Tips on curbing your technology bill

Are you paying too much for technology? Between the TV package, internet, and the phone bills, staying connected can take a huge slice out of your family's budget. It's hard to imagine life without Wi-Fi or cell phone service. How can you trim expenses when all this tech is essential to our modern lives? There are ways to reduce the bills for your basic connectivity. Here are a few of the best approaches.

Slash Your TV Bill

Lots of people have done away with cable television altogether. Subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime offer inexpensive access to feature films and television series. At the moment you don't need a TV license too watch these things so as long as you disconnect from live TV and opt just for a subscription service you can straight away save around £12 a month.

If you prefer to keep your current TV package — which makes sense when it's bundled with your internet or if you are a sports fan — there are still ways to cut costs. Did you know you can negotiate your TV bill? If you are calm and persistent, you may be able to talk your provider into some compromise between your current rate and the promotional rates offered to new customers.


Pay Less for Your Mobile Phones

There are many ways to reduce your mobile phone bill. If your budget is really tight, think twice before replacing your phone. Consider buying a factory refurbished or used phone instead of automatically updating to the newest model. As your family grows, make sure to check into group pricing, like the affordable family plans from T-Mobile.

The biggest area for mobile phone savings is usually in data usage. Many people are paying for more data than they actually use. Study your last several months' bills to see what your actual data usage has been, and downgrade your service if there's room. For even more savings, challenge yourself to use less data by storing your music on your phone and only connecting to social media, videos, and music streaming services when Wi-Fi is available.

Reduce Your Internet Expense

If your promotional rate has expired but you're happy with your service, you may be able to negotiate a better price. Contact your service provider and explain that you're looking for ways to lower your bill, sometimes that's all it takes to unlock a lower rate. Many consumers are paying for more speed than they need, it only takes about 5 Mbps to stream movies. It's definitely worth knowing your current speed by using websites to test my internet speed, as you'll know whether there's room to downgrade your service.

If you're not happy with your current service, set aside a couple of hours to shop around. Getting into a promotional rate at a new provider could save you a bundle, and when you call to cancel your current service, you might be offered a lower rate.

Offload Your Old Equipment

When you upgrade to a new phone, tablet, or camera, check to see what your options are for selling your existing devices. If your equipment is in good condition, you can offer it on Amazon, Gumtree, or eBay. Selling your old equipment won't pay for your upgrade, but it will help offset the cost.

Study Your Bills

It's easy to pay bills on autopilot without skimming the line items, but reading through your bills can alert you to lots of opportunities to save a little here and there. Are you paying for services you don't use, such as a home phone, just because it came at an attractive price? How much do you pay to rent an internet router from your provider, and could you buy one for less?

Technology, and the bills that come with it, might be a fact of modern life, but that doesn't mean you can't trim those costs. A single afternoon of poring over bills and making phone calls could save you hundreds of pounds per year. I also did a post recently about cost efficient ways to save money in the home, check it out for some extra tips

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