If you are trying to cut costs in your budget, you may consider getting rid of some of your monthly subscription services.
One of the toughest subscriptions to cut out can be Netflix, especially if you love binge-watching new shows. While Netflix might fall into your entertainment budget, there are plenty of ways to get Netflix for free.
How Much Does Netflix Cost?
Before you eliminate Netflix from your budget, you should understand how much it costs. A monthly membership costs anywhere between $8.99 and $15.99 depending on if you have HD streaming and if you want to be able to view on multiple screens at the same time. For example, if you’re going to share Netflix with three friends who all watch Netflix at the same time each day, you will want the Premium package that costs $15.99.
While this might not break the bank each month, the annual cost of the basic plan comes to $107.88, and the Premium plan comes out to $191.88. This could be the difference in being able to make an additional car payment if you are getting aggressive on your debt. All the line items in your budget add up!
How To Get Netflix for Free
Now that you have an idea of what eliminating your Netflix expense can mean for your budget, you might be wondering how you can get the streaming service for free.
1. 30 Days Free
When you sign up for Netflix, you can choose to sign up for a 30-day free trial. Regardless of which plan you choose, you can use the month to evaluate if the service is for you. Although you need to enter your credit card information to begin your free trial, you can cancel your account and trial at any time. Just be mindful that your card will automatically be charged if you forget to cancel your account before your monthly billing takes effect.
If you have multiple email addresses, you can cancel your membership and sign up again. While this is a time-consuming task each month, if you have two email addresses, you can get two months of Netflix for free. If you have a work email and a personal email address, this can be an excellent place to start.
2. Switch to T-mobile
If you are tired of your current cell phone provider and are in the market for a new one, you might want to evaluate switching to T-Mobile. T-Mobile has a Netflix on Us program in which the company pays for your Netflix account. If you have the Magenta plan with T-Mobile, you will be able to enroll in the Basic Netflix plan free of charge. If you have the T-Mobile ONE with ONE Plus, you will get $10.99 of the $12.99 Netflix fee covered, which brings your monthly cost of Netflix to $2.
While this may be a great way to save money on Netflix, be sure to evaluate your current cell phone provider as well as T-Mobile before making the switch. If your current provider is expensive and you are paying for Netflix, then this switch might make sense for you. However, if T-Mobile is more costly than your current option, you may want to find a better way to get free Netflix.
3. Get Verizon Internet
Another service provider that covers the cost of Netflix is Verizon. If you use Verizon internet at home and are paying for Netflix – stop! Users of Verizon’s FiOS internet network can get a free year of Netflix.
The promotion is only for customers who have signed up for Verizon’s Gigabit Connection Internet packages, so you should evaluate what you are paying for your internet service now and what the cost difference will be to switch. This will help you assess if the cost of switching is worth it to get free Netflix.
4. Switch to Arcadia Power
Arcadia was created to give people access to affordable renewable energy. Not only might switching to Arcadia save you enough money to foot your Netflix account for a full year, but the app also lets you pay your electric bill for free via credit card.
So. if you have a credit or debit card that allows you to earn cashback or points you can build up your rewards while saving money and helping the environment. How cool is that?
5. Mobilexpression
MobileXpression is a market research company that is aiming to understand the patterns and behaviors of people using the internet through their IOS and Android devices.
Simply download the app and you can earn your first gift card in as little as one week. Use your gift card to pay Netflix or anything else.
6. Join Mistplay
What better than binge-watching your favorite movies and TV shows for free? Getting paid to play video games while streaming!!!
Mistplay is an Android-only app that pays users for playing mobile games. While you won’t get rich using mistplay you can easily make enough money to each move to cover the cost of a Netflix subscription.
Keep in mind, with Mistplay you will earn Amazon gift card and you can use the Amazon cards to purchase Netflix fee-free or you can skip Netflix completely and opt for Amazon Prime Video.
7. Try Mypoints
MyPoints is considered as one of the longest standing small task sites in the industry. You get money when you play games, shop online, watch videos, and complete surveys.
Members can also earn points for each purchase made from their favorite brands. Cash-out your points whenever you want for your favorite gift card or get a transfer to your PayPal account.
With MyPoints, you have the option of converting those points to gift cards for Netflix!
It is available both on Android and iOS, plus you get a $10 bonus when you earn your first $20 in prizes!
8. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is an awesome rewards site that gives you a bunch of ways to earn Swagbucks to redeem for tons of gift cards or PayPal cash.
It’s even better now that it’s on mobile and you can earn wherever you go!
If you shop online with your mobile device, you can visit Swagbucks first to check its cashback offers. Click on them before you shop to earn a percentage of your purchase order back in the form of Swagbucks!
