Money Management

Ad-free Disney+ content will soon become more expensive for subscribers in the U.S. Find out how much an ad-free Disney+ Premium plan will soon cost. 

Streaming platforms have become a popular service that many Americans use. But the prices for these services have continued to rise in more recent years. As some streaming apps become more costly, users must decide if the expense is worthwhile. If you pay for an ad-free Disney+ plan, you should know you’ll soon pay more for your subscription. You’ll want to understand how this price change could impact your wallet.

The Disney+ ad-free plan will increase 27% on Oct. 12

The streaming platform Disney+ launched in late 2019. Many families, especially those with young children, subscribe to the popular platform. Disney+ Basic, which is ad-supported, costs $7.99 monthly. The commercial-free plan, Disney+ Premium, costs $10.99 monthly or $109.99 yearly. But that’s about to change this fall.

On Aug. 9, The Walt Disney Company announced price increases for some Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ plans. Starting on Oct. 12, Disney Premium subscribers will pay $13.99 monthly or $139.99 yearly. That’s an increase of more than 27% — so it’s likely that this significant price change will impact the checking accounts of many subscribers. These changes apply to U.S. subscribers.

The Walt Disney Company also outlined new pricing for some of its bundled streaming plans. Here’s a breakdown of the price increases you can expect in October:

Trio Basic, which features ad-supported Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ content, will increase in price from $12.99 to $14.99 monthly.Trio Premium, which features ad-free Disney+ content, ad-free Hulu content, and ESPN+ (with ads), will rise in price from $19.99 to $24.99.

But it’s not all bad news. It’s worth mentioning that a new ad-free bundle will be available to users on Sept. 6. The brand-new Duo Premium, which will feature ad-free Disney+ and Hulu content, will cost $19.99 monthly.

Since the ad-free Hulu plan is also increasing in price on Oct. 12, (from $14.99 to $17.99 monthly), those who want access to commercial-free Disney+ and Hulu content can save money by subscribing to this new bundle. Once the upcoming price changes start, this plan could save you $11.99 per month — which is significant!

How to manage subscription price changes

If you subscribe to any of the plans highlighted above, you may feel disappointed about the upcoming higher price tag. You should assess your budget to determine if you can continue paying for service without changing plans. If you need help monitoring your spending, budgeting apps can be an excellent resource to help you better manage your money.

Be sure to always keep your finances top of mind when making spending decisions. It’s never a good idea to go into credit card debt if you can avoid it by adjusting your spending habits. Here are some ways you may be able to save money on streaming platform expenses:

Switch to an ad-supported plan: If the new prices are too much, but you don’t mind ads, you can save a significant amount of money by switching to the ad-supported Disney+ Basic, which will continue to cost $7.99 monthly.Bundle your services: If you’re paying for multiple streaming apps separately, you may be overpaying. Bundling your plans could save you some cash. The new Duo Premium plan could be a more affordable solution if you prefer ad-free content.Pause your service: It may be worthwhile to take a break. You can pause or stop your service anytime and restart when you’re ready to pay for it again. Doing this could make it easier for you to focus on important personal finance goals.

No matter what you decide, ensure you take action or prepare your budget accordingly before Oct. 12 so you’re not surprised by a higher charge on an upcoming credit card statement.

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Enamored with your local dollar store? Read on to see why you may want to end that love affair. 

If you’re someone who likes to save money, then you may be grateful for the presence of a dollar store or two in your neighborhood. As the name implies, dollar stores allow you to load up on a host of goods for $1 or, in some cases, slightly more. And that could lead to a lower credit card tab all around.

But dollar stores aren’t perfect. Here are a few reasons why they may not be as wonderful an addition to your neighborhood as you think they are.

1. The selection is often limited

You may be able to snag certain grocery staples or personal care items at the dollar store. But generally speaking, dollar stores tend to have a limited selection. That could be a problem if you have specific needs.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to do your back-to-school shopping at your local dollar store. You might only find six of the 12 items on your teacher’s supply list, thereby forcing you to run to another store. Dollar store inventory also tends to be inconsistent, so you might find an item you need one week only to not see it again for months.

