It's a Good Time to Cancel Some Streaming Services. Here's How to Do It

Parting is such sweet… savings.

When times are tight, we look for any little thing we can cancel or swap to save money. Given that many of us have multiple streaming services, it's a logical place to cut some bloat -- especially with the rate at which these services are jacking up prices.

Canceling your service is usually easy, though not always as simple as it should be. Here are some step-by-step guides for cancelling some of most common services:

How to cancel Netflix

Canceling Netflix is fairly straightforward, and you can do it through the website or through the mobile app (but not through your TV app). To cancel Netflix:

• Log into your Netflix account online or through the mobile app.
• Select the account holder's profile.
• Click the drop-down menu (web) or the user icon (mobile) in the upper right-hand corner.
• Select "Account" to open your account management settings.
• Click on the "Cancel Membership" button.
• Here Netflix may offer you other options, like downgrading to a cheaper plan. If you're sure you want to cancel, click the "Finish Cancellation" button.

Now your service is canceled. You'll still be able to watch content until the end of your current billing period. (You can also check out these Netflix alternatives to keep content coming.)

How to cancel Hulu

Hulu prices are going up in October, so now is the time to cancel if you want to. Unfortunately, it is one of the services that only allows you to make account changes through their website, not the mobile app. They also make you hit about a billion buttons to be absolutely, 100%, totally, completely sure you want to cancel. Here's how it goes:

• Log into your Hulu account through a web browser.
• Select the account holder's profile.
• Hover over the profile icon in the upper right-hand corner to open the dropdown menu.
• Select "Account" to open your account management settings.
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page to where it says "Cancel Your Subscription" and select the blue "Cancel" link.
• Here Hulu gives you some other options. They may ask if you want the Disney bundle (if you don't have it) or if you want to pause your subscription. Click the "Continue to Cancel" button in the bottom right corner to skip past these pages.
• Hulu may also offer you a free month of service. If this appeals to you, accept their offer! Free is free. Just be sure to cancel before that month is up to avoid another charge. If you don't want this offer, click the "Continue to Cancel" button again.
• Somewhere along the line, Hulu will ask you to give a reason you're canceling. You need to select one of the options to enable the "Continue to Cancel" button.
• Finally, they'll give you one more out. If you're super duper sure (which you should be at this point), click the "Cancel Subscription" button in the bottom right corner.

You're finally canceled. Your service will stop at the end of your current billing period.

How to cancel Disney+

Disney+ prices are getting hiked in December, so you have a little time to cancel before prices increase -- but not much. Since Disney+ and Hulu are downed by the same company, the cancelation process is very similar:

• Log into your account through a web browser.
• Select the account holder's profile.
• Use the profile icon to open the menu and select "Account."
• Scroll down to the Subscription header and select your plan.
• Click the "Cancel Subscription" button.
• You'll get a bunch of offer screens and other nonsense, similar to Hulu. Keep clicking the "Continue to Cancel" button in the bottom corner.
• Finally, click the "No Thanks, Cancel Disney+" button to finalize your cancellation.

Now you're canceled. Your service will stop at the end of your current billing period.

Note that if you have the Disney/Hulu bundle, you usually have to cancel that through the Hulu website rather than Disney+.

How to cancel HBO Max

HBO Max is one of the simpler services to cancel, though you do need to go through a web browser, no matter which device you're on. To cancel HBO Max:

• Log into your account through a web browser.
• Select the account holder's profile.
• Click the profile icon in the upper right corner, then select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.
• Scroll down to the "Subscription" section and click the purple "Manage Subscription" link. (This will open a new tab/window.)
• Select the "Cancel Subscription" link.
• Here, HBO will ask you to select a reason for cancelling. You can skip this if you want.
• Click the "Yes, Cancel Subscription" button to finalize.

And you're done. Your service will stop at the end of your current billing period.

If you bill through a third party

If your streaming service is billed through a third party, you'll need to cancel through the company you ordered it from in the first place. So, if you added a streaming service through your Roku account, you'll need to go into your Roku account to cancel it.

The same thing applies if the service you're trying to cancel is an add-on to another service: You need to go to the original source. So, if HBO is a Hulu add-on, it gets canceled through your Hulu account. If Netflix is an add-on to your cell phone service, you need to go through your cell phone account.

Alternatives to cancellation

Although canceling services outright is a good option to save, you may have other ways to keep your content without breaking the bank. For example, cycling services can be a good way to stay up-to-date on the latest content without paying for services you aren't using. A good streaming rewards credit card can also help you save a little on the cost of your services.

Then there's also your local library. Not only can you check out DVDs, but many library members are eligible to stream content through services like Hoopla. Since library membership is free, this can save you a lot of dough!