With the. proliferation of streaming services many consumers are starting to wonder, "Am I really better off cutting the cable cord and signing up for a few streaming services?" This interactive from MarketWatch doesn't answer that question but it does provide some eye-popping numbers about both the lifetime cost and the opportunity cost of signing up for these services. 

Step 1: Students first select the streaming services they currently have (or plan to have):

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Step 2: After selecting the streaming subscriptions, few cost figures are calculated based on their inputs:

• Lifetime cost (adjusted for inflation)
• Lifetime "true" cost if you invested money spent on subscriptions

Questions:

• Let's start with the assumptions
  • What are the assumptions regarding the cost of the streaming services in the future?
  • What are the assumptions for the investment return if you had invested rather than spent the money on subscriptions? 
• What was the lifetime cost of the streaming services that you selected?
• How much would you have earned if you had invested that money? 
• Does this analysis impact how you think about what streaming services you will sign up for in the future? 

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Supplement this interactive with the recent FinCap Friday, The Endless Stream. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.