If you think you’ve trimmed your expenses down as much as possible, think again. There’s a good chance that you are spending unnecessary money on your cable and internet bill. Cable and internet companies often add into bills some additional fees for services that you might not even use. In this post, we’ll share some useful strategies to help you save more money by taking a closer look at your cable and internet bill. We’ll also share some strategies to help you negotiate your bill down to a lower rate.

Look at All Fees on Your Bill

Pull out your cable and internet bill for a second and take a good look at it. More often than not, there are some added fees that you might be missing. Sometimes companies offer you a higher package for free for the first six months or so, and then automatically charge you for that upgraded package after the trial period. You might be paying extra for a package that you didn’t really need in the first place.

For example, cable companies charge an extra $5 or so for viewing content in HD. You might find that watching This Is Us is still a tearjerker, regardless of whether or not it’s playing in HD. In other words, you might not miss HD. Or you would miss it less than you would miss that $5 you are handing over to your cable company every month.

Drop Some Channels

Another way to save money on your cable bill is by re-assessing your cable package. Take a look at which channels you have signed up for. Could you downgrade to a smaller plan? Perhaps you hardly watch the stations on your upgraded plan. You could save up to $40 on your cable bill by simply downgrading your package.

If there is a favorite show of yours, you might want to check out the show’s website to see if it is streamed on there for free.

Downsize on Equipment

You can also trim from your cable and internet bill by downsizing your equipment. The DVR is often an additional charge on your bill for the equipment, ranging from $5 to $19.95 per month. If you have missed a favorite show of yours, you might actually find it on your cable’s on-demand option, or you could stream it online on the station’s website.

Companies also charge extra fees for each additional cable box that you own. Instead of having one in every room, you might opt for having only one or two in the primary places that you watch TV.

Another added equipment charge is for your internet router or modem. This is often a monthly charge that companies tack on. Instead, you could research the router and modem models, purchase the equipment, and trim that rental fee from your monthly payments (and pay significantly less overall). Making this simple swap can save you anywhere from $5 to $15 a month.

Slow Down the Internet Speed

Believe it or not, most individuals pay for a much faster internet speed than they really need. 25 Mbps should be sufficient for you--it easily handles music and video streaming, video conferencing, and web browsing. This simple switch can save you $35 or more.

If your internet feels slow as it is, you may want to test the speed. Quite often consumers don’t get the internet speed they are paying for. You can visit speedtest.net to test your internet speed.

Negotiate

You might find that a simple call to customer service can lower your bill significantly. Cable and internet companies want to keep you as a customer, so let them know that you need a lower bill. They can offer incentives to help you lower your bill and keep you onboard.

Prior to calling, have your bill on hand. Challenge each of the fees on the bill and have a clear understanding of what their competitors are offering.

Get a Bundle

If you haven’t already bundled your cable and internet into one package, that could also save you some money. Several companies offer both services and allow you to bundle them together for a reduced rate. Bundling your services could save you up to $1,000 over the course of two years.

See If You Qualify for a Subsidy

If you make less than $35,000 you may qualify for a subsidy plan that gets you internet for around $9.95. For more information on this program, you can visit the Federal Communications Commission website.

Consider Eliminating Cable

Lastly, you might want to consider eliminating cable altogether. An antenna costs a one-time fee of $30-$75 and can include several of the common channels. You could also stream shows on the station’s website or purchase a streaming service such as Netflix, SlingTV, or Amazon Prime.

Conclusion

You might be surprised to find out how much extra money you are spending on cable and internet that you don’t really need. By taking a close look at your bills and negotiating with the companies, you can find some additional cash to help you achieve your financial goals.

Resources:

1. https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/7-ways-to-lower-your-cable-bill/
2. https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/articles/7-ways-to-lower-your-cable-bill
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisbrantner/2019/02/28/how-to-save-money-on-cable-in-2019/#6081fb2f6387
4. https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/lower-internet-bills/