Easy Ways to Save Money on Entertainment During COVID-19

The ongoing threat presented by the novel coronavirus has resulted in many of us spending a fair amount of time at home. While this is essential to curbing the spread of COVID-19, it also facilitates the need for copious at-home entertainment. People who now have a sizable abundance of free time on their hands are looking for enjoyable ways to fill it, and in the digital age, there is no shortage of options. However, giving in to every temptation stands to quickly deplete even the most robust entertainment budget. To ensure that you’re able to stay entertained and keep your finances intact, put the following money-saving measures to good use.

Utilize Personal Finance Software

Anyone interested in using their newfound leisure time to work out the kinks in their money management should invest in dependable personal finance software. With the help of the right software, crafting a workable budget and keeping your spending in check should be well within your abilities. Good personal finance software can also prove instrumental to the development and implementation of one’s long-term financial goals.

Rotate Your Streaming Services 

As of 2020, the average American subscribes to four different streaming services. Since any given streaming service contains more content than most of us could ever hope to consume, there’s a good chance that you go long periods without using certain services. That being the case, why bother paying for them on a monthly basis?

Unless you’re locked into a lengthy package deal, there’s no reason to shell out money for services for which you have very little use. For example, if you primarily use a specific service to watch one or two shows, simply cancel your subscription between seasons. Once you’ve caught up with the show(s) in question, cancel your subscription and re-subscribe when the next batch of episodes drops.

Cancel Services You No Longer Use 

Many of us have services that we continue to pay for despite never using. Just because you were interested in a particular service when you signed up doesn’t mean you owe them your continued patronage. With this in mind, sit down and review the various streaming services to which you subscribe. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to identify at least one or two that serve no purpose other than to eat up money. Should any of these services eventually develop programming in which you have any interest, feel free to re-subscribe, but if they’re currently just eating up space on your streaming menu, don’t hesitate to cancel.

Wait for Popular Video Games to Go on Sale 

Despite many industries feeling the sting of the COVID-19 pandemic, video game sales have actually increased. As one of the world’s fastest growing entertainment mediums, video games have started to appear; to a much broader audience over the last decade. Given the sheer abundance of unique titles produced every year, even the most hardened video game hater is liable to find a few things they enjoy.

Since gaming is already a popular at-home pastime, there’s little wonder as to why it’s continued to thrive throughout the current crisis. However, as any seasoned gamer can attest, buying new games at launch can be rather pricey.

With most standard editions going for $60 and most collector’s editions costing between $80 and $100, gaming isn’t always the most affordable hobby. Luckily, waiting a few months to purchase new titles can pay off in a big way. Many games see a considerable drop in price within three to six months of their respective release dates, so if you’re not adamant about playing big titles right away, your patience can be a boon to your finances.

Taking advantage of digital flash sales is another effective way to save big on video games. These sales provide gamers with ample opportunities to purchase a wide variety of titles for a fraction of their original prices.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to spend more time at home than we’re accustomed to. Although this is undeniably the responsible thing to do during a pandemic of this magnitude, finding ways to consistently keep oneself entertained generally doesn’t come cheap. Fortunately for cost-conscious homebodies, top-notch home entertainment doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Putting the pointers discussed above to good use can help you stay entertained without breaking the bank.