All the great things in life come for free. Sadly, your internet and cable come at a price. Back in the day, the traditional cable used to be affordable and was a major source of entertainment for every household. As more and complexity swept the cable and internet industry, the prices went higher and now a household with a lower income cannot afford cable services.
There are a lot of charges involved. If you skip all the extra ones, still, you have to pay for the equipment, local broadcast fees, some surcharges, DVR charges, and some mandatory taxes. Therefore, your monthly bill may amount to over $70 for basic cable.
If you are on a limited budget and looking to keep everything under a fixed budget, this article will help you cut costs. There is no need to pay extra charges when you can cut them all. This article will explain all the necessary steps you can take to cut your cable cost.
Without further ado, let’s begin:
Customize your plan
Understand your usage requirements. There is nothing more illogical than getting something you don’t need. Providers now let you customize the plan according to your requirements. For example, providers like CenturyLink offer customization. You can either get CenturyLink internet plans or bundle them with cable, there is no compulsion. The great thing about customization is that you can get the most out of your services without creating a dent in your monthly budget. There is another bright side to this customization. With these bundles, there is always something up on promotion. You might be eligible for a free modem or cable box depending on your location.
Get rid of all the extras
With your regular internet and cable service, there might be many add-ons. If you sign up for a bundle, it is offered at a promotional price. However, the promotional price is only good for a year or two. After the end of the promotional term, the regular rates are applied. Therefore, if you have an add-on that has some premium channels for free for the first year, you will be charged separately for the add-on in the next year. The best way is to call your provider and inquire about the details of the package you have. You can even check your monthly bill. It has all the information.
Get your own equipment
All cable and internet providers offer you the ability to rent out the equipment from the provider. Now, the equipment is a cable box for the TV and a modem, a router, sometimes two-in-one for the internet. There are separate charges for the equipment. For cable boxes, you can’t purchase your own. However, you can purchase your modem or router. The only condition is that it has to be DOCSIS 3.0 or higher. The benefit of getting your own equipment for the internet is simple. You save a lot of money. Purchasing a router is a one-time investment. A decent router costs somewhere around $50. Plus, you can get the latest router technology, something your provider doesn’t offer.
Get rid of the extra cable boxes
If you have multiple smart TVs, there is no need to get separate boxes for each of them. Modern-day cable TV providers have changed their entire approach in the awe of streaming services taking over. These providers now offer modern solutions to cope up with streaming services. These solutions include Advanced DVR functionality, an on-demand library to watch movies and TV shows, and on top of that, the ability to stream Live Cable TV on all the smart devices. If you have multiple smart TVs at home, just get the cable box for one TV and stream everything on the rest. This will bring the monthly bill down.
Negotiate your bill
If you have been a loyal customer, you can negotiate your bill. Many providers have a special department to handle situations like these and if you have stronger negotiation skills, you might qualify for a great discount on the bill.
Final Verdict
Follow these simple steps to save on your internet and cable bill. I’m sure you will be able to get a great deal if you can negotiate.