8 Minutes To Save $168 - Another Year of NY Times Discounts

Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!

For us, the NY Times is essential. Unfortunately, a full-priced subscription is really expensive at $25/month for All Access.[1]

But, for the past several years, we’ve paid $5/month or less with a promotional discount. The catch, however, is that after a year, these rates automatically bump up to a higher level. Last week I saw our rate was rising by nearly 3x. And so I sprung into action to get our promo rate back.

Here’s what I did:

• I went to Customer Care and clicked “Contact Customer Care” and then “Chat With Us”

• Explain to the representative that you’d like to cancel your existing subscription. If you’re currently on a promotional rate, you can simply say that you noticed your current promo rate was expiring on [date], that you don’t feel comfortable paying the much higher rate, and would like to cancel unless that rate could be extended.

• You may have to chat with more than one person, as the first may tell you that no promotional rates are available and you will need to ask again and reiterate that you would like to cancel. At that point, they will likely transfer you to another representative.

• The first or second representative you speak to will likely offer you another year at a promotional rate of $4/month.

• Then, make sure to set a reminder for 365 days from now to repeat these steps.

This year, I was a few days late to request a promo and we had already been billed for the following month. So I followed another one of the most important tips—always be polite—and asked if they could reduce that bill also, and the rep was happy to do so.

All in all, by locking in another year at $4/month, we saved $168/year off the much higher rate. All for about 8 minutes of work!

Each year, like clockwork, we follow these steps and renew our subscription promo, saving hundreds of dollars in the process. If you’ve followed this tip before, make sure to set a recurring annual calendar reminder to make sure you don’t get hit with a 4-5x price increase when your promo expires!

But, of course, the best price for a subscription is free. Check with your public library (or college if you’re a student) to see if they offer free digital subscriptions. I’ve written about free public library resources here.

And now, Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:

17 Years, $700 Million Wasted: The Stunning Collapse of New York’s Traffic Moonshot

The Legacy of the Unforgettable ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Theme Song

Why America’s Berries Have Never Tasted So Good

Baby, Can You Drive My Car? Not If It’s a Stick Shift

I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.