How to Save on Cable and Internet

With average cable bills coming in at $85 a month, and most satellite TV providers charging $100 a month, it’s only natural to seek out savings in this area.

With average cable bills coming in at $85 a month, and most satellite TV providers charging $100 a month, it’s only natural to seek out savings in this area.

When you throw in the cost of internet, there’s even more reason to get the best possible deal for both services.

We’ll kick off today by showing you how you can cut back on internet expenditure before exploring how to save money on cable.

TLDR: Bundle your TV and internet for the best possible deal.

5 Ways to Save Money on Internet

1.     Threaten to Leave

2.     Consider a Lower Speed Plan

3.     Buy Your Own Modem

4.     Switch Providers

5.     Constantly Monitor Local Deals

1) Threaten to Leave

If you’re unhappy with the amount you’re paying for your internet, do you feel you could get a better deal elsewhere?

Before anything else, call your internet provider and explain your situation. In the vast majority of cases, if you express your intention to leave, the company representative will offer some form of incentive to stay.

This strategy is a win-win. Even if you don’t get any discount, you are not committed to leaving. You’ve got nothing to lose by asking.

2) Consider a Lower Speed Plan

Now, downgrading to a lower speed plan is a surefire way to save money with most providers. The question is, will that negatively impact your day-to-day use?

If you have teens in the house downloading and online gaming, or you work from home, this will not be a viable way to save money. You need that extra speed.

For lighter users, downgrading to a 3 Mbps package could generate savings of close to $200 a year.

3) Buy Your Own Modem

Check to see if your internet provider charges you a monthly fee for modem rental. If so, buy your own modem instead. You’ll recoup the cost quickly and then save on ongoing costs.

4) Switch Providers

If the threat of leaving you made earlier didn’t work and you have found a superior deal, switch providers. You’ll often benefit from an attractive introductory rate for the first year.

Many consumers switch providers every year or so to benefit from this, although we wouldn’t recommend that strategy. It’s much trouble for too little reward.

If you feel you could get better value elsewhere, vote with your feet.

5) Constantly Monitor Local Deals

To find internet providers in your area, you need to do little more than monitor the websites of the major ISPs to see whether they operate in your state of residence.

Stay aware of what the competition is  pricing and don’t hesitate to switch ISPs if you feel you would be better served elsewhere.

OK…

With some minor savings made on your internet, how can you achieve further cuts with cable?

6 Ways To Save Money on Cable

1.     Trim Your Package

2.     Buy Your Own Modem

3.     Scrutinize Fees

4.     Consider Whether You Really Need a DVR

5.     Cut The Cord Completely

6.     Bundle Cable and Internet

1) Trim Your Package

The first and most obvious saving you can make on cable is to ditch the premium channels. Kiss goodbye to HBO and Showtime, and you could pay $30 a month less. You can always resubscribe if you change your mind.

This Nielsen study shows that the average American adult watches no more than 20 channels. Ask yourself if you could trim some fit to cut back the monthly bill.

2) Buy Your Own Modem

If you’re being charged monthly to rent a cable modem, buy your own instead. Just like with an internet modem, you’ll recoup the modest cost in short order then save month-on-month.

3) Scrutinize Fees

Check your bill closely and ask for clarification of any fees you’re unclear about.

While many fees are unavoidable, you could sidestep some unnecessary charges simply by examining your bill and following up with a call to customer care.

4) Consider Whether You Really Need a DVR

Is it imperative that you record TV shows?

You could easily save $10 a month if you get rid of the DVR so ask yourself how much priority you place on the convenience of recording TV.

5) Cut The Cord Completely

Now, the extreme way to save money on cable is not to have a cable package at all.

These days, with platforms like Netflix offering such cheap subscriptions and first-class programming, there’s no need to have cable. Grab a digital antenna for broadcast TV then opt for a cord-cutting package for much less money than your cable.

6) Bundle Cable and Internet

For anyone reluctant to cut the cord completely, you could take advantage of bundle deals for cable and internet.

All major providers offer combination deals. You can throw in phone service, too.

As with any package deal, you should get better value without a reduction in performance.

Final Thoughts

If you have any secrets on saving money for internet or cable, drop us a line and share the savings.

Bookmark our site before you go and we’ll see you soon.