With the cost of living crisis weighing heavily on us, many of us are looking for ways to save – and our TV subscriptions are an obvious place to start.

Streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ aren’t cheap – but we don’t necessarily have to do without them, we just have to think smarter.

Consumer Experts Which? have come up with some sophisticated hacks to get the most out of these entertainment providers without having to spend any money.

A simple hint is to simply split subscriptions and split costs between users – with some services actually taking care of that, like e.g. B. Spotify’s Duo plan.

Priced at £13.99 a month, it would save £71.88 a year compared to two individual subscriptions.

The streaming giant also has a premium family plan, allowing up to six users to get premium benefits for £16.99 a month – saving a whopping £515.40 a year instead of six separate subscriptions.

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Elsewhere, the benefits of Amazon Prime can also be shared with someone else in your home, cutting the fee in half.

Another no-brainer, but one that’s easy to overlook, is to switch the subscriptions you use each month.

Many of us are torn as to what to watch each night, when the sheer choice is often overwhelming – so let’s narrow those choices down.

Why not choose fewer options and rotate them every month?

This method might be too cumbersome for some — but it might well be worth it, especially since Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Now TV allow you to cancel monthly subscriptions at any time with no exit fee.

If you think ahead, it would be possible to schedule rotations based on when you know your favorite shows are coming out on each platform.

For example, if like many others you have an annual subscription to Disney+ and Netflix at a monthly price, you’ll pay £227.76.

But if you switch months instead, you’ll only pay £113.88 a year for six months of Disney+ and six months of Netflix instead.

Another avenue that often goes unexplored is to make the most of free trials, says which?

These are offered by Spotify and YouTube Premium, as well as free alternatives like All 4, ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer and My 5.

The Consumer Champion suggests potentially downgrading your plan if you’re not using the full service or some ads aren’t bothering you.

Netflix’s recently announced plans to launch a cheaper ad-supported subscription – which is expected to be up and running by the end of the year – could be a good option for those looking to cut costs.

Many may not know that Netflix actually offers a basic plan where you can only watch it on one screen at a time.

This is £4 a month cheaper than the standard subscription, while Amazon Prime also offers a similar basic membership for £5.99 a month just for streaming shows minus the other Prime benefits.

Finally, if you’re really keen on keeping your streaming sites, which ones? suggests buying the subscription on a yearly basis instead of opting for the monthly cost.

This is a mental barrier that many of us have to overcome — yes, it can feel like you’re about to spend a lot of money at once (that’s because you are), but that “big buy” can often result in a decent one lead savings.

Disney+ costs £79.90 per year, a saving of £15.98 compared to the monthly plan, while a year of Amazon Prime costs £79, which would save £16.88 instead of paying monthly.

So there you have it – what are you going to watch tonight?