Reduce Your Monthly Internet, Cell Phone and Cable Bills and Save Money
Most people have upgraded from dial up to a faster cable or broadband connection which can cost up to an extra $30 a month. To save money, try combining two of your services like internet access and phone, or internet access and cable for a slightly discounted rate. Many internet phone companies also offer free local and long distance calling with an unlimited amount of calling. Most conventional phone services can run the average consumer between $30 and $40 a month, but if you bundle it with another service you can save $10 or more each month.
Instead of subscribing to a cell phone service, try prepaid instead. For about $25 a month you can get all the airtime and text messaging you need. Regular cell phone plans can cost up to $60 or more each month but you can really save yourself about $25 a month by getting a prepaid plan. If you want to lower your cable bill there are also several things you can do like getting rid of movie channels and special packages. If you spot a better deal with a competitor ask your carrier to match it, or just switch companies. Sometimes you can knock of $15 or $20 on your monthly communications bills.
The majority of Americans think that they pay too much for phone, internet, and cable service but most people just stare at their bills helpless not knowing how to handle it. The biggest culprits seem to be the cell phone and cable service bills and they can add up to be more than $2500 for the entire year. Typically cell phone minutes have fallen from about 21 cents per minute down to about 8 cents per minute. Even now we get more T.V. channels for less money. Most people don’t know how to recognize and capitalize on these falling rates.
One of the problems seems to be the fact the deals are always changing making it difficult for most consumers to keep up. Most people can’t even make sense of what they are actually paying for. There is much less competition than ten years ago but far more offers and deals for the average consumer. Many people are paying more simply because they are getting more services (usually more than we need). Most people have switched from dial up and now have cell phones and internet access. Now people are even spending hundreds of dollars on ring tones alone.
It is possible to cut costs while maintaining the service you want, and no – you don’t have to stop doing anything you’re doing now. There are several relatively painless tactics and trade offs you can use to lower your monthly costs. Not every method always works for everyone but these tips could save you an average of up to 40% ($1000 per year), here’s how.
Examine Your Bill
This one is pretty easy. Whether it is cable, internet, or phone you need to review your bill carefully each month. You want to check and make sure there are no errors on your bill and also to make sure you are getting the best rates on what is currently offered. Generally, several times a year most communications carriers offer lower charges and discounts. The company, of course is not going to give you a courtesy call and let you know they have cheaper rates (that doesn’t make them money), you have to call them. Stay on top of things and you may also find some strange charges on your bill once in a while. Sometimes it may only be $1 or $2 but it is usually unnecessary. For example $5 for phone line insurance, $2 for equipment maintenance, or $1 to receive a paper bill. All of these things are not necessary to operate your service so get rid of them.
Cut Back on Your Cell Phone Minutes
Do you really need 3000 day time minutes each month? When you get your cell phone bill check to see how many minutes you used and when you used them. If you only used 200 day time minutes but have 500 maybe you should think about cutting back. Most cell plans now come with free nights and weekends, and some also offer free long distance and no roaming. Most people tend to use between 300 and 600 minutes combined every month so a plan with 1000 minutes is more than enough for the average consumer. If you have over 1000 minutes on your cell phone plan it is likely that more than 40% of your minutes are going to waste. A $40 cell phone plan gives you much more that it did a year ago, typically about 450 minutes. Family plans also tend to fare better for couples saving each person about $10 a month.
Don’t Get Locked In
Just like with cell phones, you are better off with a prepaid plan or month to month service. Don’t let one company lock you in at a certain price for an extended period of time. If possible get a lifetime plan that you only pay for once like $999 for lifetime unlimited minutes. Just make sure to read the guidelines and rules to make sure you won’t be charged anymore at a later date. Use free web based email like Yahoo Mail or Google G Mail instead of AOL who charges for their services. Stay as commitment free as possible and don’t bundle your services unless it is a substantial saving. Stay on top of your charges and rates and watch out for jumping prices. Sometimes companies offer promotions for a short or even extended period of time and then the charges increase after one year of service. This is typical with cable/phone/internet bundle bills that were sold on a promotional basis.
Bargain with Your Carriers
So you found the best deal that your communications carrier has and you want it. But, it may not be as easy as making a phone call to customer service. Most likely you will call up and they will tell you the offer or deal is only for new customers. All you have to do is find a reason to leave. Just mention that company B is offering monthly service for only $30 a month and you couldn’t imagine paying almost double at your $50 rate. You will be surprised how quickly they will make you a counter offer, but don’t expect a tailor made offer. No company wants to loose a customer, especially to a competitor so threatening to leave usually works much better than demanding discounts. Getting the best deal may take a little bit of elasticity on your part. Sometimes you have to opt for more service like caller ID or new equipment to get the best deal.
Cancel Your Cell Phone Internet Plan
Most people don’t use their cell phone to surf the web or read email mostly for two main reasons. It is just impractical because the screen is too small and often it is super slow. You don’t need an internet connection or digital signal to send text messages either. Calls to information (411, 611, etc.) can also become quite costly in the long run. To find local businesses for free in your area simply send a text message to Yahoo at 92466 or Google at 46645 from any cell phone and you will get an answer within seconds. Find the nearest bank or pizza place free of charge.
