After getting your monthly paycheck, the first thing that comes in your mind is to pay utility bills. It includes internet bills as well. But when you look at the bill, your eyes pop out and your mouth starts drooling because what you saw was an advertised price. You didn’t count other charges such as activation charges, modem charges, and other petty costs. It’s a fact that most of the internet service providers hide the charges to attract as many customers as possible.
Internet users are often seen complaining about the charges added up in their bills apart from the advertised fees. The reasons are plenty and one of them is that internet pricing varies from one location to another. A person living in Dallas would likely pay half the amount for what the person pays in Los Angeles.
So how to cut your internet bills and save some money? Let’s look at some ways to save on your internet bills.
PURCHASE YOUR EQUIPMENT:-
A big surge in internet bill is due to charges that accumulate and put a dent on your limited budget. The first and foremost reason is that ISPs usually charge rent for the equipment i.e. modem/router given to you at the time of installation. It ranges from somewhat around $10 to $20 per month.
If you wish to stay with the ISP for a year or two, you would end up paying $120 to $240 per year only for renting a piece of equipment. The ideal approach is to buy your own modem/router from an online store that would cost you $50 for basic equipment. However, some ISPs won’t offer you technical support in case you go for your equipment.
SELECT INTERNET PLAN WISLEY:-
The usage of the internet in recent times has increased multifold. Streaming, gaming, browsing, socializing, and downloading are some of the activities that require high-speed internet. But if you analyze, you may have chosen a plan that is way beyond your requirements.
For small households, 100Mbps internet speed is enough to accommodate everyone’s needs. Even if there are gamers and streamers, it would be enough for you and your family. You can simply check Spectrum internet plans offering 100Mbps for merely $49.99 per month for 12 months with unlimited data caps and no contract binding.
NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR CURRENT SERVICE PROVIDER:-
It is better to speak rather than wait for anyone to help you out. Talk to your service provider and negotiate on your internet bills. Don’t worry, if you are not a salesperson, because you don’t need to be. Keep your tone polite and friendly and call their customer support.
For instance, you can talk to the salesperson like “I have a better deal in hand and I would opt out of your plan to avail it”. It can do miracles because service providers don’t want you to go away. Moreover, search for promotional prices that are being offered to a new customer. You can even remind the customer representative and ask about the latest deals and promos that are relevant to you (whether you are an old customer or a new one).
BUNDLE YOUR EXISTING PLAN:-
Internet service providers are not only offering high-speed internet to its users. They also give options to the subscribers to bundle it up with cable and telephone services. The benefit of bundling is that you would save a few hundred dollars with some additional benefits like HD TV, DVR Recording, and much more.
If you love watching HBO GO, Hulu, Sling, or Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, you can simply opt for the bundle plans. But all of these premium channels also come with a cost. So beware. If you are looking to save money, contact customer support, and ask for any deals and promos that are active. During holiday and shopping season (Christmas, New Year, Black Friday, Cyber Monday) most of the companies offer deals and discounts to their customers. You can also benefit from holiday discounts
UNLIMITED DATA LIMITS:-
Several ISPs offer limited data caps on their plans. Beware if there are a bunch of gamers and streamers at your home. If you run out of data allowance, you need to pay additional charges for excess use. Also, your internet speed throttles on exceeding the limits.
If unlimited data caps aren’t available, you can compute average internet usage (find it on your previous bills). For a small household, 500 GB to 1Tb data cap is more than enough to fulfill the requirements of every user in the house. But if you are a normal user who isn’t a fan of streaming movies or playing online games, you can go for lower data caps.
FINAL VERDICT:-
We all are striving hard to meet our ends meet. With rising inflation and surging needs, controlling the outflow of money is quite challenging. The Internet is now considered a necessity instead of a luxury. We all need an internet connection at home, and of course, pay the price as well. Just make sure to follow the aforementioned tips to cut your bills to half.