Want to cut your cable bill – but keep your cable service? There are some things you can try.
If you look at your budget, one item that may jump out at you as extremely high is your cable bill. It amazes me how much this service costs!!!
If you are looking to cut your cable costs, we’ve got some ideas for you! In fact, you might be able to just drop cable completely and end up ahead!!!
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- Tricks to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill
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1. CALL AND ASK
Often times, cable companies offer amazing offers to new customers. However, if you have been a customer for a while, you end up paying the same amount and don’t get any great discounts!! If you call and ask, they may have some offers for existing customer.
You can negotiate by knowing the rates for new customers for their service, as well as the competition. And, if you don’t have the time (or the desire) to negotiate on your own, use a services such as RocketMoney. This is a company that works to negotiate your rates on your behalf – saving you time and money.
Sometimes the fee structure or even bundling options have changed since you signed up, which can give you a price break on your monthly fees. If they won’t negotiate, you might consider changing companies and getting one of their start up costs – – just let your rep know you are thinking of leaving and they might do something to sweeten your deal to keep you as a customer!
2. BUNDLE YOUR SERVICES
Many times, if you have your cell phone and internet (and home phone if you still use one) through one company, they will cut the cost slightly by offering a bundle rate. This method not only saves money on cable, but also the other services as well!
3. CHANGE YOUR PROGRAMMING
If you are paying for specialty channels (like HBO for example), you might be surprised at how much you are actually paying vs. how much you watch. For example, if you pay $15 a month and only watch 5 movies, then you are paying $3 per movie. You can rent movies at RedBox for just $1.20 each instead – which is much more cost effective!
4. CANCEL CABLE
It may sound pretty drastic, but if you drop your cable altogether, you can use an antenna booster and still gain access to several channels – including the major networks. You can purchase devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox, Wii, PS3 or even a ROKU, which will allow you to stream services directly to your television.
These vary in cost from $35 and up. You can then subscribe to services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, WatchESPN, and others. You can even visit the websites of your favorite networks and stream prior episodes of your programs as well! You do pay monthly fees for these services, but only around $8 – $10 per month rather than $100 or more for cable!
But, before you cut the cord, make sure you are ready to truly cut cable.
5. BUY YOUR OWN DVR
If you look on your bill, you are more than likely paying a monthly rental fee for the DVR box. Check into purchasing your own. Just be cautious of sites such as Craigslist, where people may be selling one that the should have returned!
Do the research to learn which box is compatible with your provider. You may pay a little more up front, but if you plan on staying with the company for a long time, this can easily pay for itself. When it comes to saving money, you can do it – you just have to make sure that it works for you and that you are really ready to make the change!