How To Negotiate Cheaper Cell Phone, Cable, And Internet Bills

What do most people suggest you do to save money each month? Cut back on your fun. That means less dining out, not as much entertainment, and other fun-cutting moves that could make your life miserable.

Well, the good news is this: You can save money each month without being miserable in the process. How? By simply negotiating some of your existing bills to lower monthly amounts. Here are the tips that can get you to that goal as far as your cell phone, cable, and Internet bills are concerned.

Cell Phone

What’s something that rarely leaves your side? If you’re like most nowadays, it’s your cell phone, and with good reason.

Sure, you can use a cell phone to keep in touch with others, especially during emergencies. But cell phones do so much more that we can no longer live without them.

What can you live without? Expensive cell phone bills, which is why you should give these negotiating tactics a try:

• Look at prepaid carriers – You can get rid of a binding contract and enjoy reliable service by taking the prepaid route. Out of all the cost-cutting tips, this may yield the best results since there’s so much competition in the cell phone arena.
• Revise your protection plan – Paying for a pricey protection plan on a brand new iPhone is a good idea. Paying for one if you have an older phone may be a waste, which is why you may want to cut your coverage to lower your monthly bill.
• Save $5 with autopay – Companies like T-Mobile will offer discounts for switching to autopay. In fact, you may save on each line in your plan, which can add up to some significant monthly savings.
• Add lines to your plan – Are all of your family members on different plans? Consolidate by adding them to your plan, and you can make each line a lot more affordable.
• Ensure your plan fits your needs – You may not need an excessive plan with the top offerings for talk, text, and data. Whether you don’t use much of those options or something else you’re paying for, call up your company to trim the fat.

Cable

With so many people cutting the cord, you have significant leverage over your cable company as long as you do the following:

• Bundle – Combine your cable with phone and Internet, and you can save. And when you become a new bundler, that usually leads to even more savings for a certain period.
• Complain – Call up your cable company and tell them you’re unhappy with the service. To keep you happy, they may offer a discount.
• Check your channels – You may be paying for channels you never watch. Let your cable company know what you want to get rid of, and they may be able to lower your bill.

Internet

• Make a list of competitors – The more competitors in your area, the better your chances of negotiating a lower bill. Don’t cancel service if you have no other providers available, or you’ll be left out in the cold.
• Call to cancel – Now that you know who the competitors are, you can call your Internet provider and say you want to cancel. They’ll probably put a retention specialist on the phone to keep you around with a deep discount and the possibility of even faster service.