How to Save $50 to $100 Per Month On Cable, Phone and Other Technology
The costs of everyday technology can quickly become a heavy burden if you're not careful. Unless you pay close attention to your bills, you might even miss the notices about changes to the service plans or the expiration of a special introductory price. You might not be ready to give it all up and live off the grid, but you can still cut back and reap some serious savings. Step back and evaluate your needs, then fight for the best prices on the technology you just can't live without.
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Instructions
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Carefully evaluate your services and decide which ones you need to keep. The quickest and surest way to save a bundle on technology is to get rid of some of it. If you're not home much and prefer movies to television, you may not really need cable television. Your cell phone could make your land line obsolete. If you have the Internet at work, a laptop you can take to public hot spots and a smartphone, you can have the Internet at your fingertips without paying for a home Internet connection.
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Cancel the services you can live without. You'll easily save upwards of $100 a month by using a digital antenna for local channels instead of premium cable.
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Bundle the services you do use. If you're paying different providers for a land line and cable, you're paying more than you need to. Use a single provider for as many of your services as possible.
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Downgrade your cell phone plan. Just switching from a smartphone to a standard cell phone can save a quick $50. You can save even more by switching from a contract to a pay-as-you-go plan. Analyze your bill closely and see if you're using all the minutes available to you. If not, downgrade to only the minutes you will use.
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Comparison shop for service providers. Any time your cell phone contract is up, look around and see what other companies are offering. If you have a choice of cable providers, see what the competition is offering. Make note of the best prices and who's offering them. If you don't want to switch providers, let your current company know what you could get with the competition and see if they'll offer you a better deal for staying with them.
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Negotiate with all of your providers for a better price. Call and tell the company that you want to cancel your services because you simply can't afford them anymore. They'll most likely come back with a better offer to keep you with them. Keep negotiating until you have a price you're really comfortable with.
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Tips & Warnings
Skype is free using Skype-to-Skype calling. Using this to chat with friends and family can save you cell phone minutes or replace your need for a land line.
References
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