Modify Your Cable Service
Of all the bills we pay the cable bill usually seems like the worst to get a handle on. It is almost impossible to curb your bill without cutting the services you want. Even though you cannot pick and choose every single channel you want you can still customize your service. Get rid of the extra movie channels and prime subscriptions. How many of those channels and movies do you even watch anyway? Instead order the movies or channels al la carte and even your sporting events. If you keep your service at a minimum you will pay the least amount. Some public libraries also have DVD and video collections that you can rent free of charge. Most people also do not know that there are federal laws prohibiting most cable companies from making you get a premium package. You do have a choice as to whether or not you want those extra sports and movie channels.
Get a Dish
If you don’t mind having a clunky roof top receiver and a contract for 12 months a dish is also another good way to cut your T.V costs. Yes, you have to sign a contract and there are fees for backing out early and not returning equipment but you will generally pay 20-40% less than for conventional cable T.V. The dish itself also needs to be facing in a southward unblocked direction toward the sky and you may have outages during thunder and winter storms, but usually the company will send a serviceman to clean off the satellite at no extra charge.
Sign up Your Neighbors and Friends
Many companies offer discounts as much as $50 per person for apartment buildings and other residential units. Generally, if everyone in the building subscribes to the same service you will all save some money. Sometimes the discounts are in the form of a reduced bill and other times it is direct cash through a check or payment toward your bill for referrals. Just call customer service for your carrier and ask them what specials they offer apartment buildings and condos, and then speak to your building manager to see what can be done.
Get Internet Phone Service
VOIP- Voice over internet protocol or what is known now as internet phone offers a substantial saving for the average consumer. VOIP uses the same house phone you always had and your modem to transmit your over the internet. What’s great about VOIP is that you can get an unlimited amount of local and long distance calling for about $20 or less. The sound quality can be less than optimal and sometimes there are service outages when the site is being rebooted or new data is being added. VOIP is easy and cheap and only costs about $16-$25 a month and only takes about 3 minutes to set up. The company sends you an adapter through the mail and you simply connect it to your modem and standard phone line. VOIP also offers unique functions like the ability to check your voicemail via email. To find providers of VOIP go to http://www.broadbandreports.com.
Get a Discount
If you are member of an organization or have a job you may be able to save up to 15% on your cell phone plans. Your employer or other organizations like AARP, National Association of Realtors, or the local union may be able to offer you a group discount just for being a member. Check with your employer or the group to find out what your benefits are. Don’t worry if you already have a current plan because most providers will modify you account if you are eligible for savings.
Complain
If one of your services is not working properly make a big stink about it. Make sure you get refunds for periods of inactivity and non-service, which can happen a lot with internet and cell phone service. Don’t expect to get anything if you don’t ask for it. Let the company know in a gentle way that you are dissatisfied with their services and that you would like to request a refund or credit for services that you paid for and did not receive.
Use a Smaller Company
One of the great things about using a lesser known company is that you may be in store for big savings. With independent phone companies you may be able to talk for as little as 3 cents per minute. Internet subscriptions though companies like Net Zero can also save you up to 50% on your monthly cable subscription. To find a provider you can go to http://www.thelist.com or to http://www.ABTolls.com. The List will help you find and compare carriers for internet, phone, and cable. AB Tolls will give you a detailed analysis of your cell phone usage and then recommend a company based on your location and needs.
Get Rid of Your Home Phone
This may be a big step for some people, but if you are someone that is constantly talking on your cell phone it may be a good idea for you. If you find that your home phone is collecting dust maybe you should just get rid of it. Most people these days are communicating by cell phones even when they are at home. Just be wary of doing this if your cell phone does not receive a strong signal inside your home because you will drop a lot of calls which can be really frustrating. Cellular minutes have steadily dropped their rates over the last 4 years and with the expansion of new technology it is likely they will continue to fall in the future. Now you can also transfer your home number to your cell phone or VOIP service, and you don’t need a landline to send faxes anymore. Many online faxing companies like Efax are now offering faxes via email with local and long distance numbers.
Get a Pre-Paid Plan
If you don’t use your cell phone that much or just keep it on hand for emergencies than maybe a pre-paid plan will better fit your financial plan. Pre-paid plans are now as low as 12 cents per minute and most of them don’t expire; the minutes just roll over from month to month. Pre-paid plans are ideal for college students, emergency users, and those that don’t use their cell phone as their main contact phone. You can log onto http://www.cellguru.net to compare multiple plans and companies.
Shop Online
Sometimes the best deals are only offered online at conglomerate online shops and carrier web sites. Generally the online deals are only available online, meaning that you cannot call customer service and get the same rates or promotion. Typically you have to sign up online, which includes using your credit card for the online subscription. The best deals on rebates and phone freebies are often found only online and usually only for a short period of time.
