Consumer 101: 3 Ways To Lower Your Out Of Control Cable, Internet And Phone Bills
How much to spend on cable, internet and telephone is something nobody had to worry about only a few generations ago. Today, the Pew Research Center says that after housing, cable and satellite TV service was most frequently cited as a regular household expense (78%), followed by cell phones (74%) and internet service (65%). By contrast, just four-in-ten adults (42%) say they make a car payment. If you're looking for a way to cut the amount of money you spend on these "information age" expenses, we've got three of them to choose from.
- Ask for a lower price. This is the most painless way to lower your bills. Simply call up your cable company, for example, and ask them to lower your bill. Before you call, do a little research. Find out what the competition is charging and what your provider is offering new customers so you know what you can expect to get. Tell them that you're thinking of switching to another provider and explain that you can save money if you do.
Here's a success story: Threatening To Cancel Comcast Saves Man $238.92 Per Year
- Eliminate what you don't use and can live without. Bundling your services with cable or telephone companies might save you money-- but it might not. Take some time to do research and find out which combination works for you. Maybe it's "dry loop" or "naked" DSL and a bigger cellphone package. Maybe it's cable internet and phone with no cable. Maybe its Netflix instead of cable. An HD antenna and GameFly? Splitting the cost of internet by sharing WiFi with your neighbor? Switching to a pay as you go phone? Getting a family cellphone plan? Be creative.
Here's a success story: iTunes + Netflix = Cancel Cable?
- Shop around. When your cellphone contract has expired you are in a position of enormous power. You are in demand. Do not waste this opportunity by renewing your contract for a free phone. Shop around. You're likely to get the best deal from a new company. Even if you're happy with your current provider, there's no reason not to negotiate. Also, make sure that you're taking advantage of all the discounts that are available to you. You might be eligible for a discount simply because of the company you work for.
Here's a success story: How Joe Saved Hundreds Of Dollars Using Confessions Of A Cellphone Sales Rep
Good luck! Share how you saved on your "information age" bills in the comments and we'll round up the best ideas in another post.
(Photo: darabidduckie )
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Comments:
Cancel all 3. Life will move forward.
@kwsventures: That's the truth, isn't it? Just buy a starbucks gold card for $25 and you get 2 hours of free wifi anyway, plus you get 10% off on drinks! IMAGINE THE SAVINGS.
I keep trying to find better pricing then I have but it's been hard, apparently I have it good right now.
Cell phone for my wife and I with 1000 shared minutes through T-Mobile: $60/month
Cable, internet and phone bundle with Cox: $60/month
I did get Cox to lower my bill by $15/month for 6 months by calling to cancel.
If anyone knows how to get these prices lower let me know, and pay as you go cell phone service wouldn't really work since we use most of our minutes each month since we live far away from most of our family and use the cell phone for long distance calls since we don't have long distance on our home phone.
To the curb with them all!
(in eensy small type) Well, at least the cable.
I would like to save some money on these. The only one I have done so far is switch from cable to satellite, and it is a little cheaper. My internet is AT&T and it's $30 a month, but I'm scared to switch to anything else, because so far it's been very reliable. I depend on it heavily for research and stuff. Using it elsewhere is not practical.
Canceling cable has been very liberating...
@kwsventures: There are a number of people who rely on internet service for things other than porn, games and facebook.
Wait, let me rephrase that: there are a number of people who rely on internet service for things in addition to porn, games, and facebook. It's not so simple to just cancel it when you need it for research. And I don't understand the logic of cancelling your phone service entirely. People need some method of communication. Do you suggest we go back to the pony express?
@jscott73: In 5 and a half months, call them and ask them to extend the lowered price for another 6 months or you'll cancel :)
What the hell... No one has an ELECTRICITY bill? Maybe these are the most frequently thought-about bills because they involve lots of customer service issues, but pure consumption drives a lot of other expenses as well...
Good article. We decided the free option was best, so we don't have TV/Phone, and just borrow internet from a generous neighbour. (Borrow wasn't in quotes on purpose :p He was party to our shenanigans - helped us run the cat5 after we drilled through the cinderblock.)
I've been thinking of reducing my cable package. When I moved I got the expanded digital package because I could, and because of the stupid NFL network, but I just don't really need the stupid NFL Network. Even though my Cowboys have a game or two on there this season, lately they've been sucking anyway, and that'd be a way to save some money on the cable bill. Other than that and a few sports channels I flip around occasionally, I don't use any of the "expanded digital" channels.
I've posted this a lot, but I canceled cable and just use the digital broadcast stations. That saved $40 and the picture is better than cable. When I did managed to watch TV, it was usually something on the broadcast stations anyway. I got Netflix instead. But I'm starting to realize that I don't watch as many movies as I thought.
I still have an internet and phone bundle though from Comcast. It's $65 which isn't too bad.
