How I Saved $200 a Month on Standard Entertainment Bills and Wound Up with Better Service

A few months ago I cashed my paycheck, and after I paid all of my bills, I realized I didn't have enough money to make ends meet anymore. I looked at my finances and couldn't see where I was paying for anything that isn't normal American fare. What I figured out is that standard costs for minimum services have risen, and my paycheck hasn't. Since I didn't want to give up any of my luxuries, I had to make some changes. Here's how I managed to save $200 a month on my bills.

Aside from my rent, utilities and car insurance, I had a cable/Internet/phone package and a cell phone bill. My entertainment package included 150 channels of digital cable, digital phone with area calling and features, and a 4 Meg high speed cable Internet connection. My cell phone was an HTC EVO on Sprint's Simply Everything plan.

Cell Phone

Sprint's Simply Everything plan is advertised as $99.99 per month for one line. There was never a bill in the last two years of my service under $130. What they neglect to tell you is that a phone that is 4G capable requires a $10 Premium Data add-on, even if you aren't in an area that offers 4G. I was also paying $4.99 because my credit required an account spending limit, and I did not want to set up automatic payments. After taxes and surcharges the $99.99 was closer to $140. I remedied this problem by going to Wal-Mart and buying a Samsung T528G for $100. I now pay $45 per month for a Straight Talk plan that offers unlimited talk, text and data, doesn't add on extra surcharges and is every bit as good as the Sprint plan. With a savings of approximately $95 a month, this was a no brainer.

Phone (Landline)

My digital phone service was rarely used. I made calls on it when I was at home, but they were mostly to family. All the calls I received came to my cell phone since I was out of the house often. I'm not even sure if my friends and family even knew my home phone number. After trying Google Talk on my Gmail account, I dropped my digital phone entirely. Google Talk worked the same as a regular landline, and it's free to make domestic calls until at least the end of 2011. When I do use it at home, it meets all my needs and impresses friends who can't believe I'm calling free from a laptop.

Television

My two year commitment for the bundle was expired so I looked around for better prices on cable. A friend suggested I watch a movie that was only available on Netflix, and after I saw there was a free 30 day trial I signed up. After my free 30 days I decided I would keep the service for $9.99 per month, and am completely satisfied with Netflix as a replacement for cable television. I can watch what I want on demand, and the library of movies and TV shows is unbelievably large. Netflix is planning a rate hike for Sept. 1, on plans that include streaming video and DVDs by mail, but will lower the price of plans that offer one or the other.

Internet

My bundle had expired right before I was planning a move to a nicer apartment, and to be closer to my work. I decided I would go ahead and drop my package and subscribe to another provider after I got settled in at my new place. Since I didn't have to bundle my phone and TV, I opted for a $48 per month plan with Suddenlink. I had previously paid $180 a month for the bundle that offered a 4 Meg connection. My luck was apparent when I hooked up to the new $48 connection and was blown away with speeds nearing 11 Megs.

I started out with an unlimited plan smartphone, 4 Meg Internet, cable and a landline. I ended up with an unlimited plan smartphone, 10 Meg Internet, Netflix streaming video and a landline, plus an extra $200 per month in my pocket. I feel like I came out much better services overall for $105 than I did for $300. You can do the same if you make a list of what you're paying, look at viable alternatives and calculate the difference.