2. Some items are lower in quality

If you buy a can of soup from the dollar store, and it’s a brand you know with an expiration date that’s reasonable, then there’s no reason to expect it to taste any different than the soup you’d buy at a regular supermarket. But while not every dollar store item is lower in quality than what you’d find elsewhere, some items are.

Let’s face it — a doll you buy for $1 isn’t going to hold up as well as a $15 doll you buy at a toy store, or from a big-box retailer. So if you’re going to shop at dollar stores, you’ll need to have realistic expectations about what you’re getting.

3. They can displace small businesses

Consumers are often drawn to dollar stores because of the low price point. As a result, when dollar stores open up, they can pull consumers away from small businesses, thereby leading to closures. But that has the potential to be bad for communities in the long run, which explains why some have been quick to protest against dollar stores in recent years.

Since 2019, at least 75 communities have blocked proposals to bring dollar stores into the fold, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. And data has shown repeatedly that dollar stores have the potential to drive grocery stores out of business, leaving a growing number of communities without access to fresh, healthy food.

While dollar stores commonly stock non-perishable goods, fresh food is generally not available at dollar stores. As it is, some rural communities lack access to fresh food due to logistics. But opening dollar stores instead of supermarkets doesn’t serve those communities well, experts argue. Rather, it just builds on an already existing problem.

Dollar stores may be cheap and convenient. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with running in the next time you need supplies for a school project or inexpensive goody bag fillers for your child’s birthday party. But dollar stores certainly have their flaws, and it’s important to be aware of what those entail.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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It’s important to feel financially secure. Read on for one important step you can take to get there. 

Being financially secure can mean different things to different people. In your book, financial security could mean being able to pay your bills without worry. For someone else, it might mean being able to go months at a time without a paycheck while keeping up with expenses.

But either way, the feeling of financial security is a good one. And if it’s missing, a lack of savings could be why.

A good 29% of Americans say a lack of emergency savings is the biggest threat to their financial security, according to the latest New York Life Wealth Watch survey. And if you’re in a similar boat, then it’s important to do what you can to change your outlook.

How much savings do you need to feel financially secure?

There’s no single savings balance that’s guaranteed to make you feel good about your finances. For some people, having $5,000 in the bank is enough to feel financially secure. For others, it might take $50,000.

But you should know that as a general rule, it’s a good idea to have an emergency fund with enough money to cover at least three months of essential expenses. The reason for this threshold is that if you were to lose your job, it might take a full three months to find another. So if you load up on enough cash to pay for three months of bills, it’ll spare you from landing in credit card debt the moment you’re unemployed.

Of course, emergency funds aren’t just designed to replace a lost paycheck during a period of unemployment. Yours could also come to the rescue when your car needs repairs or something breaks in your home and your regular paycheck can’t cover the bill.

But either way, you need cash reserves in the bank at all times. And having a nice chunk of money could help you feel much better about your financial situation.

How to build up an emergency fund

Building an emergency fund isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Many people spend down their paychecks month after month, and if that’s a cycle you’re in, then some serious changes may be in order to carve out money for your emergency savings.

Take a look at your bank and credit card statements from the past three months. Are there expenses you’re paying for that can be cut or eliminated? If so, some lifestyle adjustments could be your ticket to building savings.

You might even have to resign yourself to going to the extreme of moving to a less expensive rental or unloading a car you can do without to free up money for savings. Granted, this won’t always be possible. If the cost of a move will negate most of your savings on rent and you require a car to get to work, then you’ll need to take a different approach to freeing up cash to put in the bank. But either way, something might have to give.

If you can’t manage to cut your spending enough, taking on a second job could be your ticket to building your emergency fund. The gig economy is centered on flexibility, so even if you work long hours at your main job, you might manage to find something that allows you to earn money from home on the weekends.

Going without emergency savings might make you feel bad about your finances. And that has the potential to negatively impact your mental health. So it pays to do what you can to build some cash reserves — even if you have to make some tough sacrifices to get there.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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