Learning how to lower your cable bill should be considered a basic survival skill. It’s safe to say that most of us have been doing our fair share of tv binging during the pandemic. Watching an entire series in one day, renting all the newest flicks, and consuming entirely too much reality tv. No judgment here! A simple click, purchase, and voila! Your living room is now a home theater complete with popcorn and beverage.
Seems like a great idea, right? Until you realize how much you’ve spent on cable, movies, and click purchasing. Below we’ve compiled our 10 tips to help you lower your cable bill and save cash.
- Call Your Provider
- Set up ACH Billing
- Cancel Your Cable
- Opt for Lower Cost Streaming Services
- Delete Apps
- Remove Premium Add-Ons
- Library Rentals
- Shop Around
- Bundle
1. Call Your Provider
Give your cable provider a call and find out what specials or deals they’re currently offering. Don’t forget to use your negotiation skills, if you sign a longer contract you might get even more of a discount.
2. Set up ACH Billing
Setting up automatic electronic payments with your provider is a benefit to them and usually lands you a discount. It helps them reduce errors and saves them money on resources like paper and billing costs. ACH billing means you (the consumer) pay your bill by providing the merchant your bank information. You give them permission to have automatic payments made to them for a specific amount on a set day. Unlike paying with credit or paper check, which could take up to 30 days to show on your account, an ACH payment reflects on your account immediately.
3. Cancel Your Cable
Might be time to cut the cord and go without cable! Set aside the fact that you can stream almost anything to whatever device you’d like. You’re going to be amazed at all the time you can gain back from canceling cable. Start a side hustle, new book, or fitness journey. Time is now on your side!
4. Opt for Lower Cost Streaming Services
As we dive deeper into the digital streaming era, the need for traditional cable seems outdated, unnecessary, and costly. News, tv shows, and sports games are being broadcasted online and can be streamed to nearly any device.
5. Delete Some of Your TVs Apps
If the click and purchase apps are too tempting, delete them! Keeping them out of sight and out of mind.
6. Remove Premium Options
Removing premium upgrade channels to your regular cable could save you tons of cash! Having two channels like HBO Max and ESPN+ experience combined costs up to $28. That’s an extra cost on top of whatever cable plan you have. Ouch!
7. Library Rentals
Libraries are stepping up their game! They still offer traditional DVD rentals and most have introduced streaming services. Digital media services like hoopla allow you to borrow movies, tv shows, and audiobooks through your local library. With restrictions in place for social distancing and sanitation, public spaces like libraries are being forced to grow with the times and getting creative!
8. Shop Around
Shop around and compare prices! Share the prices with your provider and see if they are willing to match or beat it. If they aren’t, tell them you’re going to cancel your service with them. Sometimes if you give them an ultimatum, they will “come up” with a deal for you! If they still won’t budge (and you don’t have a contract), cancel and take your business elsewhere. There’s plenty of cable tv fish in the sea.
9. Bundle
Call your internet and phone provider and ask for their bundle deals. If you’re already using their other services, you might be able to add on cable for super cheap! You might even get lucky and they’ll throw in a few free months of premium channels. Add an ACH direct debit and you’ll have 2-3 predictable monthly payments rolled into one!
Reduce and Redirect
Now that you have the tools to shave down your monthly cable bill, you can start funneling that money and plan for the future. Saving up for retirement? Paying off debt? Whatever the reason may be, MoneyLion can help you.
