Remember when we all cut the cord to save money?

Yeah, about that.

You know that little rush of pride you felt when you canceled cable? When you told yourself, “I am smart with money now, I have options“? Well, buckle up, because a new report just dropped some news that’s going to hit like finding out your “healthy” smoothie has 600 calories in it.

Streaming is now pricier than cable ever was. And it’s not even close.

The numbers don’t lie (unfortunately)

According to a new report, streaming prices have climbed more than three times the rate of inflation since 2022. And inflation itself hasn’t exactly been chill lately, so… do the math on that one.

Here’s the receipts:

• Apple TV launched at $4.99/month in 2019 — it’s tripled since then
• Disney+ started at $6.99 with no ads in 2019 — now it’s $11.99 WITH ads
• Netflix Premium is up 125% since 2013
• Paramount+‘s cheapest tier is up 80% in the last five years

Add it all up and having all eight major streaming services, ad-free, with no bundle deals? That’ll run you $151 a month. Four years ago, that same lineup was $90.

I don’t know about you, but my grocery budget did not get the memo that it’s suddenly supposed to make room for that.

So… do we just go back to cable?

Absolutely not. Nobody’s trying to be that person with the giant satellite dish again. We’re better than that. (No offense to satellite dishes.)

The real fix has a name, and it’s genius in its simplicity: streaming cycling.

What is streaming cycling?

It’s exactly what it sounds like — instead of paying for eight services at once, you subscribe to one at a time and rotate through them.

Here’s how it works:

• Sign up for Apple TV and binge everything on your list
• Once you’re caught up, cancel it and switch to Prime
• Work through your Prime watchlist, then hop to Netflix
• Repeat forever, saving money the entire time

Gen Z is already doing this, and honestly? They might be onto something. If enough of us start rotating instead of stacking, maybe these streaming giants will realize we don’t have unlimited money trees growing in the backyard.

Your move.

Next time you catch yourself paying for five streamers you barely touch, ask yourself: could you cycle instead? Your wallet (and your sanity) might thank you.

Tell us on our Facebook page — are you team “keep all the streamers” or are you ready to try the cycling method? We want to know!