Is your family feeling the squeeze of rising cost of TV service lately? You don’t have to accept their rate hikes sitting down; you can do something about it because believe it or not you do have options. Whether your TV bill has increased $5 or $20 here are five ways you can lower your TV bill today.
1. Cut Back On Channels You Don’t Watch
You can lower your bill right away by simply cutting back on channels you don’t watch. Some TV packages have as many as 300+ channels depending on who your TV provider is and what channel package you’ve subscribed to. Let’s face it; are you really watching every one of those channels every month? Probably not. Moving to a lower-tiered channel package or cutting out premium channels won’t make your family sacrifice their favorite TV shows if you do it right.
2. Return Equipment You Barely Use
One of the easiest ways to start saving money is to return equipment you’re rarely using or not using at all. DVR and equipment fees add up quick; from as low as $10 to as high as $30 extra every month per DVR. When you think about it like this, do you need every bedroom to have it’s own DVR? Probably not when you’re pinching pennies.
3. Bundle Your TV + Internet
If you’re not already bundling your TV and internet service, maybe it’s time that you do. Most TV providers offer a discounted rate to customers who subscribe to both internet and TV service through them.
However, buyer beware; don’t get roped into services you don’t need for the sake of saving money unless it somehow actually saves money. Even then, beware of any promotional rates you agree to so you don’t get any surprises later.
4. Switch TV Providers
If you’ve determined your dissatisfaction only begins with your monthly bill, then it might be time to switch TV providers. It only takes a few minutes to find out what providers are available at your address and you might be surprised at what other TV providers charge for comparable service.
Before you get too excited with this option, check with your current TV provider to find out if you’re in a service contract. If you are currently under a contract, canceling your service can cost you more than you’d save with someone else after early cancellation fees are accounted for. Early cancellation fees are steep and can cost you as high as $500 if you’re not careful.
5. Cut The Cord
If you’ve tried every other cost cutting option and your cable or satellite TV is still too expensive, it might be time to cancel it all together and finally cut the cord. Streaming services start as low as $5 a month and can be as high as $94.99 a month depending on which services you choose.
If you’ve held off on streaming full time so far because it seems like the nuclear option, it’s really not as long as you shop wisely. You can still watch live TV, local channels, and sports with the help of a digital antenna no matter which streaming service you choose. If you are looking for a slightly less dramatic option, you can try SlingTV for as low as $35 a month and still be able to watch live TV and channel surf just like cable and satellite TV.
