Save Money on Phone, Internet & TV
Talk is anything but cheap, not to mention Internet and cable TV. Try these ten tips to hand up on high costs.
Anyone paying the bills in their household knows that talk is anything but cheap. Cell phones and land lines can cost a pretty penny. Add your bills for Internet service and cable TV, and your telecom costs can quickly go through the roof.
We've collected eight tips to help you hang up on high prices. We've laid out our list in text format below, or you can check them out in our slide show. Plus, you can share your favorite ways to save in our reader comment box at the end of this article.
BUNDLE UP
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Bunch your services and save some green. For about $100 a month, you can get cable or satellite TV, local and long-distance telephone service, plus high-speed Internet service. This is often cheaper than it would cost for each service separately.
In addition to paying just one bill, you have just one company to call if you have a technical or billing issue. See Save a Bundle on Telecom Services to learn more.
RETHINK YOUR PHONE COMPANY
Save on your long-distance bill and chat via computer with free software from Skype.com. You won't pay a dime for any call to another Skype user. You can call non-users' landlines, too, for about $3 a month. Sure beats the $15 to $25 fee for a typical no-frills land line.
Or consider other low-cost Internet phone services such as Vonage. It comes with more perks such as voice-mail, caller ID and call waiting and costs $25 per month for free unlimited local and long-distance calls.
PRE-PAY YOUR CELL PHONE
The average wireless-phone user spends about $60 a month, including taxes and fees. If you talk for 200 or fewer minutes per month, you may save by switching to a prepaid plan charging 25 cents a minute or less.
Prepaid plans generally charge 10 cents to 60 cents a minute, and compatible phones cost as little as $20. Compare plans at www.myrateplan.com.
CUT THE CORD
If you have a good cell-phone plan that you use almost exclusively, get rid of the dead weight on your finances and drop your land line. You could reclaim $20 to $50 or more each month.
EVALUATE YOUR CABLE USE
Do you really need all those cable channels? Take a look at what you're paying for and what your family is actually using. Then trim accordingly. Dropping your premium channels, for example, is a good way to start saving.
You may even find you don't watch TV enough to justify the cost of your cable service. Consider dropping cable entirely and watching your favorite shows online or on DVD –- or reading a book.
HANG UP ON PHONE EXTRAS
Do you really need caller ID? Call waiting? Voice mail? Internet service on your cell phone?
Drop one or all of the extras and shave $5 to $50 off your bill each month.
GET A CALLING CARD
This is a great way to keep phone costs under control when you've got a roommate. That way, you're sure to only pay for the long-distance calls you personally make. No more billing disputes. Calling cards may also save you money over the long-distance plan offered by your phone company.
At Costco, for example, you can buy a Verizon phone card with 700 pre-paid minutes for $20. That's 2.9 cents per minute.
NEGOTIATE A LOWER RATE
With cutthroat competition among phone, cable and Internet providers, you can probably haggle your way to a better deal on your service.
Many of the best offers are for new customers, but that shouldn’t stop you from asking for the same deal, or at least one better than what you’re getting. You could always threaten to take your business elsewhere.
MORE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY
Save Money on Food
Save Money on Utilities
Save Money on Credit, Debt & Banking
Save Money on Entertainment
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Flirts With 6K as Post-Election Rally Ebbs
The S&P 500 closed just below the 6,000 mark on Monday.
By David Dittman Published
-
Voters Approve New Veteran Property Tax Relief
Tax Relief Thanks to the election, some Veterans will soon see expanded property tax exemptions.
By Kate Schubel Last updated
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
By Jackie Stewart Last updated
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
By Miriam Cross Published
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
By Vaishali Varu Last updated
-
How to Figure Out How Much Life Insurance You Need
insurance Instead of relying on rules of thumb, you’re better off taking a systematic approach to figuring your life insurance needs.
By Kimberly Lankford Last updated
-
Amazon Big Deal Days Is Coming! We’ve Got All the Details
Amazon Prime To kick off the holiday season with a bang, Amazon Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 9.
By Bob Niedt Last updated
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
By Kaitlin Pitsker Published
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.
By Daniel Bortz Last updated
-
Retirees, It's Not Too Late to Buy Life Insurance
life insurance Improvements in underwriting have made it easier to qualify for life insurance, which can be a useful estate-planning tool.
By David Rodeck Published