We all know how expensive everything is these days, and that includes all the streaming services that are always raising their prices.
From Netflix, Hulu and Max (formally HBO Max), all the best streaming services have upped their prices this year (and cracked down on password sharing), making the whole point of cutting the cable cord and paying for multiple streamers kind of pointless.
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That’s why giving the gift of a year of a streaming service for Christmas sounds like a pretty good idea, especially in this economy.
Now, depending on how much you spend on a family member or friend could vary, but let’s just say want to pay for a year’s worth of Netflix as a gift for your parents. A standard Netflix package is currently $15.49 a month, making that come out to $185.88 a year. That’s not too bad for a gift for two people when you think about it.
Maybe you have child, niece or nephew away at college for the first time. A full year of Hulu would be an awesome gift for a poor college kid who was probably using mom and dad’s account at home growing up.
Now, since you pay for Netflix or Hulu monthly, it’s not like you can just pay the lump sum with the network all at once. This will have to take some creativity on your part. Perhaps you put the account in the person’s name, and you send them the monthly amount via Venmo or something. Or you can just give them all the cash at once, and tell them this money is supposed to go to their new Netflix account. However you want to do it that works best for you.
Maybe they already have Netflix or Disney+. Just tell them that the bill is on you this year.
But what a great idea, right? If someone told me they were going to pay for my Max account all year as a gift, I would be elated. Monthly bills are already such a drag, so even if just one streaming service got eliminated from my bills, it would be great.
Here is a breakdown of how much some of the most popular streaming services cost a month:
Netflix
A standard Netflix package is currently $15.49 a month, making that come out to $185.88 a year.
Best shows to watch: “Great British Bake Off,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown.”
Hulu
Hulu is supposedly merging with Disney+ soon (just like HBO Max did earlier this year), so it’s kind of unclear how much it will be. But, for this Christmas season, ad-free Hulu is $17.99 a month, making it $215.88 a year.
Best shows to watch: “The Bear,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Max
Formally HBO Max, you can get the streaming service for $15.99 a month, and Max offers a yearly subscription at a bit of a discount. Their yearly subscription is $149.99. HBO Max merged with Discovery+, so there is loads of TV shows you can watch on the app now.
Best shows to watch: “The White Lotus,” “Succession,” “The Last of Us.”
Also, this is a gift that you don’t have to go out shopping for. How great is that? If you end up buying a year’s worth of Netflix for someone this Christmas, let us know in the comments below.