, but with an ever increasing demand for sharing they’ve now introduced Spotify Family where you can pay a monthly fee of £14.99 for up to five individual accounts. That’s going from almost a tenner each to less than three quid — bargainous!
They do stipulate that all members need to live at the same address so this is ideal for families or roommates but if you don’t mind all registering the same address there’s no reason this can’t work for friends who live apart.
Netflix
Gone are the days of being kicked off mid-episode because someone has jumped on your account. Netflix standard now supports two sessions running at the same time as well as the option to upgrade to up to four users streaming at the same time. So you can enjoy your Parks and Recreation binge while your roommate explores the newest environmental documentaries in the next room.
Kindle & Nook Loans
More of a reader than a watcher? We’ve got you covered! Both the Amazon Kindle and Nook e-readers have sharing systems enabled meaning that, without having to share passwords or account info, you can lend a title to a friend for a set period of time. It’s important to note that the nominated book will be unavailable for you while on digital loan, but it’s a good way to cut back on costs if you have a bit of a book obsession, like me.
Asos Premier
If you do a lot of online shopping with Asos, their premier membership can be a lifesaver. For less than a tenner, you get a year of free next day shipping, free returns and a heads up on any sales coming up. If you’re not a bonafide shopaholic but still want to take advantage of the quick shipping, find a friend with an account. Much like Amazon Prime, you can add several cards and delivery addresses to your account, meaning as long as you trust your friend not to go on a shopping spree with your Visa then you can piggyback on their account.
Every little counts when you’re saving so if you’re already paying for any of these services check in with your friends, family, and housemates and make sure you aren’t paying double.
We’re always on the lookout for more saving tips and tricks so make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram so you never miss out on an update. Looking to cut back even more? Sign up to Bean today and see how much you could be saving on your bills and subscriptions.
