Published on July 6th, 2016 | by Guest

4 Tips for Saving Money on TV and Internet Bills

Most of us feel a bit resentful about our TV and internet bills. While we know that these have become “necessities of life,” we can’t help but feel we are getting a bit ripped off every time we pay that monthly bill. Some of us have even hopped from service to service, as each provider comes up with some new introductory offer. Unfortunately, that offer expires and all of a sudden we are paying more than we did with our old provider. So, we begin the hunt again. This whole “song and dance” gets old and it is pretty disruptive.

The first thing to realize is that, no matter what provider you choose or re-choose, you will ultimately end up paying a similar amount. Rather than continue your current practice, there are some ways to save money on your TV and internet services. Here are four of them.

Bundling

A number of years ago, it was not unusual for consumers to have different providers for cable TV, the internet and home phone service. They also selected another provider for their cell phone service. All of these expenses had to be added into their guide for personal budgeting, and when things got tight, they were making decisions about what to cut and how.

There finally emerged some “big boy” providers who offered bundled packages, and people flocked to the idea – it was efficient, there would only be one bill a month, and only one company to call when there were issues with any of the services. And, the cost per each service is actually cheaper than if each were to be purchased separately. And, a new subscriber usually gets a discounted introductory rate for the first year, so long as they remain with that provider for the year.

The other side of this, however, is that, in order to get the discounted rate, subscribers often have to take “packages” of television channels they don’t want and will never use. For example, those who want just one movie channel, say HBO, must take the entire movie package or nothing at all.

Still, bundling is a cheaper way to go at this point, and, when the 12 month savings period is up, it’s wise to look at other options and see who is offering a better price. Changing providers usually require about a four-hour service call, and if you can tolerate that once a year, you can save.

Cutting Down on Some of the Services

If a landline phone is a part of your bundle, why? Do you need that phone if everyone in your household has a mobile device? Most cable companies do not force a landline phone on customers who want to bundle and will not raise charges on TV and the internet if you cancel the phone. If you still want a landline, then think about how much you actually use it. Most providers can get you down to as little as $10 a month for the line if you can tolerate a maximum number of minutes of use for calling out or only using the phone for local calls. You have unlimited minutes when calls come in from outside. If you can use your mobile most of the time, take this cheaper option.

You can also cut down on television services by exploring what streaming services you can get through the Internet. If there are only some programs you watch on the premium channels for which you are paying now, is there a cheaper route by subscribing to a streaming service to watch those shows?

Cut the Cord Completely

Especially with millennials and younger, cable TV is a service that is purchased less and less. The reason? There are just too many other options for these tech-savvy generations to get the TV shows they want without any cable at all. And some of them are actually free.

If you are considering canceling TV altogether, you will need to do a bit of research first. Make a list of the shows you want to watch. Then explore if they are available to you via the Internet or another service (like Netflix) that you can use to watch on your TV itself. Some you will be able to watch live as it is airing; others will let you watch them later. If you are comfortable with watching shows after they have aired, then you will probably be happy to cut the cable cord. Lots of consumers actually wait until many of their favorites have aired and then have “binge” watching parties with their friends.

Don’t Forget Negotiations

Getting a bit assertive with your TV and internet provider can also lower your bill. Periodically, call your provider and complain that your bill is too high. You might even hint that you have received an offer by another provider that is cheaper than what you are paying or that you are considering canceling your television altogether. They will usually come up with an offer or promotion that they can give you for an additional period of time. The key is to do this every six months or so.

Use Coupons

If you are paying your bills online, then you can use various recharge websites. These websites offer a lot of discounts to both new and existing users. You can easily get 5% to 10% discount using some of the coupons from mobikwik on TV & Internet bills.

About the author:

Norman Arvidsson is a web developer with more than three years of experience and also he makes reviews of companies. Interested in areas such as web design, development, marketing, small business, and self-improvement. You can contact him through Writersquad.co.uk

Tags: bills, cord cutting, saving, tips, TV