diana617•13d agoTop Commenter

Dropped $80 on a streaming bundle and it totally backfired

I thought I was being smart signing up for that premium streaming bundle with HBO, Showtime, and Starz for $80 a month. Figured I'd save money compared to paying for each service separate. But after 3 months I realized I was only watching maybe 2 shows total across all of them. The rest of the time I just kept scrolling and never actually watched anything. Meanwhile my buddy pays $15 for Netflix alone and watches way more than me. I finally canceled it last week and now I'm back to just rotating one service at a time. Anyone else fall for those "value" bundles that end up costing more for nothing?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_lopez13d ago

$80 a month is nothing if you actually use the stuff you're paying for.

jana_jones12d ago

@mason_lopez I get what you're saying but $80 adds up fast, especially when you're not using it. The thing nobody talks about is how these bundles trick your brain into thinking you're getting more value, when really they're just making you feel like you have to watch everything to justify the cost. It's like having a gym membership you never use, you know? The psychology of it is wild, like you're paying for permission to have options rather than actually enjoying what's in front of you. I've been there too with a sports package that sounded great but I only watched my local team's games. Your buddy with the $15 Netflix plan probably has a better handle on what they actually want to watch.

susanb3412d ago

That whole sunk cost thing is everywhere once you start looking for it, you know? People hang onto old phone plans or keep paying for storage they don't need just because they already paid once or it feels like a hassle to cancel. It's like we're all trained to think that more options equals better value, when half the time we'd be happier just picking one thing and actually sticking with it for a while. Even with grocery store loyalty programs or those buy-one-get-one deals, you end up with stuff you don't really want but feel weirdly guilty tossing out.