Homestead mailing list

[bobf <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

Bev, this article was in the WSJ , today.  I'm going to call my cable company 
(all of my service are 'bundled' together) and insist on a lower rate.  
Thanks for bringing up this subject.......................

---------------------------------------------------------------------


 
MARKETWATCH JANUARY 10, 2009, 11:23 P.M. ET 

Still Connected — at a Lower Price 


By AMY HOAK

The shaky economy is putting many Americans in saving mode. One place they 
might look to trim their budgets: monthly Internet, TV and phone bills.

Thanks to heightened competition, the costs of all types of 
Internet/TV/phone-service bundles have dropped by as much as 20% in the past 
year, to as low as $80 a month, according to research from Consumer Reports. 
And while promotional rates are usually applicable for the first year or two, 
providers are reluctant to raise rates afterward -- especially in competitive 
markets.

 
For households that use all three services, bundling often provides a better 
deal than purchasing services a la carte, and often will come with extras 
like free installation, the research found. Still, some consumers are 
discovering they don't need all three services, especially if they can find 
decent substitutes and trim bills at the same time.

Make sure, however, that any changes you make to your budget are right for 
your family's lifestyle and sustainable over the long term, says Gail 
Cunningham of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. "Don't go cold 
turkey," she says. Instead, focus on changes that are harder to notice. If 
you have a choice, "cutting back is always better than cutting out."

Decide What You Need

More people are dropping landlines and relying entirely on cellphones, Ms. 
Cunningham says. Dumping an unlimited-local-calling plan from AT&T, for 
example, could save about $20 a month, according to pricing on the company's 
Web site.

But if you go that route, make sure your cellphone plan has enough minutes to 
handle all your calls, Ms. Cunningham says. Those interested in keeping a 
landline only for emergencies should subscribe to the barest-bones option 
available.

Others are scaling back cable lineups and turning to DVD services like 
Netflix and streaming online video to fill the gap, says Marc Hedlund of 
personal-finance site Wesabe.com.

Visitors in Wesabe.com forums aren't necessarily talking about sacrificing 
services -- they are discussing how to replace higher-cost services with 
less-expensive ones, Mr. Hedlund says.

Unlimited DVD packages from Netflix start as low as $8.99 a month and include 
unlimited streaming videos that can be watched on a computer or on a 
television, according to Netflix.com. (To watch the streaming movies on TV, a 
connection device is necessary, which could require an added upfront charge.)

In the Chicago area, for example, there's a $50 difference between the 
promotional monthly rates of the lowest- and highest-priced digital packages 
offered through Comcast, according to its Web site. In this scenario, scaling 
back a cable plan from the biggest to the smallest and adding a Netflix 
subscription could save about $41 a month.

And don't overpay for Internet speed: Consumer Reports recommends the typical 
five-megabits-per-second download and one-Mbps upload speeds for most users. 
Unless you do a lot of downloading or share lengthy videos, anything more may 
be a waste of money.

Comparison Shop

Before calling your provider in an effort to cut your bill, check the Web to 
see what specials are available from all the providers in your area, 
including cable, satellite, DSL and fiber-optic services. Sites including 
WhiteFence.com can help, but Consumer Reports recommends also going to the 
companies' sites.

It's a good idea to ask a customer-service representative if the price quoted 
is the best available offer. Sometimes different representatives of the same 
company will quote different rates, says Consumer Reports, so it may be wise 
to check back. "If you want to be sure about it, ask for a sample bill and 
make sure it matches up," says Donato Vaccaro of Consumer Reports National 
Research Center.

Be armed with information about what competitors are offering and indicate a 
willingness to switch. If there's a special rate for new customers, don't be 
afraid to request it, Ms. Cunningham says. "In this economic environment, 
much is lost for lack of asking," she says.

Read more at marketwatch.com