Swagbucks doesn’t offer Netflix gift cards directly. Instead, they offer free Amazon gift cards which you can exchange for Netflix gift codes at Amazon.com!
9. Inboxdollars
InboxDollars is a cash-based online rewards club. Inbox Dollars an established and well-known company that pays for easy online activities.
These include taking online paid surveys, reading advertising emails, watching videos, searching the web, completing offers, playing games, printing coupons, and more.
The app is well-organized and easy-to-use, so it’s a handy partner to the site to help you make money on the go. Plus if you join now, if you’re not a member yet, you get $5 free!
Like Swagbucks, a Netflix gift card is not one of their payment options. But, you can opt for the Amazon gift cards and use them to buy Netflix gift cards on Amazon.com!
Get a Discount on Netflix
Getting free Netflix might be a stretch for some, but there are plenty of simple ways to reduce your monthly Netflix bill.
Find a Promo Code
If you are simply looking to reduce the cost of your Netflix bill, then you may want to look for promo codes. Sites like RetailMeNot, Honey, and more post discount codes and deals that allow users to get discounts on Netflix and other services.
These promotional websites are free to use and often offer cashback programs as well. If you earn cash back, you can often purchase Netflix and other gift cards to help you pay for your subscriptions.
For example, if you use Rakuten to find discount codes, you may also use it to receive cashback on your purchases. Then, you can use your cashback to purchase Netflix or other gift cards in the Rakuten store.
If there are no Netflix gift cards available, you can use your cashback to buy an Amazon or Visa gift card. Then, you can use that gift card to buy a Netflix gift card fee-free.
Buy Discounted Netflix Gift Cards
Another way to decrease how much you spend on Netflix each month to find discounted gift cards. The most popular way to earn free or discounted Netflix gift cards is by doing small tasks online, such as taking surveys.
However, if you join the right programs and other online forums, you might also be able to find freebies, giveaways, and more.
For example, websites like Swagbucks allow users to earn $5 in points just for signing up. Then, you can purchase things through the website, take surveys, and watch ads to earn more points. These points are redeemable for gift cards. Swagbucks and other similar websites are easy to use and sign up for.
Share Netflix With Family or Friends
If one of your friends or family members already has a Netflix account, they may be willing to add you as a user for free, or they may ask for a few dollars each month.
If you don’t know anyone that wants to share their password with you, you may be able to find a few people that are in a similar situation to you and want to share a subscription. Then, you can all contribute to the monthly cost of Netflix.
Cancel Your Account
Some people only purchase Netflix to watch specific shows. For example, you might have downloaded Netflix to watch the recently uploaded season of Outlander or The Ranch.
If you don’t plan to watch a new show until the next season comes out, you might want to cancel your subscription until then. While this isn’t a discount, it will help you to decrease your annual spending on Netflix.
Evaluate Netflix Alternatives
After a while, you might get bored with what is on Netflix, or you might simply want to watch TV shows and movies without paying. The good news is, you can get 14 or 30-day trials on several streaming services.
If you choose three alternative streaming services and sign up for each of them on a rolling basis, you will have several months of free TV available to you. You can maximize this by signing up for trials with your different email accounts.
- Hulu – Hulu costs anywhere from $5.99 to $11.99 per month, depending on if you want to watch TV without ads. However, the website offers a free trial of both plans for 30 days. Like Netflix, you’ll have to enter your credit card information. With this month-long trial, you will get unlimited streaming without ads.
- Amazon Video – Amazon Prime has many benefits and costs $119 per year. In addition to free and fast shipping with Amazon Prime, users get access to Prime Video, which is unlimited streaming of movies and TV episodes as well as Amazon Channels. The free trial of Amazon Prime also requires a credit card to sign up and lasts 30 days.
- HBO Now – HBO Now allows users to stream HBO’s content for $14.99 per month. The free trial lasts 30 days and requires users to have a credit card on file.
- Other alternatives – You may want to investigate other options that offer free trials. Some of these services include YouTube TV, Sling TV, and CBS All Access. Each streaming service will have different shows, and most offer at least a two-week free trial. All will require you to have a card on file, so if you don’t plan to extend your membership beyond a free trial, be sure to set a calendar reminder to cancel your trial.
The Bottom Line
Free Netflix is hard to come by. You may be able to leverage free trials or your existing memberships to get free access to Netflix. However, you are more likely to find people to split the cost with or find promotional codes and discounts. If you simply want to watch shows online, you can rotate through other streaming services’ free trials to receive free entertainment for several months. However, if you have your heart set on Netflix long-term, your best bet might be to share an account with someone else.
Michael launched Wealth of Geeks to make personal finance fun. He has worked in personal finance for over 20 years, helping families reduce taxes, increase their income, and save for retirement. Michael is passionate about personal finance, side hustles, and all things geeky.
