Unfortunately, cable bills tend to become more expensive over time rather than becoming cheaper, and many times there’s no warning or logical explanation for the price increase. That’s especially upsetting considering the fact that the average cost of a cable bill is about $100 per month. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to customize your plan and downsize services to still receive most of the programming that you frequently enjoy, but at a fraction of the price. Start with the following tips and you’ll be on your way to a cheaper cable bill for sure:
1. Use an HDTV Antenna to Get Basic Channels
If you’re currently paying extra for a comprehensive bundle that includes a ton of extra news channels and extensions of popular channels like ABC, NBC, FOX, etc., you may want to consider using an HDTV antenna to pick up the basic versions of those channels instead. Although you’ll be downsizing by losing some of the extra news channels, you can only watch one news show at a time anyway and most of the networks cover the big stories, so you won’t be missing much. Plus, indreviews.com has compared the best HDTV antennas for signal strength and speed, so you don’t have to worry about accepting a downgrade in performance.
2. Get Rid of Unneeded Receivers and Extra Services
Do you really need that extra receiver in your bedroom? Are you really using those extra channels enough to justify their cost? If you’re looking at your cable bill with despair, the first logical step is to downsize to a more basic service option. Getting rid of the movie channel packages will usually make the biggest impact on the bill.
3. Get a Cheap DVR and Return the Cable Company’s
If you’re leasing to own a DVR from the cable company, that could be adding a nice little chunk to your bill each month. Opting for a third-party DVR may create a larger one-time expense, but after that, you’ll have a much lower cable bill. Alternatively, you go old-school and use a VCR or DVD player to record cable programming.
4. Bundle with Your Internet Service Provider
If you already have internet and cable but you’re using two different providers, you may want to call your ISP and see what kind of bundled cable packages they have to offer. Taking this route will usually be less expensive than opting for a separate cable company.
5. Call and Negotiate with a Representative
Although you probably won’t convince the cable company to change their plan pricing, asking a customer service representative about ways to save money on your bill is one of the best ways to receive tailored downsizing recommendations. They’ll also be able to inform you about current promotions that might not have been available when you originally signed up.
Consider Online Streaming Services Instead
In closing, if you don’t frequently take advantage of the full cable bundle that you’re paying for and instead find yourself watching only a handful of favorite shows, then the best move may be to switch to solely using an internet-based streaming service like Netflix. Cord cutting is an ideal option for anyone who doesn’t often put the full range of their cable service to good use.
