Today I finally did it: I cancelled BT TV (£55/month), Prime Video (£7.99/month) and Apple TV+ (£8.99/month). Three monthly bills gone in one afternoon.
BT I had mainly for the golf channels – because apparently, sitting on my arse watching other people walk around a manicured lawn counted as “being into sport.” Now I’ve decided that instead of watching golf, I’ll actually play golf. At least this way I might burn more calories than the crisps I inhale during The Masters.
Prime Video? Used twice in three months. Apple TV+? A “free trial” that mutated into a two-year quiet leak on my bank account. In total, these three were draining £71.98 a month – that’s £863.76 a year – out of my life for… what, exactly? A few movies I could have rented cheaper and the privilege of scrolling through menus?
Imagine This
Instead of pouring £71.98 every month into BT, Prime Video and Apple TV+, you shove it into an S&P 500 index fund starting at age 25. Fast-forward to age 65 and, thanks to compound interest, you’re looking at £188,934.
Are you shitting me? That’s pay-off-your-mortgage money. That’s never-worry-about-paying-for-your-bloody-dementia-meds money. That’s “sit on a porch, sip something expensive, and laugh at your younger self for spending it on watching other people play golf” money.
And all it takes is clicking “cancel” instead of “continue watching.”
The Subscription Sinkhole
Here’s the part you don’t want to hear: you’re probably no better than I was. The average American household blows $1,500 (£1,180) a year on streaming and cable. The average Brit? Over £900. And if I made you write down every subscription you’re paying for right now, you’d need two sheets of paper – and you wouldn’t even remember signing up for half of them.
That “it’s only £7.99” mindset? It’s death by a thousand cuts. Except instead of bleeding out, you’re funding some CEO’s third yacht. You’re literally clocking in to work so your direct debit can keep their champagne cold.
“But I Like My Shows…”
Sure you do. I liked mine too. But liking something isn’t the same as it being worth hundreds or thousands a year. I like steak – doesn’t mean I eat it every night like a Roman emperor. The truth is, most of the shows you think you “can’t live without” are the same ones you forget about as soon as the credits roll.
And if your excuse is “I need BT for the sports,” congratulations – you’re the exact kind of customer they dream about. I had BT only for the golf channels, and the moment I stopped watching, I realised: I could just… go play golf. Radical, I know. Bonus: walking the course actually burns calories instead of adding them.
How to Get Out Without Feeling Like You’re Living in 1985
Let’s get one thing straight: you don’t have to live in a cabin without Wi-Fi to save money. You just need to stop treating subscriptions like an untouchable part of your life.
Free (or Nearly Free)
- Digital Antenna – £20 once, free channels forever. Crystal clear. No buffering, no Wi-Fi, no excuses.
- YouTube – Free. Infinite rabbit holes. Warning: may cause 4am “How to Build a Medieval Catapult” marathons.
- Your Local Library – Still exists. Has free streaming through Kanopy or Hoopla. Also DVDs, if you’re feeling nostalgic.
Paid – But Controlled
- One-at-a-Time Rule – One paid service at a time. Rotate monthly.
- Binge Windows – Wait until the whole season drops, pay for a month, binge, cancel.
- Share Smart – Where legal, split with friends or family. If you can’t agree on what to watch, maybe you shouldn’t share anything anyway.
Replace Screen Time With Actual Life
- Go outside. That glowing orb is called the sun.
- Read anything – a book, a blog, the side of your cereal box.
- Play the sport you usually watch.
- Learn something new – coding, photography, even DIY.
- Start a side hustle – Netflix won’t pay your bills, but clients will.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: this isn’t about TV. It’s about habits. You don’t “need” most of the things you pay for – you’ve just trained yourself to think you do.
And the longer you let that direct debit run, the more your future self will hate you. Because every “just £8.99” you let slide is a little pile of money that could be making more money for you instead of rotting in someone else’s quarterly earnings report.
And if you’re still paying to watch golf instead of playing it… well, enjoy funding that yacht.
Keep reading. Keep growing. BloodyFinance.