When you look at your monthly bills, one that might make you shake your head in disbelief is your cable bill. It is one service that is really pretty costly! If you want to save on this monthly bill, here are five things you might try!
1. Call And Ask. There are so many offers for new customers, but it seems those of us who have longevity with our provider just keep paying the same amount and never get a break! If you call and ask, they may have some offers for existing customer. 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. 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. Drop Some Channels or change program level. 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 Service Completely. It may sound pretty drastic, but if you drop your cable altogether, you can use an antenna and 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!
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. You might be able to find a great deal on one on Craigslist or other types of sites – where people have changed cable providers and have a box that they need to sell. You might 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!