With everything happening online nowadays, from government services to paying bills to live streaming, broadband is an essential utility for every household. This means high internet usage, which can easily translate to high internet bills, especially if you consider other utilities like water and electricity. Without careful consideration, the bills can leave a huge dent on your finances. So, how can you keep surfing and streaming but manage to cut internet costs at the same time? Here are useful tips to save money on your broadband packages.
Do You Need All That Speed?
For obvious reasons, blazingly fast internet speeds are welcome, and ISP providers know this. That’s why a growing number of companies are offering speeds of up to 100Mbps or faster. However, before you take the plunge and subscribe to expensive packages, ask yourself if you really need lightning fast internet speeds. Unless it’s an organization, you want to stream 4K videos, play online videos or you have multiple devices that you want to connect to the internet at once, opt for speeds ranging between 3Mbps and 25Mbps. If you find yourself with a big data allowance at the end of the month or you simply don’t need that much speed, consider downgrading to a suitable and more affordable package.
Negotiate for a Better Deal
If your area has multiple broadband providers, know all the options and shop for a better deal. It’s the norm for new customers to receive better welcoming perks. You can also take advantage of this and threaten to cancel if the provider doesn’t lower your rate. With increasing competition for clients, you're a valued customer and the broadband company wouldn’t want to let you go.
Switch to an Independent ISP
In some cities, you may find an independent ISP that offers a lower rate (and possibly lower speeds) than the ISP giants. If you're comfortable living with the internet speed that they offer, you might find yourself cutting down your internet bills significantly.
Buy Your Own Router/Modem
A modem or router is a must-have if you want to connect to the Internet. The internet providers usually charge a monthly fee for their router/modem ranging from $60 to $120 over a year. If you're renting your home and plan to stay for less than a year then renting your modem is probably a good option. However, if it's your permanent home, you’ll be better off buying your own device. Just make sure that the router/modem works for your provider and offers the speeds that you want.
Use Your Smartphone as a Hotspot
Current smartphones are highly upgraded and work great as Wi-Fi hotspots. This option is mainly viable if you use the internet for browsing, checking emails, and social media. However, if you stream a lot or play online video games, then this might not work for you. On the same note, the Wi-Fi range on your phone may not be wide enough. So, be sure to have it close to the connected devices.
Bundles or No Bundles
Some major ISPs provide bundle services offering TV/Internet/phone combos. This can save you hundreds of dollars, especially if you require and use the extra services a lot. However, despite the convenience, you might want to check the cost of the subscription and decide if it's a worthy investment. Likewise, look at all the options of combining services from one company and compare how much you’ll save on your monthly bills. On the other hand, you can pair up different deals from multiple providers, which might turn out to be cheaper.
Beware of promotions
While promotions might seem to be good at first, know when the prices will end and what you’ll be paying in the end. ISP companies know that consumers love promotions, that’s why they offer them every once in a while. However, most of the time, there is a catch. Don’t sign up for a promotional rate without knowing the full details. This might be a ‘trap’ to lure you in only to end up paying higher rates when the promotion is over.
Know Your Data Cap
Data cap refers to how many GB of broadband your company has assigned to you by month’s end. Talk to your ISP provider and compare if the packages they offer are similar to those on their websites. You’ll also need to know what will happen if you surpass your data limit. For this reason, tracking your bandwidth is very important to help you avoid extra charges.
Final Thoughts
The world is digitalized and having broadband internet is a necessity. The good thing is that there are multiple internet providers, meaning you can get competitive rates if you do thorough research. If you plan on combining services, only get those that are really essential. We hope these tips will help you cut costs and reduce your monthly budget.
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