Who needs You Tube/Google, period? Google is collecting, watching everything you watch/stream and how much time you spend on each video, etc. That information is then shared with the NSA to be stored in the event you become a person of interest to the government. AppleOne, @$37.99 through Apple TV has everything you need and even adding Paramount+, Showtime for $12.99 and two $5/month subscriptions to Content providers on X is only $61 per month. Apple doesn't share its information with the government. I also have 2 Rumble subscriptions which I purchase annually for $50/annually which is roughly another $100/12=$8.33/mo., still under $70/month. Rumble doesn't share your information with the government. if there is a series or movie outside those parameters, I just purchase them and add to my library on AppleTV. When calculating the monthly fees for other services, I found it is just cheaper to buy any particular movies or TV shows I want. Stand alone Netflix, which I purchase for a family member who is confined to the VA, is ~$25/month for 4K since he has a 4K TV.
It is far more cost effective for most people to take a little time and evaluate subscription services that are actually wanted, watched, and needed. If you're a podcast enthusiast, there are some great services that include multiple shows. But even if you just stream a single, 3 hour podcast a day on Apple Podcasts, along with the AppleOne for music, TV, Fitness, there really isn't time for much more. You Tube videos are free (selling your information is lucrative) so you still have all the "how-to" and animal videos available. FOMO and not being aware of recurring subscription costs is causing most families to waste a lot of money on subscription services that they don't use often enough to justify. Most people have Family, Employment, house and yard work, kids activities, social activities, laundry, cooking, shopping and don't really have time for more than a few hours a day, at most, to sit and stare at a screen. Even my podcast time is spend with AirPods moving around the house cooking, cleaning, laundry, feeding and walking dogs, or working out at the fitness center. $83/month for YouTube adds up to around a $1000/year. $1000/year makes for a nice Christmas for someone or even a big chunk of money for a new MacBook upgrade :0)).
Almost forgot.....PrimeVideo. I never watch it, but originally subscribed for $49(?)/year to get the free shipping, since I spent far more than that on shipping costs. When Amazon added video and upped the costs , had to reevaluate but 2 day shipping to the front door seemed reasonable. BUT, when Amazon added in advertisements and offered to delete the ads for a price on top of the annual fee, that just ticked me off and I cancelled. Discovered there are still no shipping costs if the order is over $35. Still get the order in 2 days.
This is the world we live in now....but is a good idea to look at the monthly subscriptions on the bank account every month and see which ones you actually used. Not criticizing anyone, as I got sucked into the $$/mo. universe and figure I'm saving around $1500 per year with more mindful, aware expenditure on only what I actually watch/listen to.
