5 Ways to Lower Your Cable Bill Today
Simple strategies you can use to negotiate a lower cable bill.
When it comes certain expenses, there is little you can do to reduce your bills short of extreme options like moving to a building with lower rent or sitting in a sweltering apartment during the summer. But when it comes to lowering your cable bill, there are more tactics than you may realize.
1. Bundle Up
You've probably heard about cable bundle packaging, where services like phone, Internet and cable service are offered in a variety of combinations for a set price. While it may seem counterintuitive to purchase a service that you won't often use, for instance landline phone service, tacking on an extra in order to purchase a bundle from a single company could wind up saving you money. Many companies are focused on selling these multi-service packages and thus offer deeper discounts when you sign up for a bundle. That could mean a cheaper bill than if you ordered these services separately or purchased services outside of a bundle.
Make sure to compare the total price of purchasing services a la carte versus investing in a promotional package. You may find that tacking an extra like phone service onto your cable TV and Internet package provides a discount that may result in a cheaper total price than the separate Internet and cable services you were planning to purchase. And when it comes to unwanted extras, you can always opt not to use them.
2. Roll Into a New Package
Some cable promotions are only good for a year or two. After they expire you could see your bill jump significantly. If this happens, rolling into a new cable package is an option that could earn you another year or two of promotional rates. Though you likely won't reduce your bill to its original, discounted price, you're probably to get an additional perk, like extra channels or faster Internet, for a lower price than your current, non-discounted package.
3. Make a Change (or Threaten to)
Changing providers, so long as you don't incur penalties for cancellation, is a frequently used technique to lower your cable bill. Cable companies are constantly fighting for business, so sometimes even the threat of losing a customer will encourage your current company to offer you a better rate on your services.
When you call be clear about your complaints but not overly aggressive. Make sure you understand the pricing for each service and ask if there is any way to reduce costs. If you can't reach a compromise with your current provider, be prepared to ask them to cancel your service. When you select a new cable service company, you're likely to receive promotional pricing or a new customer discount.
4. Call, Call, Call Again
Sometimes a simple call to your cable provider can save you a few bucks. Make sure to contact your cable service at regular intervals to ask if there are any new promotions or deals that you might be able to receive. Customer service reps might know of a promotional movie channel deal or new package that could save you a few bucks, at least temporarily.
5. Piece it Together
For some, ditching cable altogether doesn't seem like a feasible (or fun) option. But if you really need to cut back on your bill, you could always reduce your service to a bare bones package and supplement with other options. For instance, you might cut out all premium channels and split the cost of a cheaper Netflix or Hulu account with roommates. You can also check to see if any of your existing subscriptions, like Amazon Prime, entitle you to television or movie watching features. If so, you can shave your cable bill without giving up any of your favorite shows.