Club Benefits
As the weather warms up and the urge to declutter kicks in, it’s a natural moment to give your streaming subscriptions a little cleanup. Streaming services, with their ever-increasing prices, are often the easiest place to trim without feeling too much of a loss.
Americans now spend an average of $84 a month on the best streaming services, according to Lending Tree, and with so many platforms in the mix, staying subscribed to all of them year-round doesn't make a lot of sense. A smarter approach is to rotate — keep what you’re actually watching and pause the rest until something really worth your time arrives.
For April 2026, I recommend canceling Netflix. Even the biggest streamer isn’t immune to a quieter stretch, and right now it’s an easy one to drop from your lineup, at least temporarily. Here’s why Netflix is the service to skip this month.
Why I'd cancel Netflix
Netflix feels like a staple, but after yet another price hike, it’s been harder to justify the cost.
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty to watch. The library is massive, and you could easily spend hours just browsing. But for me, a streaming service earns its keep with can’t-miss originals — and this month, Netflix is coming up a little short. April's lineup has just a handful of major releases, most of which are stacked up toward the end of the month.
The exception to that is the third and final season of "XO, Kitty," which drops April 3. Kitty's journey to attend school in Korea is coming to an end. As senior year throws all sorts of big questions at her, Kitty can at least turn to her big sister for advice. Yep, Lara Jean Covey is heading to Seoul!
The back half of the month has more to offer. "Beef" returns on April 16 with a new tale of anger, bitterness and revenge. Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan star as a country club manager and his wife, who have an argument that could end their marriage — one that's witnessed by an employee (Cailee Spaeny) and her fiancé (Charles Melton).
Then there's the first "Stranger Things" spinoff, the animated "Tales From '85" on April 23. It takes place between the events of the second and third seasons of the OG series, and the Duffer brothers have said it's meant to evoke a Saturday morning cartoon. On the same day, "Running Point" season 2 continues Kate Hudson's question to run the Lakers family's basketball franchise.
And the last few days of April bring an two action thrillers: the movie "Apex" starring Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton and Eric Bana; and the series "Man on Fire" (based on the novel previously adapted into the 2004 film with Denzel Washington).
While I'm personally looking forward to "Beef" and "Running Point," I can wait a couple of weeks to binge both — and save money in the process.
How much you'll save by canceling Netflix
If you drop Netflix from your streaming lineup in April, the savings are a bit more noticeable than they used to be. Following its latest price increase, plans now cost $8.99/month with ads, $19.99 for Standard and $26.99 for Premium.
Taking a month off can put $9 to $27 back in your pocket. It’s not a huge sum on its own, but it adds up quickly if you make a habit of rotating your subscriptions. Canceling just one or two services each month can save you well over $100 across the year without really changing your viewing habits. It’s an easy way to keep your budget in check while still dipping back in whenever a true must-watch finally lands.
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