A 2020 data report from DecisionData.org has shown that the average household cable package in America costs a whopping $$214.42 a month, meaning that most of us pay around $2,600 a year for cable services. Why is that?

Well, one reason might be because more and more households consider having easy access to favorite shows and movies a need rather than a want. This is also probably why it is considered that cable has become the single priciest household utility in America over the last couple of years. How could we resist? With so much great television out there, it’s no wonder than more and more individuals spend more time in front of the TV.

The number one tip experts will give people who’d like to cut their bills is to contact your cable company and threatened to leave. You’d be surprised by how easily they’ll offer you different deals or even offer to lower your bill outright without changing your package.

That’s because it’s easier and cheaper for companies to satisfy their existing clients in order to make them stay instead of gaining new ones. Once you contact your company they’ll put you in touch with a retention specialist that will work with you in figuring out exactly what you need and how they could provide it.

If you go this route don’t be afraid to tell them outright that you’re thinking of leaving because you can’t continue paying such high bills. Before you know it, they’ll either offer discounts or better packages that fit your needs.

But for those who don’t want to go that far, we’ve also prepared a list of 7 other ways to lower our bill. If the first 6 don’t work, threaten to leave. If, in the end, this doesn’t work in your favor either, we think you should go on with tip number 7!

Click through to find out all the juicy details!

1. Bundle Your Services

If you’ve got multiple packages from different companies for your internet, cable, and phone services then it’s no wonder you’re bleeding money. You’re also likely paying a premium for those TV channels, right?

It’s time to bundle everything into one and pay less money overall. Of course, you have to do research on which of these companies offer these options. Then you should try to contact all of them to ask for a good offer.

Remember, you’ll basically threaten to leave two of those companies, so they’ll all likely scramble to keep you on board for as long as possible. Take advantage of that!

2. Use Your On-time Payments As a Negotiation Tool

Cable companies aren’t out of the loop. They know that the industry isn’t what it once was so they need to work harder in order to keep existing customers on board. So just like they’d use any tool in their arsenal to do that, you should do the same!

You can prove you’re a loyal, serious customer by always paying for your cable bill on or before its due date. Use this as a bargaining chip and the companies will likely reward you but remember, it’s very unlikely for them to come to you with an offer, so you have to be the one that initiates the discussion.

3. Switch to a Less Deluxe Package

Let’s be honest, who really has time to watch thousands of different channels? You could spend twenty-four hours out of the day in front of your TV and you still wouldn’t make the most of your deluxe package.

Make sure you pay for what you actually use, not what’s been sold to you by a sales representative or flashy ad. Contact your cable company and tell them you’d like to step back to a package with fewer channels and, obviously, a smaller bill!

Before you do this make sure you research everything you want from your cable. What channels do you watch regularly? What can you give up on?

4. Take Advantage of Promotions

You can hop from promotional package to promotional package as long as you call for a new one before your current one is up. These usually last for two years, but it really just depends on the type of package we’re talking about and the company that offers it.

The best promotions usually happen around the holidays, so while you’re out shopping for gifts for your loved ones, make sure to take a peek at what your cable company is offering and call them up if anything tickles your fancy. But also take a look at what other companies offer up. You never know, the holidays may be the best time to switch over!

5. Research Competitors’ Promotions

You don’t have to wait for the holidays to roll around to check what your company’s competitors are up to. No matter the time of year, start looking at what other companies have to offer and take note of the best deal for you.

Next, you’ll want to contact your current company. Now, you don’t have to threaten them to leave, you could just gently remind them that another provider has a better deal that fits your lifestyle, preferences, and wallet. Chances are they’ll get the message loud and clear and will try to price match!

6. Get a Digital Antenna

Digital antennas nowadays are nothing like these of the past, so you shouldn’t think of this tip as a downgrade! You can find countless of affordable options for outdoor or indoor antennas if you don’t want to ditch your local channels but would like to stop paying for expensive packages that come with channels you genuinely never watch.

You do need to do a little research, though. Find out the strength of your local broadcast signals and make a checklist of the stations you can actually tune into. You can start looking for an antenna once you’ve got all that stuff figured out.

The final step? Set it up or find an expert to do it for you, then kick back, watch TV and relax knowing your next bill will be a fraction of what it used to be.

7. Cut the Cord

More and more Americans are ready to jump ship from cable companies to streaming services. That’s why these cable companies will do virtually anything to make sure you won’t cut the cord any time soon!

Doing so could save you hundreds of dollars, especially if you’re smart about which streaming services you’ll pick. Other than the usual suspects, Netflix, HBO GO, Amazon Prime and Hulu (among many others), you should look into affordable services such as Tubi TV which provides the content you love at super low prices.

Whatever you do just make sure you only sign up for services that you truly need, otherwise you’ll defeat the purpose of this step. And remember, you can cancel subscriptions at any time, so save even more money by stopping and restarting whatever service you want before you’re billed!

Is your phone bill giving you headaches too? Check out our 10 Tips That Will Help Lower Your Phone Bill!

What cable company do you currently use? Tell us all about your experience with them in the comments down below!