Look, I’m just going to say it: most of us are terrible at timing our purchases. We buy stuff when we need it, not when it’s cheap. But there’s this one week a year when even the chronically broke among us can suddenly afford the good stuff – and I’m not talking about discounted TVs or marked-down sneakers.

I’m talking about subscriptions. The streaming services, language apps, meal kits, and meditation platforms that normally bleed your bank account dry through death by a thousand monthly charges. During Black Friday, these companies drop their prices so low it almost feels like a mistake. Like someone in accounting forgot to carry a zero or something.

And honestly? This might be the only shopping “secret” that actually lives up to the hype.

Why Subscription Services Actually Go Hard on Black Friday

Here’s the thing – physical products have real costs. Manufacturing, shipping, warehouse storage, all that jazz. But digital subscriptions? Once the content exists, adding one more subscriber costs these companies basically nothing. Which means they can afford to get aggressive with discounts in a way that, say, Sony can’t with PlayStation consoles.

We’re seeing deals that would’ve seemed absolutely bonkers just a few years ago. HBO Max (or Max, or whatever they’re calling it this week) regularly drops to less than half price. Apple TV+ goes for what you’d pay for a fancy coffee. Masterclass – which normally costs more than my gym membership – suddenly becomes affordable for regular humans.

The Psychology Behind the Madness

Companies aren’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, obviously. They’re banking on something that probably sounds familiar: you’ll forget to cancel. Or even better, you’ll actually start using the service and decide it’s worth keeping.

It’s kind of brilliant, actually. They get you in the door when your credit card is already out and you’re in full shopping mode. Six months later, you’ve watched three seasons of something addictive, and that monthly charge just becomes part of your life. Before you know it, you’re the person explaining to your friends why they absolutely need to watch that obscure documentary series.

The Actually Good Deals Worth Your Time

Not all subscription deals are created equal, though. Some are genuinely fantastic. Others are just mediocre services desperately trying to build their user base. Let me break down what’s actually worth considering.

Streaming Services That Don’t Suck

HBO Max typically offers 70% off their annual plan during Black Friday, which works out to something like $4-5 a month. For a service with Succession, The Last of Us, and basically every HBO show ever made? That’s borderline theft. Apple TV+ usually drops to around $2-3 per month for several months, which is wild considering they’re pumping serious money into their originals now.

Paramount+ and Peacock also slash prices, though honestly, these are more hit-or-miss depending on what you actually watch. If you’re a reality TV person or really into network shows, they’re gold mines. If you’re not… well, there’s only so many Law & Order reruns a person needs.

• HBO Max/Max: Usually drops to $50-60 annually (basically $5/month) vs. the regular $150-170
• Apple TV+: Often $1.99/month for 3-6 months, then regular price kicks in
• Paramount+ and Peacock: Expect around $1.99/month deals for several months

Learning Platforms That Might Actually Stick

This is where things get interesting – and where I’ve personally blown money before. Masterclass does these deals where you can get annual access for like $120 instead of $180. Which still isn’t cheap, let’s be real. But if you’re the kind of person who genuinely wants to learn how Gordon Ramsay makes risotto or how Neil Gaiman crafts stories, it’s worth it.

Rosetta Stone goes absolutely nuts with discounts, sometimes hitting 50% off lifetime access. Now, here’s my honest take: lifetime language learning access sounds great until you realize you haven’t practiced Spanish since February. But for genuinely motivated people? It’s a solid deal.

“The best subscription deal is the one you’ll actually use – not the one with the biggest discount percentage.”

The Ones You Probably Shouldn’t Bother With

Let’s talk about the deals that look tempting but probably aren’t worth it. Because not everything that’s cheap is actually a good value, you know?

Meal kit services love Black Friday. They’ll offer you $100 off your first few boxes or something that sounds incredible. Plot twist: those boxes cost like $60-80 each normally, and after the discount period ends, you’re stuck with a subscription that costs more than just buying groceries. Unless you’re genuinely terrible at grocery shopping or actually value the convenience that much, skip it.

Fitness apps are another trap. Sure, that $40 annual Peloton app subscription sounds great compared to the usual $155. But be honest with yourself – are you actually going to use it? Because I’ve got a Peloton app subscription from last Black Friday that I’ve used exactly three times. Three. That’s like $13 per workout, which is more expensive than my actual gym.

The “Lifetime Access” Red Flag

Anytime you see “lifetime access” for a digital service, pump the brakes. Companies go under. Services get acquired and shut down. “Lifetime” often means “until we decide it doesn’t.” I’m not saying never buy these deals – just don’t treat them like you’re securing your digital future forever.

How to Actually Navigate This Madness

Here’s my approach, which has saved me probably hundreds of dollars and countless hours of subscription regret: make a list before Black Friday hits. I know, I know – it sounds basic. But seriously, write down which services you’ve been meaning to try or already use and want to keep.

Then set calendar reminders for when these promotional periods end. Most subscription deals run for 3-6 months before jumping to regular price. If you don’t set a reminder, you will forget. This is not a character flaw – it’s literally what these companies are counting on.

• Week before Black Friday: List services you actually want
• Black Friday week: Buy only what’s on your list (radical, I know)
• Immediately after purchase: Set calendar alerts for 2 weeks before renewal
• When alert hits: Actually evaluate if you’ve used it

Also – and this feels weird to say – consider using a separate email for these subscriptions. It makes tracking them easier and prevents your main inbox from becoming a graveyard of renewal notices you ignore until your bank account looks sad.

The Sneaky Ones to Watch For

Some of the best subscription deals don’t even get advertised that heavily. Amazon often bundles random services together – you might get free months of Audible or Kindle Unlimited thrown in with other purchases. Microsoft does weird things with Xbox Game Pass where existing subscribers get extensions at discounted rates.

VPN services go absolutely crazy with discounts too. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark – they all do multi-year plans for sometimes 70-80% off. Now, whether you actually need a VPN is a whole other conversation. But if you travel a lot or genuinely care about privacy, these deals are legitimately good.

Cloud storage is another sneaky one. Microsoft 365 (which includes Office apps plus 1TB of OneDrive storage) regularly drops to $50-60 for a year instead of $100. That’s actually useful for people who, you know, create documents and have files.

My Honest Take on All This

Look, subscription fatigue is real. We’re all drowning in monthly charges that seemed like good ideas at the time. But Black Friday subscription deals can actually be one of the smarter ways to save money – if you’re strategic about it.

The key is treating it less like a shopping spree and more like… I don’t know, strategic planning? That sounds boring, but it’s true. Buy the subscriptions you were going to pay for anyway. Try one or two new services that genuinely interest you. Set those cancellation reminders. And for the love of everything, don’t sign up for six streaming services just because they’re cheap right now.

Because here’s the real secret nobody tells you: the best deal isn’t the one with the biggest discount. It’s the one you’ll actually use enough to justify even the reduced price. That $2/month streaming service isn’t a good deal if you never open the app. But that $10/month service you use constantly? Worth every penny, discount or not.