Easy Ways to Lower Your Cable Bill – Helpful Tips!

_{Looking for the best cable deal to lower your cable bill is something many do when it’s time to cut back on their budget. We have given you some of our best tips below to help save you money on cable.}

Easy Ways to Lower Your Cable Bill

If you’re fed up with paying a premium for those services, it is time to use these tips to cut back. I don’t know about you, but I am always on the hunt for other ways to cut costs. There are very few monthly bills that are negotiable after your monthly payment has been set in writing.

Cable service reminds me a lot like personal banking. You find a service you like and stick with it, even if the price goes up. Your cable provider is making BIG bucks, and with every price increase, they are establishing better promotions to gain more customers.

AWE, is the competition factor.

Read More Creative Money Saving Tips & Tricks from Inspiring Savings

One little secret the cable company doesn’t want you to know

They do NOT want to lose your business. NOPE!!! And we are in the business of finding the best price. With all the available streaming services nowadays, cable companies are pivoting their structures to keep customers happy. 

It is more of an expense for them to lose you to a juicy promotion from another company. After all, you have been a steady income for most likely years. Now that the cat is out of the bag, what do you do??? 

Most of what goes into getting a discount is just asking for it.

Negotiate Your Cable Bill Options – with your current provider

Grab your phone and call your cable provider to get the best cable deals available. Cable companies offer many promotions to NEW customers. Most people think they are a one-time deal. That’s not true. Your cable company offers many incentives to keep current customers around. Each cable company has its own set of promotional offers. 

I found in my own experience that these promotions are typically good for an entire year for existing customers. Why don’t they offer these promotions to existing customers? They don’t want to offer all their promotions to every current customer. They would truly lose money. Some of your neighbors will continue to pay full price and not complain. But not us, we are frugally smart consumers.

Many providers offer less-expensive packages with fewer channels but don’t advertise them widely. These are the best cable deals that you are looking for. I cannot guarantee that your cable or internet provider will give you any discount, but it doesn’t hurt to try. And if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

As you make phone calls to negotiate your bill, keep these tips in mind.

What you need to know before you Call

• Look at your numbers and be realistic about your numbers. For example, you want to be paying as much as you did last year or reducing your bill by $20 a month.
• Call on a weekday. That’s when other customers are busy at work. You’ll get shorter hold times.
• Avoid online chat tools. Speaking with a person directly will get you the discount you want.
• Be honest and let them know that you are in search of saving money for your family and that you are researching your options. That will get them moving. Let them know that you have been a current customer for XX amount of years.
• Don’t just jump on the customer service rep’s first offer. I know it is exciting to hear that you can save some dough. But chances are they have an even better promotion out there. Keep your numbers in the back of your head.
• Get it in writing – When you’re satisfied with the rate, ask the customer service rep to send an email outlining the changes.

Reminder: If you feel you are being sneaky, you’re not you are being smart.

Other Tips to Lowering Your Cable Bill – after you negotiate

• Grab your calendar out. Jot down the date of your phone call and when you will need to call again next year. They will not always tell you when your current promotion is over.
• Do NOT talk to the BILLING department. I would recommend asking for the customer solutions department (if they have one or something similar). The billing representative is very limited and only knows of the current promotions that are available to NEW users.
• Don’t know the customer solutions department for your cable/internet provider. Call your billing department and ask.

Can’t get a discount – Shop Around

 Switching providers to take advantage of money-saving offers can easily make your monthly payment more manageable. It truly is easy to switch. As much as you think it may be a headache, it is not as difficult as you may think it may be. 

Cable companies get a bad rap for customer service. While some of the complaints are valid, many issues can be avoided by understanding how prices will change after the initial promotional period expires and knowing that prices will fluctuate every year. 

Not sure where to start and who your local providers are?

Click this link to find providers in your area. Simply type in your zip code. You can also search through current plans and offers. The next thing you know, you’ll be saving tons of money each year!

Thinking of Cutting the Cable Cord Altogether (Maybe?)

It may be time to just cut the cord altogether! Getting rid of cable altogether is the ultimate money-saving tip and will lower your cable bill. If you are ready and on board to stop paying for cable, there are other options for providing you with some amazing shows.

I’m an advocate for cable cutting if you do it for the right reasons. Here are some services that can help. Try a digital antenna. which can increase the airwaves to get you better receive clear, free TV channels.  

• Mohu Sky Antenna – This is a digital antenna that provides many channels. Mohu makes some of the best antennas. You can find this antenna on Amazon or on Mohu’s site.

Streaming Services

• Hulu – With Hulu, you can watch thousands of TV shows and movies, exclusive Originals, past seasons, current episodes, and more. Owned mainly by The Walt Disney direct-to-consumer company. And you will want to check out Disney+ as well. 
• Netflix – Netflix is the world’s leading subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies.
• Amazon Prime Instant Video – This is just part of our existing Amazon Prime membership. We use it for the free, two-day shipping, but it gives us a little more content than we both like and can’t get on Netflix. Don’t have Amazon Prime? Here’s a 30-day free trial. To be honest, the options are not as great, but it is helpful.
• Sling TV – With Sling TV’s streaming services, you get to pick your channel lineup & personalize your TV experience. Start with the level that’s best for you, then customize with extras like sports, comedy, kids, news, and more. Try 7 days free or start as low as $15/month!

Not sure which one is the best option for your family? You can check out this comparison article that will give you the pros and cons of each streaming service listed above. 

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