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How to cut your cable bill in 5 easy steps

Cable TV can be expensive. According to Fortune, the average American household spends about $103 on television each month. Which is a lot of money.

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If you want to save some money on your monthly expenses, read on as we share the five simple steps to lower your cable bill.

1. Track your viewing habits

It's impossible to make an informed decision about your TV package without first understanding your viewing habits.

Spend a month recording your behaviors. You need to record data about what channels you watch and for how long, what shows you watch, what sports you watch, and how much time you spend.

How to cut your cable bill in 5 easy steps

You should also monitor which TVs are used most often, which rooms you spend the most time in, and note how many hours of footage your family records on the built-in DVR.

The more data you can collect, the better.

2. Evaluate your current channels

Now collect all the information and compare it to your current package. Print out the packages your cable provider offers and determine which package gives you the most channels you need.

You may find that you are paying much more than necessary. For example, if 90 percent of the content you enjoy is covered by the "medium" package, and you're paying for a "deluxe" package, you should consider whether you're prepared to sacrifice the additional 10 percent and save a significant amount. of money.

The differences between packages are often negligible anyway. Take a look at the variations between Comcast's “Starter” package and “Privileged” package in the image below. After the introductory offers expire, the Preferred package is almost $25 more per month. It is Really is it worth it?

How to cut your cable bill in 5 easy steps

And of course, if you spend too much time channel-hopping and don't have enough time to enjoy specific shows or channels, you may be able to cancel your cable subscription entirely.

3. Take a look at the competition

Then repeat the process for the competition. Cable television is a fiercely competitive industry; it is possible that another company offers the channels in its deluxe package in a cheaper package.

If you're not sure what cable providers are available in your area, visit InMyArea.com [No Longer Available]. Click on your state and the site will give you information on cable coverage, fiber optic coverage, and the providers that have services available.

How to cut your cable bill in 5 easy steps

You can also check out DecisionData.org. Enter your zip code and the site will tell you how many cable operators are available, along with what percentage of the zip code they're covering.

How to cut your cable bill in 5 easy steps

If you've done the math and are switching providers, it's worth waiting a couple of months to see if your new provider offers any new sign-up promotions. This is especially true if it's close to one of the annual holidays.

4. Slash Optional Extras

Most cable packages try to sell you three additional “must have” add-ons:DVR functionality, Ultra HD channels, and multi-room capture capability.

Yes, they are nice benefits, but they are not essential to your enjoyment. And for the three services that most people will never take advantage of, they are extremely expensive. For example, Sky TV in the UK charges customers an extra £6 per month to watch sports in HD, a further £12 per month for a DVR box and £99 per month per additional screen to broadcast on three or more. televisions.

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To reiterate, this is why the first step is so important. You must have a clear idea of ​​your personal situation before you can make a fair assessment.

5. (Partially) Cut the cable

So you found that you spend 75 percent of your time on the channel, you only watch TV in one room in your house, the sports you enjoy can be streamed via YouTube TV YouTube launches YouTube TV for Cord Cutters YouTube launches YouTube TV for YouTube for Cord Cutters YouTube has announced the existence of YouTube TV, a new over-the-top TV service that will launch in the coming months. Read More

Congratulations, you are the main candidate to cut the cord..

Of course, cutting the cord completely isn't for everyone. Should You Cut the Cord or Keep Your TV Cable? Should you cut the cord or keep your cable TV? If you're still stuck with your cable subscription, but are debating whether it's time to make a switch, we're here to help. This guide will help you decide. Read More And you are certainly not alone. However, there are some questions to ask yourself before you cancel the cable. Read more:how many devices will you need? Are your favorite shows available? What start-up costs will you find?

E incluso si se suscribe a servicios de corte de cable como Netflix, YouTube TV o Hulu, y disfruta utilizando aplicaciones como Plex y Kodi, es posible que no quiera desconectar completamente el cable o el paquete satelital..

Es importante tener en cuenta que esto no es una situación de uno u otro. En lugar de cortar el cable completamente, es posible diseñar su propio medio feliz.

How to cut your cable bill in 5 easy steps

Usando los registros que hizo anteriormente, ¿por qué no elaborar un paquete híbrido para adaptarse a sus propias circunstancias personales? Quizás pueda reducir su paquete de cable a la opción más básica e inscribirse en Netflix (pero ninguno de sus competidores).

Esto, para citar solo un ejemplo, le daría lo mejor de ambos mundos al mismo tiempo que reduce su gasto mensual total.

¿Cómo has cortado tu factura de cable??

Trabajar a través de todos estos pasos puede parecer mucho trabajo, pero es importante darse cuenta de que nunca puede estar realmente seguro de que tiene la mejor oferta para su situación si no tiene todos los detalles disponibles..

Deja de asumir que estás atascado pagando lo que pagas actualmente. En su lugar, sea un consumidor inteligente y tómese el tiempo para comprender completamente su situación. En última instancia, cuanta más investigación realice en esta etapa, más dinero podrá ahorrar a largo plazo..

¿Ha cambiado los proveedores de cable para ahorrar dinero? ¿Cómo se aseguró de obtener la mejor oferta disponible? ¿Has encontrado el híbrido perfecto de cable y servicios de transmisión? Si es así, cuéntanos todo sobre tu experiencia personal en los comentarios a continuación.!