I always found it interesting, and a bit odd that people would pay so much money to sit down and watch others' fake lives.
Why not go out and live real life?
...with Cox we are paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $160/month - we have unlimited long distance, caller ID, 3 way, on the phone....we have the tier 2 internet, and we have digital cable, with HD service, DVR...no extra stations or anything really...but we couldnt find a way to lower anything. we tried to lower the internet, but that lowers it by $15/month, but then we lose the $10 credit for bundling...so we said screw it....we both like having a home phone, and have fallen in love with caller ID...so unfortunately, there isnt much we can do unless we want to truely cut things. we also have netflix....but that definitely gets its use - got a bluray player, and i love movies - i watch PLENTY every month.
@youbastid: cell plans can be had very cheaply if you don't need a data plan and as for research, without cable, you have more time to spend at your local library
The link to the older article about Netflix + Itunes = Cancel Cable is a good one, and now Hulu has made it that much better. The only thing I miss on cable is some of what ESPN offers, but everything else I want comes over the air or can be seen on Hulu or the networks' own websites.
@hellinmyeyes: Renters often don't have to pay electric as it's included in their rent (likewise heat).
But yeah, I expect just about every homeowner and a significant number of renters do pay an electric bill.
@qrius: I watch football and family guy, neither of which I could experience in real life without getting the crap knocked out of me or going mentally insane.
So, what's wrong with paying off your car and driving it around while you still own it? 42% paying car payments actually sounds high to me.
Very good article...I think another thing that should be thrown into this is to take a look at your cell phone, cable, internet, and home phone bills and see what items you are being billed for.
I for one went through my home phone bill and was able to save $40+ per month on misc fees/services i wasn't using. If you look @ cable and satellite bills they may be billing your for HD services when you aren't using them (just because you have a box that is HD enabled, doesnt' mean you are using HD, or even need an HD box at all).
OK - here's some questions:
1) I get my internet and cable through Mediacom. They have told me that if I'm going to have cable internet, I must have at least a basic package of cable television. So cable internet may only (note the sarcasm) around $45, but the basic cable costs an additional $40-ish, bringing the cost of internet to $85. Am I getting scammed being forced to have cable television?
@jscott73: Don't use your cell phones for long distance. Instead, compare pay as you go cell phones (PagePlus is a great solution) plus something like SkypeOut, or maybe another VoIP solution for long distance. For example, $199 gets you all you can eat for two years from virtually any VoIP provider. There are also pay as you go VoIP providers. I bet you can get your cell phone down to a few bucks a month plus your long distance down to a few bucks a month. $60/month vs. maybe $20/month, tops. Personally, I think it's ridiculous to use cell phone for everything.
I saved over $100 a year by simply calling up my cable company and saying, "I think HBO is too expensive so I was wondering if you had any packages that would make it worth keeping."
She said no, I said "cancel HBO then."
Sure people in the house were pissed but when I'm paying $100 a year for a channel I don't watch cutting that out is almost like getting one month of cable for free (to spin it in a more positive light.)
My only choices are Comcast or Direct TV. Which gives me very little options.
@kwsventures: That's easy to say if you live alone (and if I lived alone I really won't be able to afford all three). But then again if you split an internet bill 5 ways and still can't pay it, you have bigger problems.
Sadly, I really have no options to lower anything.
My cell phone isn't an issue, due to being one of three members on my parent's plan. At less than $30 per month, and being my only phone, this is acceptable.
My cable and internet are bundled through WOW!, at 60$ a month for basic cable, with that price guaranteed through 2010, and with a fair share of channels not offered on Comcast basic cable (I needs me my SciFi channel!!!). However, I see no way to reduce this. I live in an apartment with no balcony or roof access; satellite is out of the question. Comcast may be cheaper... for six months. Then I get hit with the "standard rape"... err "rate".
I WANT to move to internet TV, but the offerings between websites and TV stations are still sporadic at best; I would be missing things, including most of all, most of the offerings on SciFi. News shows like Countdown are even worse, splitting the show into segments that must be separately watched. Not to mention there is a certain convenience I enjoy by just turning on the TV and seeing my favorite shows at their allotted time, or just by chance. I'm notorious for watching a movie when it comes on TV, but never watching it if it's already in my collection. I also refuse to Torrent anything illegally, and pay-per-download doesn't really appeal to me. I already have Netflix, but their internet library is still horribly sporadic, with many shows missing entire seasons. Finally, in order to properly transition to internet TV, I would need to purchase a dedicated media device, either an Xbox 360 or another computer, and an LCD TV; only justifiable by canceling cable completely.
Blargh... Does anyone have some advice for someone in my situation?
Cancel the cable and use HULU
@eightfifteen: When cable internet first came out, they had to turn on cable service to your house to sell you internet. Many companies didn't require you to purchase cable, and a few people quickly realized that they could then plug their TV into the wall and get free cable! After this got a bit too common, most cable companies now install a "filter" on the pole outside your house if you are internet only, that only lets the frequency range through for internet, and not for the TV channels. It is possible that your cable company doesn't want to spend the $0.35 these cost..
