There are some great streaming service apps out there, but the most important apps are not the ones you might expect - because they help you save money As streaming services raise their prices and you start paying as much as you do for cable TV, budgeting has become one of the key topics behind Tom's Guide

Fortunately, most good streaming services offer monthly subscriptions, so if you only like one show on a service, you can simply stop paying after that broadcast ends But knowing when to cancel your subscription and not pay an extra month or two can be difficult to remember when you have so many other things to keep in mind

So let me explain how to better track your streaming service spending with a simple app that has nothing to do with TV but may save you money

Every month we have the opportunity to cut our streaming service bills That's because all of the best streaming services (and many of the ones we don't rate as highly) offer easy, month-to-month billing steps Of course, those who have signed long-term contracts with discounted rates, such as Disney Plus, will have to endure such choices

Reminder apps can help you remember when your next billing date is so you can cancel your subscription before you are charged an extra month

For example, if you are ready to figure out how to cancel your Netflix subscription, sign in to Netflix and go to this page, you will see text that says, "Next billing date is"

So, with this information, open your favorite reminder app (mine is described below) and manually write the date; you can also ask Siri or Google Assistant to set a reminder for you

I set about 8 reminders a month, which may seem excessive However, I set a reminder two days before the service is re-billed and write something like "I pay $1399/month for Netflix" as a reminder

This way, when I receive the reminder, I can ask myself, "Did I watch enough on Netflix to pay that much?"

and ask yourself, "Was it worth it?

And if the answer is "I'm not sure," maybe it's time to reconsider your subscription

So everyone should watch "Ted Russow" I've said it many times Apple itself is doing its best to lure people in with a free 7-day trial of Apple TV Plus, and up to a year if you purchase an Apple device That's more than enough time to watch the entire first season of Ted Russo (if you have the time, you could probably finish it in a day)

And with a reminder or two, you won't accidentally pay for an Apple TV Plus if you don't like Ted Lasso or any of its other shows Nevertheless, Apple is well aware of the possibility that people will cancel, which may be why they decided to air Adventures of a Coach every week

Yes, "Ted Rathbone" Season 2 can be seen starting July 23, but the series does not end until October 8 So in this case, a reminder of when the next billing date will be after October 8 will help ensure that the streaming service is not quietly raking in $499 again You will receive a billing email, but only after the billing has been completed, and you can see it if you are doing a good job of managing your inbox

I began to realize that I am a "power user" who uses reminders a lot and needed something a little more sophisticated than the iOS reminder app Then I learned about a reminder app called Due

Due reminds me over and over again until I swipe the reminder and mark it done This is one of the reasons I love Due for this task; Due's reminders can repeat indefinitely, and by default, I am notified every five minutes I use Due not only for streaming service reminders, but also as a way to make sure I get the hottest items online, such as concert tickets that sell out quickly

The only problem: it's $699 So you're going to pay more for it For me, it's worth it Especially if I don't have to spend money I don't need elsewhere There are plenty of other options out there

If you've never done an audit of your streaming services, now is the time Get your house in order by knowing all your services and when they are billed

That way, you can focus on what you're watching instead of worrying about how much it's costing you There is no stopping the proliferation of new streaming services Nor can we avoid the reality of the great programming they offer But we can alert people so that they are not charged when they don't need to be charged

For more streaming device recommendations (and streaming services), be sure to check out my guide If there is anything you would like me to cover in the world of streaming, please email me at henrycasey@futurenetcom or leave a comment below