Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

If you don’t have Sky what do you I have instead?

117 replies

Haleso · 28/06/2023 22:46

Just that really. Trying to cut back on expenditure and wondered what people have? We pay for Netflix and Disney plus separately and have Amazon prime.

OP posts:
IhearyouClemFandango · 28/06/2023 23:06

We've never had sky. Currently have Netflix, Amazon prime and Disney plus. Should really ditch one but can't decide which.

IhearyouClemFandango · 28/06/2023 23:06

Ours run through a firestick

onlymyselftoanswerto1 · 29/06/2023 07:00

Haleso · 28/06/2023 22:55

How do I access BBC, ITV etc without a skybox. Excuse my ignorance on this but I’ve had it for 25 years so I’m not sure what my options are!

If you've had your sky box for quite some time they probably won't ask you to return it and you can still just keep watching the free channels through that as normal. It will shut off the ones it expects you to pay for but you can access the rest still. I still have mine but I mostly use a firestick or Netflix/prime now.

Willmafrockfit · 29/06/2023 07:03

a firestick
iplayer
itv
prime
disney
netflix <not for much longer>>
youtube

ProfYaffle · 29/06/2023 07:04

Haleso · 28/06/2023 22:55

How do I access BBC, ITV etc without a skybox. Excuse my ignorance on this but I’ve had it for 25 years so I’m not sure what my options are!

Through a smart TV but check which apps are on it. Or a box like YouView or Humax if you want to series record, pause live TV etc as well. You can buy these as a one off cost, no subscription other than the one you pay to the services like Netflix.

JadeSeahorse · 29/06/2023 07:09

Fire cube! Amazing what you can download on there for free.🤫

YouTube is your friend! 😊

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 29/06/2023 07:18

Those of you watching Now tv ... we've got a fire stick so could we watch on that or must we have their box?

AuntieMarys · 29/06/2023 07:21

Netflix and prime. (£16 in total) Currently have Disney and apple for 3 months free. Sporadically get Now if there's something specific, like Succession.

TreesandFish · 29/06/2023 07:23

Just Netflix

BarbaraofSeville · 29/06/2023 07:23

We have a Roku stick because our 'smart' TV is very old and the software seems to be all giving up now but newer smart TVs probably have all the apps in.

We watch iPlayer, All 4 etc then also generally pay for one of the others on rotation and binge watch anything we're interested before cancelling and moving on to something else.

Both Now TV and Prime often have offers which means you don't have to pay full price, but for the others (Netflix, Disney plus etc) apart from the free starter month, it seems that you don't get discounts (but always worth checking that you're not paying extra for features like multiscreens or the highest definitions that make no discernable difference to the picture quality on your TV if you don't actually want them).

wildfirewonder · 29/06/2023 07:24

We just have Freeview and then pay for a monthly subscription to something when we want to, sometimes we have nothing but since COVID we have usually had one subscription.

If I was worried about money I would ditch the lot and just have Freeview. There is plenty on there.

Sprogonthetyne · 29/06/2023 07:24

Mostly either bbc iplayer, other freeview channel or YouTube.

EmeraldFox · 29/06/2023 07:24

Netflix shared with family that we don't watch anyway. The TV hasn't been on in months.

2Rebecca · 29/06/2023 07:28

Just netflix. We don't watch that much TV. We use iplayer a lot

musicinspring1 · 29/06/2023 07:30

Amazon firestick
I pay for Netflix, prime and Disney.
Sometimes if there is something I really want to watch not on these I wait until the series is out and binge through the free bit of Now TV and then cancel it or if I know I will watch and love it I buy the series through Amazon prime

christmastreefarm · 29/06/2023 07:32

Netflix and Disney. They are mainly for kids I am not that fussed.

I don't miss sky at all - I only really used it for recording but so much is on catch-up now anyway I don't think it's such issue.

christmastreefarm · 29/06/2023 07:33

Haleso · 28/06/2023 22:59

I’ve tried negotiating before but can never get it down to anything near £19

You have to give 28 days notice. Cancel it then they will start sending offers. The nearer you get to 28 days the better they will be. They still send me offers trying to get me back.

Whatthediddlyfeck · 29/06/2023 07:34

An app called IPTV

3WildOnes · 29/06/2023 07:36

We have a smart TV so can watch iplayer, etc. We used to have Netflix but have cancelled that for disney plus now.

CarlaH · 29/06/2023 08:44

Can you get access to sky sports though?

hettiethehare · 29/06/2023 08:54

Amazon Firestick - we have Amazon Prime (but rarely watch anything on it tbh) and Netflix as well. We do short subsriptions to Now TV or Disney+ if there is a series we want to watch - for Now I tend to save them up so watch two or three things then cancel.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 29/06/2023 08:58

Smart TV and Internet. No sky/virgin packages
We pay for Netflix Prime and Disney
Saves us about £40pcm

minipie · 29/06/2023 09:02

Netflix. Currently amazon prime as they were offering a free month. Also terrestrial, iplayer etc.

Have tried Disney+ and Apple through various offers but tbh there’s not a lot I want to watch on them. One or two flagship shows and then the rest is a bit meh.

We used to only have Freeview until Covid and it was fine - I had a freeview+ box and got a daily email telling me about new series so I could set them to record. Having started the Netflix habit it’s hard to go back though!

Geneticsbunny · 29/06/2023 09:07

You used to be able to get something called Freesat where you could get all the free channels through your satellite dish.

Sillyfred · 29/06/2023 09:11

We cancelled Sky and don't miss it at all! Netflix and Amazon are fine. And "normal TV" has been quite good lately 😂

Swipe left for the next trending thread