Mintel Group published a report in 2014 that showed that the average American home spent more on home communications than it did on furniture or electricity annually. The report stated that $154 was the average amount spent on home communications in a month. This means that Americans spend an average of slightly under $2,000 annually on the internet, TV, and phone.
However, consumers have the option to bundle these services and save more money. According to a Consumer Reports survey of their readers, consumers who chose to bundle their TV, phone, and internet services were happier with their new service and saved money by bundling.
Benefits of bundling
Bundling allows you to have a single company managing your home communication services, i.e. telephone, TV, and internet. Dealing with a single company means that you won’t have to experience the frustration of dealing with various customer service departments when you are experiencing a problem. You get all your services from a single department.
You will also be able to save money as you have more control over the bundle.
Tips to help you save money
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Compare service providers
When bundling, you get to choose your service providers for the internet and phone. It would therefore be a good idea to compare different service providers in your locality. You can use comparison sites to compare their services. It is best to read reviews about service providers to determine what customers have to say about their services. With this information, you can make an informed choice.
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Choose a TV package that meets your needs
Choose a TV package that meets your needs. Decide what is important for you when it comes to TV viewing. You will probably watch only a handful of the channels on any given package. You should therefore choose a package not based on the number of channels but on the content.
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Decide on the best internet speed for your needs
Do you enjoy streaming movies and do it often? Do you use the internet for light browsing? Do you need your internet connection for heavy-duty browsing, downloading, and streaming? Choose an internet speed based on your needs. Many people do well with 12 to 30Mbps.
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Choose a bare-bones telephone service
Many people today use their mobile phones more than their home landlines. It, therefore, doesn’t make sense to pay a great deal of money for a service that you use once in a while. Having a telephone can be an advantage when you want to make long-distance or international calls. You can still benefit from this on a bare-bones package. You’ll end up paying close to half of your original phone bill with a bare-bones service.
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Introductory offers
Take advantage of introductory offers and subscription deals. You can save a great deal on your contract with these discounts. However, it is important to read the fine print. Determine how long the offer lasts and whether it is a short-term contract for the service. Determine whether you will still be happy with the cost of the services when the offer period expires.