If you pay for cable or satellite television, then chances are pretty good that you can save money if you prioritize the services that you really want and compare providers.
Take advantage of introductory rates. Many companies offer deep discounts for the first 6 or 12 months of service. At the end of the period, call to cancel the service and see if they will extend the discount for additional months. When you call the provider call the “cancellation line” rather than the regular service number, because they are usually authorized to offer discounts to keep you as a customer.
Don’t pay for services you don’t need. It’s surprising how often people will sign up for more features than they actually need or use, just because it appears to be a good deal. Change to a smaller package of channels if you don’t watch the additional channels often. Do you have a receiver on a TV you seldom use? Even if the charge is only $5 a month, that’s $60 a year you could save.
Bundle Services. You will usually receive a discount if you subscribe to multiple services with the same provider. A common bundle includes telephone, cable, and Internet. But if you don’t need all these services, don’t get them. Also, consider if you have to sign a contract that assesses a penalty for canceling service before the term of the contract.
Consider alternative ways to access programming. Many TV stations and networks stream programming on their websites. You can also watch TV on Internet sites such as Netflix, Hulu, VUDU.com, SideReel.com, and BBC iPlayer. Read this article to learn how to set up Internet TV in your home.
Cancel premium channels and occasionally rent movies from RedBox.com or consider a low-cost movie club subscription, such as Netflix or Amazon Instant Video.
Purchase a set-top box such as Roku or Apple TV and stream content to your TV.
Learn how to stream Internet TV to your living room using your Blu-Ray player or Xbox.
