Cable bills can be the bane of many budgets across the nation. It may feel like your rates are constantly going up and the value of what you are getting remains the same. In some instances, you may even see your channel selection decrease.
But lo, do not despair! Behold, there are many ways that you can fight the scourge that is your cable bill and get a lower price while still maintaining a wonderful entertainment tool. Consider the following options.
- Analyze What Channels You Watch
- Cancel Premium Channels
- Bundle Other Services with Your Cable
- Tell Your Cable Provider You Want to Cancel
- Shop for a New Cable Provider
- Do Away with Cable All Together
- Go Back to Old Fashion Antennas
When you first signed up for cable, you may have been enticed by a great promotional price with loads of channels. However, with that special price now gone, you may be paying a bundle each month for channels you do not even watch. Taken an inventory of what channels you enjoy, and see which of them appear in available packages offered by your cable company. You may find that you can get exactly the channels you want for much, much lower than what you are paying now.
These channels often start with a free trial, so it may be easy to miss it as their charges appear on your bill. Channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz can cost anywhere between $15 to $30 extra per month, and if you have several, you are paying for premium channels what you almost pay for your entire cable bill! If you have them, take them off!
If you have a home phone or home internet, it may be worth bundling all of those together from a single provider. Usually, bundling services will get you special rates that are not otherwise available. Even if you do not have a home phone, you can usually bundle internet and cable together. This is also true of most satellite providers as well, as many are now partnered with some kind of home internet. For example, DirectTV is paired with AT&T Home Internet.
Even mentioning to your cable provider that you are considering canceling servicing may get you retention offers. A retention offer is when you are made a special offer (that is not advertised or publically available) in an effort to keep your business. Usually, these offers are limited time. The retention specialist may also be able to help permanently reduce your bill as well. Definitely worth giving them a call and seeing what they are able to offer you.
Just like how you got a great intro rate when you first started with your cable company, other cable and satellite providers likely have great intro offers that may help lower your bill. Of course, it is important to consider that, though they may immediately save you money, they are going to increase in cost over time just like your current provider. However, the savings may be significant enough to warrant changing to a new provider regardless.
Also, do not feel like you have to stick with specifically cable. Satellite tv providers have come a long way in offering consistent, quality service and a huge array of channel options. They should absolutely be in your options of provider shopping when looking for something new.
Do not worry, just because you cut the cord does not mean that you are forever doing away with television. There are plenty of other alternatives that can help get your television fix. Consider the following options!
Streaming Services for Movies and TV:
Services like Netflix and Hulu have taken the market by storm in the past decade. For as little as $10 a month, you can have access to a huge library of movies and tv shows, commercial-free! Netflix is generally better for original shows and movies, whereas Hulu is great for keeping you up-to-date with shows that are currently on air.
Streaming Services for Live Sports:
For many, live sports are the only reason they have any kind of cable service at all. For a long time, there were few options to be able to catch your favorite sports team on tv. Fortunately, there are many affordable services that now exist. Hulu Live gives you access to live channels, including many that cover sports. SlingTV is another service that specializes in providing access to live tv. Many of these services not only provide access to live tv but let you go back and catch up on shows that have recently aired.
Keep Your Premium Channels:
What if you hardly use any of your cable package but you love your HBO shows? Well, many of those channels offer stand-alone streaming services which do not require a cable subscription. If you like HBO exclusives but are otherwise content with Netflix, you can get access to your premium channels without having to bundle them into expensive cable packages.
This service is likely the most limited, but it is also completely free! If you are looking for the ultimate savings, this is the best option. You can buy an inexpensive digital antenna online and you may be surprised by how many channels you have access to. Gone are the days of only getting one or two channels with this method. In many areas, you can get anywhere from 15 channels or more in high-definition.
This is also a great option for live sports, especially if you live in the same market as your favorite team. Most in-market games will be broadcast on local channels, letting you get that live-sports itch scratched!
As you can see, there are plenty of options to be able to reduce your cable bill. You may end up with a cheaper bill with more options, a higher-quality provider, or you may even find that you can do without cable altogether. Regardless of what you choose, take the time to shop and find what is best for you!
