The Internet is packed with countless ways to have fun. Music, video streaming services, casino sites, and online gaming, in general, all fall under the umbrella of digital entertainment. To gain access, though, you need to have multiple subscriptions or just pay a few dozen bucks to watch or play something. These costs can quickly add up and you end up paying way more than intended. Therefore, it’s vital to approach it responsibly to get the most out of online leisure without harming your budget. Here, you can find the best tips on how to enjoy the thrills of digital entertainment while keeping your wallet in check.
Choose Low-Deposit Online Casinos with High Bonuses
Let’s start with digital entertainment that’s been only growing in popularity over the past few years. We are talking about casino gaming and online sports betting.
If you enjoy gambling, our tip is to find a site that has a low minimum deposit limit, like $10 or $20. However, don’t settle for poor casino quality just because it supports low payments. Your preferred $20 minimum deposit casino should have a wide game selection with games from the best providers. It should also have a competitive welcome bonus and other offers that can be unlocked with only $20. You should look for big bonus percentages because it’s harder to increase your budget significantly when you place smaller bets.
Look for Free or Discounted Game
Just like gambling, online gaming is as big as ever, and it’s a common hobby among younger generations. That said, AAA video games have gotten quite expensive. Luckily, the higher price tag is only present for a few months after the release. During holidays, even newer titles get a discount of 20% or so. But if you wait for a bit longer, you can get them for 50% off or more. PS store, Steam, and other digital gaming platforms have sales each month. What’s more, services like PS Plus have a subscription-based model where you get access to great games at a lower monthly fee.
Finally, all of those stores have free-to-play titles that you can try. The free-to-play model uses in-game purchases, so you’ll only spend money if you really care about that game.
On the other hand, if you’d like to try casino games only for fun, then you can use the demo mode. This is available in pretty much any online casino and you get to try the game with virtual coins. It’s a perfect way to find the game you like before you decide to spend real money. You also get to see first-hand what is the hit frequency and RTP on slots. What’s more, you get a good estimate of how many spins it takes to get to the bonus round, and how much money you can win during the bonus round. You should always do this especially if you plan on playing slots with the bonus-buy feature.
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Use Free Trials and Bundled Plans
Now that we covered some saving tips for gamers, let’s talk about a more general form of digital entertainment, streaming services. Whether you want to stream films, music, eBooks, or something else, you should make use of a free trial period. For instance, Amazon Prime has one of the best free trials for students, as it gives students access to TV and other entertainment activities for free for six months. It’s important to remember to cancel a trial, or else you could incur a full membership fee.
Usually, a single streaming service subscription isn’t that pricy, but you rarely get everything you want with just one brand. This is why streaming bundles are a great option. Essentially, they provide several streaming services at a discounted price. For example, StreamSaver offers a Netflix, Comcast, Apple TV+, and Peacock bundle for only $15 a month. This is around a third of the price that you would have to pay for each service separately.
Take Advantage of Discounted Gift Cards and Promo Codes
Here’s something many people forget when trying to save money on digital goodies. Through gift cards or discount codes, you can save on any product or service we mentioned so far. Bear in mind though that these deals are available for a limited period. So if you want to save 10%, or even 50%, on digital entertainment you need to actively check for these discounts. The same applies to casino gaming. Promo codes, one-time match bonuses and free spins are almost always available somewhere. You just need to actively look for those offers.
Set Up Price Alerts and Use Cashback Apps
To track the above-mentioned discounts more effectively you can use price trackers. This way, you get alerts whenever there is a price drop for a selected product (album, movie, game, etc.).
Also, it’s a good idea to search for preferred services and products on cashback websites and apps rather than directly on retailer sites. This grants cashback in the form of money or gift cards for future purchases. It’s worth comparing different cashback platforms to find the ones with the best rates. Each shows the amount you can earn, and you only need to click the button that will redirect you to the retailer’s site, where you should shop as normal.
Join Loyalty Programs for Extra Savings and Perks
If there’s a provider that you like, then think about becoming a VIP member. It’s another way to save cash in the long run. Amazon Prime and many other brands have loyalty programs filled with perks. These typically include free shipping, exclusive deals and personalised offers. Casinos, for example, have VIP programs that comprise multiple levels, each with specific perks:
- Increased payment limitsÂ
- Faster payoutsÂ
- Ongoing cashbackÂ
- Daily freebies
All one has to do to unlock them is to regularly spend money with that operator.
In conclusion, there are many strategies that you can use to manage your budget effectively while enjoying your favourite pastimes. You should implement as many of them as you can to make the most out of your experience.