@eightfifteen: A quick glance at Mediacom's website reveals the Online Intro package, offering a still decent 3Mbps, is only $19.95/month for a one year contract, with no bundled cable service required...
@hellinmyeyes: You are certainly correct - and there are several ways of curbing your energy consumption. Most power providers provide great information on how to reduce electricity costs, and some offer incentives. Case in point from TVA: [www.energyright.com]
The problem is, companies make it soo difficult to comparison shop. I can see that Charter cable has specials in my area for cable and internet, for $45 a month* Its finding the data behind that little asterisk that is difficult, and then it says that after x months, it more than doubles. On top of that, All cell, cable, and phone companies have $xx price + fees and taxes, but they really, really don't like to tell you what the taxes and fees are going to be upfront.
My wife and I got rid of our TV over a year ago. We have absolutely no regrets. Our living room is quieter and has more room for other stuff. Our lives are free from commercials every five minutes.
We pay $8 for netflix and watch movies on my large computer screen.
On the rare occasion we do want to watch a TV show (most of them suck), we get the whole series free at the library. They have almost everything and can request the box set from other libraries if they don't have it.
This system does require being a year or so behind the current episodes, but we don't care. And we're finding that there's so rarely a good TV show worth watching that we are sticking to movies more and more.
I have yet to lower my internet bill though!
@CyGuy: What kind of people have you been renting from? None of the apartments I have ever had have included electric/heat in the monthly charge. The only bill I've ever known anyone to be given a pass on is water, and that's becoming less frequent.
@EBounding: Netflix has TV shows on DVD, also. True, you don't get to see them in-season, but you will get to see those shows that are only on cable.
@jscott73: Get a GrandCentral.com number and use the MyFaves plan. Give out your GC number to everyone and make sure it's on the MyFaves list. Presto, all incoming calls don't count towards your minutes.
Drop your landline, if you have (and need) one, and get TMobile's @Home service, which is VoIP with a nifty router. We need a landline due to our gates and Qwest wanted, at minimum, $13/mo. TMobile is $10/mo, and includes free voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, and I think three-way calling. A comparable line from Qwest would've run into the $35/mo range.
I don't work for Tmobile, but they should send me money.
@hellinmyeyes: My electric company, SRP, offers a 'managed payment plan'. They'll average your usage from the previous year and bill you the same amount every month. Great for budgeting -- summers in the Phoenix area can get up to 110-120F during the day, resulting in a $350/mo electric bill for a few months out of the year. Otherwise the non-managed bills are ~$50/mo.
This advice is more remedial than a 101 class.
1. Ask for a discount!
2. Decide if you don't need it!
3. Shop around!
@blackmage439: Mediacom CSRs are rarely aware of what the website states. Also, their internet-only package is ~$70/mo; all other packages require basic cable.
@eightfifteen: Call Mediacom and sign up for the basic cable service and 8mb/s internet ($19.95/mo, [www.mediacomcc.com]). I think the 'package' gives you 1 digital box, three outlets total, and Starz/Encore. Your bill will come out to be roughly $73/mo, not $85/mo. If you go through trouble with installation (I had nothing but problems with their installers and CSRs), complain. Complain a lot. Keep on them and they'll lower your bill and give you all manner of discounts.
I cut my cell to pay as you go a while ago, I just wasn't using enough of it and I have unlimited long distance with my home phone so I make my calls there. I buy 1000 minutes for $100 from T-Mobile and they usually last 6-9 months, it's all I need and works for me.
I recently wrote up my experiences on this very subject. The gist of it is you can absolutely do without cable. We do it with the help of a regular antenna, TiVo, Netflix/Roku, and BitTorrent, but there are many ways to avoid the cable/satellite game:
Joel
@johnarlington: Hulu hardly has a complete library, and some stations (like SciFi) either don't release their shows in digital format (Stargate), or force Hulu to take down the files after a certain date (Sanctuary).
I'm with Cox Digital for internet and phone. I was able to get an uprgrade to the premium speed internet for the price of basic broadband if I signed a one year agreement to stay with them. It was a win-win. I got better service and they know I won't be ditching them for at least 12 months.
Didn't really save me money, but I get more for the money I was already spending, which is almost as good.
Um, isn't sharing WIFI with a neighbor illegal? If not, it is surely against your user agreements.
If I threatened to cancel my cable with Comsuckasst I'm pretty sure the guy from Kerplackistan on the other end of the phone would reply with "Ok, is there anything else I can help you with today?".
has anyone had any success asking AT&T DSL for a discount? what about dish network (i'm still in contract w/ them)
Great article- much more informative than the usual "Cancel cable!" advice. Thanks!