3 Ways To Keep Your Internet Bill Affordable
ShareYou need access to the internet. You need internet access to pay bills, bank, find jobs, keep up with the news, and access most forms of entertainment and communication. If you feel like your internet bill is a little too high, there are steps you can take to lower your internet bill.
Choose a Lower Internet Speed
When you purchase the internet, you generally get to pick what speed or tier you want. Typically, the faster the rate that you choose, the more you will pay for that speed.
Megabits per second measure the speed of your internet, and it is often referred to as download speed. Download speed is the speed at which you access content on the internet. Upload speed is how fast you can upload things, such as files, to the internet and send them to someone else. Most people focus on download speed, as that has the most significant impact on your internet usage.
If your download speed is at one of the higher tiers for your internet provider, see if you can drop it down a tier or two and save some money. It will take a little longer for things to load, but you will enjoy cheaper service.
Purchase Your Own Router and Modem
Most internet service providers will encourage you to rent your router and modem from them. They will charge you a small monthly fee for the use of the equipment. The advantage to this system is that if your router or modem is not working correctly, you can send it back to your provider and get a new one.
The downside to this is that if you rent a modem and router for more than a year, you probably spent more money on the devices than you would have if you had purchased your own. That is why it pays off to buy your own, instead of renting, as you will save money in the long run. This will lower your monthly bill and save you money overall on your internet service, although you will have an upfront cost to deal with.
Bundle Your Internet
Most internet providers also have other services that they offer you. You can bundle your service together with another one of their products that you use and save money on your internet.
For example, if you pay for cable TV, bundle your internet and cable together. Or, if you have a landline phone, bundle that with your internet. Some internet providers now actually allow you to bundle cell phones with home internet coverage. Bundling is a great way to save.
If you feel like your internet bill is a little too high, you are going to want to consider dropping to a lower download speed tier, purchasing your own modem and router, and bundling your internet with other services. You can also ask your internet service provider if they have any discount plans you can enroll in.
Talk to internet providers, such as United Fiber, to learn more about their internet plans.