Welcome to Ask Money Talks News, a series answering financial questions submitted by Money Talks Newsletter subscribers.
In this installment, we’re talking about options for saving money without sacrificing entertainment.
Robbie J. asks Money Talks News:
“How can seniors reduce their cable bills?”
Sadly, Robbie, senior discounts are particularly scarce when it comes to cable TV.
We were able to find one cable company, though, that offers a discount of sorts to older customers. We also found a streaming TV service that offers a discount, albeit through a membership group.
Let’s look at your options for saving money on cable TV first.
Senior discounts on cable TV
Dish offers a special called Dish45 for customers aged 55 and older. It’s not necessarily a discount on your cable service itself but gets you freebies with it — namely, one free movie rental each month.
The choices aren’t just in the dozens either. According to Dish, there are 20,000 rentable movies, including new releases and classics, to choose from.
The cost of Dish45 and what’s included depend on which package you pick, but Dish’s website says the freebies are a $165 value over two years.
If Dish doesn’t have what you’re looking for, reach out to your current provider and ask them about any available promotions or discounts.
You could even take it a step further and let them know you may leave to another provider with a better price! They may be willing to cut your costs if that means keeping you as a customer. They’d probably rather make less money off of you than make no money at all.
If you know you want to leave your current provider, call others you’re interested in. See if they can share any promotions or discounts for a potential new customer. It’s OK to tell them you’re thinking of leaving your provider but need a better, lower offer. They may be willing to cut a deal if it means bringing you on board.
You may want to consider bundling your telecommunications services as well if you get your internet, cellphone plan and cable from different providers.
Spectrum, for example, offers various bundles for all three of those types of services. Cox offers bundles for all three too, and several other options for bundling just TV and internet.
For more ideas, see “How to Choose the Best Free or Cheap Cable TV Option for You.”
Senior discounts on streaming TV
Another way to save on cable is to ditch it altogether. Explore streaming video services to see if any could replace cable for you at a cheaper cost.
One such service, Paramount+, offers AARP members a 10% discount on any plan. This discount is good for the life of the subscription, meaning it doesn’t expire or end: AARP members can take advantage of it for however long they wish to subscribe to Paramount+.
For more ways to save on streaming, check out:
- “18 Streaming TV Services That Are Completely Free (Really)“
- “Try This to Replace Cable for $25 Per Month“
How to Ask Money Talks News
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