10 Everyday VPN Hacks That Actually Save You Money
Stop Overpaying. Start Location-Hacking.
Hack #1: The YouTube Premium Price Plunge
This is one of the easiest and most effective VPN money-saving tricks. YouTube sets its Premium subscription price based on your country. By using a VPN to sign up from a country with a lower cost of living, you can lock in massive savings for the life of your subscription.
How to do it: Connect your VPN to a server in a country like Turkey, Argentina, or India. Open an incognito browser window, navigate to YouTube, and sign up for Premium. You'll see the price in the local currency, which is often a fraction of the US or EU price. A subscription that costs $13.99/month in the US can be as low as $1.50/month. That's a saving of over $140 per year.
Hack #2: The Netflix Nomad Subscription Trick
Just like YouTube, Netflix prices vary significantly by country. While they've cracked down on watching content from other regions, you can still use a VPN to get a cheaper initial subscription. The key is to find a country where the base plan is cheaper and sign up from there.
How to do it: Use your VPN to check Netflix subscription prices in countries like Pakistan or Turkey. Connect to a server in the cheapest country, sign up for a new account, and pay with your regular card. Once subscribed, you can typically access your local Netflix library without the VPN. The savings can be around $5-10 per month depending on the plan.
Hack #3: Cheaper Flights by Switching Your Point of Sale
Airlines use sophisticated dynamic pricing based on your location (your "point of sale"). Booking the exact same flight from a different country can yield drastically different prices. This hack requires a bit of experimentation but can result in the biggest single savings.
How to do it: In an incognito window, search for your flight on Google Flights or Skyscanner. Then, connect your VPN to different countries—try the airline's home country, the destination country, and lower-income countries. Clear your cache and search again each time. The savings can be substantial, often exceeding $100 on international routes.
Hack #4: Deep Discounts on Hotel Bookings
Hotel booking sites like Booking.com and Agoda operate on the same principles as airlines. The price you're shown for a room can change based on the country you're browsing from. Users often report that prices are lower when booking from less wealthy nations.
How to do it: Similar to the flight hack, search for your desired hotel and dates without a VPN. Then, connect to servers in various countries and repeat the search. You might find that the same room is 10-20% cheaper when booked from another location.
Hack #5: Slashing Car Rental Costs
Car rental services are another travel-related industry where prices are highly variable. Prices for renting a car in the US can appear much higher if you're booking from the UK or Europe compared to booking from within the US itself. A VPN lets you appear as if you're a local, unlocking local rates.
How to do it: Before you travel, use a VPN to connect to a server in your destination city or country. Navigate to the car rental website and book as if you were already there. This simple switch can often save you 15-25% off the "tourist" price.
Hack #6: Cheaper Software & SaaS Subscriptions
It's not just streaming services. Major software companies like Adobe and Microsoft, as well as many other SaaS (Software as a Service) providers, use regional pricing for their products. An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, for example, can be significantly cheaper in some countries.
How to do it: Research the price of your desired software in different regions. Connect your VPN to a server in a country with a lower price, go to the product's website, and purchase the license or subscription. The savings can be enormous over the course of a year.
Hack #7: Access Geo-Restricted Sales & E-Commerce Deals
Some online stores run promotions or offer different product lines exclusively for specific countries. A VPN can teleport you to these digital storefronts, giving you access to sales and items you wouldn't otherwise see.
How to do it: If you know a brand is having a sale in the UK, for example, connect your VPN to a UK server and visit their website. You'll be able to browse and shop the sale just like a local. Note that you may need a local shipping address, so this hack works best with services that offer international shipping or when you can ship to a friend.
Hack #8: Save on Online Learning Platforms
Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare often use dynamic pricing for their courses and subscriptions. The price for a course can vary based on your location and even your past browsing history on the site. A VPN can help you get a clean slate and find the lowest price.
How to do it: If you see a course priced at $99, try connecting your VPN to a different country and visiting the page again in a new incognito window. You may find the same course offered for $19.99 or less.
Hack #9: The Spotify Family Plan Arbitrage
This is a variation on the subscription hack. Spotify's Family Plan has different prices globally. By signing up for a family plan from a country where it's cheaper, you can get premium accounts for your whole family for less than the cost of a single individual plan in the US.
How to do it: Connect your VPN to a country like the Philippines or India. Sign up for a Spotify Family plan. You'll need to provide a local address (Google Maps can help), but once subscribed, you can invite family members who can join and use the service without a VPN.
Hack #10: Beat Bandwidth Throttling for Better Performance
This is an indirect money-saver. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) intentionally slow down (throttle) your connection when they detect high-bandwidth activities like streaming, gaming, or large downloads. A VPN encrypts your traffic, so your ISP can't see what you're doing and can't selectively throttle you.
How it saves you money: By ensuring you get the full internet speed you pay for, a VPN saves you time and frustration. For remote workers or anyone who relies on a fast connection, time is money, and a stable connection is priceless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to use a VPN to get cheaper prices?
Yes, in most of the world, using a VPN is perfectly legal. However, using it to get regional discounts might violate a company's terms of service. The risk is generally low—the most likely outcome is a canceled order or subscription—but it's important to be aware. Legal repercussions are extremely rare for this type of activity.
Will I get banned for using a VPN to subscribe to a service?
While possible, it's highly unlikely. Most major services like Netflix and YouTube are more focused on preventing access to geo-blocked content than on canceling subscriptions bought from another region. As long as you have a valid payment method, the subscription is usually secure.
Do I need to keep the VPN on after I subscribe or make a purchase?
Generally, no. For subscriptions like YouTube Premium or Spotify, you only need the VPN active during the initial sign-up and payment process. Once your subscription is active, you can use the service from your normal connection. For accessing geo-blocked content libraries (like watching UK Netflix from the US), you will need to keep the VPN on.
Why are prices for the same thing different in other countries?
This is called regional pricing. Companies set prices based on the average income, market competition, and economic conditions of a specific country. They charge what they believe the local market can bear. This creates opportunities for savvy users with a VPN to digitally 'shop' in a region with lower prices.