Author Topic: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet  (Read 2771 times)

FrontRanger

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 50
I had the day off work and decided to cut cable, rebid all my insurance, and call the internet company to negotiate a lower rate. For 2 hours of work here is where I landed:

Cut cable to streaming savings per year = $840
Rebid auto, homeowners and umbrella insurance polices: $200
Renegotiated internet: $120

    $1,160 per year! Highly recommend all try it. The book “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss gives amazing negotiating tips. Book paid for itself many times over.

Chrissy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1498
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Chicago
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2018, 01:04:11 PM »
Way to go!  That's a great return on a just few phone calls.

momcpa

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 102
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2018, 09:12:03 PM »
Good job !!!!!  A year ago February, I spent time with our auto insurance agent and ended up getting a nearly $700 discount.  We were eligible for discounts/savings that they hadn't made me aware of earlier, and I hadn't known to ask about.   Like you, a pretty great return for time spent.

Since I retired at the end of this January, I called Directv and got a $40/month credit for the next 12 months and 6 months of free movie channels.  All of this due to me being "unemployed", and concerned about keeping their program.....or at least that's how I explained it to them.  Today I talked to the auto insurance people and explained that I would be driving my car less than when I worked.  Another $100/year discount/refund.  Maybe not huge, but I had the time to make the call and WHY NOT !?

I wonder if my phone/internet provider has any discounts available?

teamzissou00

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 106
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2018, 08:46:13 AM »
I always consider this move with cable, but still hesitate.  My wife is a stay at home, and we have three kids.  The ability to have Disney channel on in rough times for her on call, and the ease of live events like the Oscars and TNT/ESPN NBA sports - it's hard.  Could we do it if there we no other options?  Sure!  Heck, we could live without internet and just read books.  Just not there yet.

Congrats though - especially if it isn't a meaningful component of your free time.

acroy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1697
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Dallas TX
    • SWAMI
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2018, 09:03:53 AM »
Badass!!
it's amazin how much you cans ave with a few simple changes & calls.

finallyfrugal

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 27
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2018, 10:07:13 AM »
Congrats! Thanks for sharing that book title -- I just reserved it from the library!


Just Joe

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6720
  • Location: In the middle....
  • Teach me something.
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2018, 12:52:42 PM »
I always consider this move with cable, but still hesitate.  My wife is a stay at home, and we have three kids.  The ability to have Disney channel on in rough times for her on call, and the ease of live events like the Oscars and TNT/ESPN NBA sports - it's hard.  Could we do it if there we no other options?  Sure!  Heck, we could live without internet and just read books.  Just not there yet.

Congrats though - especially if it isn't a meaningful component of your free time.

See if one of the live streaming services like Hulu will get the job done for cheaper than cable.

FrontRanger

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 50
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2018, 06:44:50 PM »
Congrats! Thanks for sharing that book title -- I just reserved it from the library!

By far the best book I’ve read in the past several years. The techniques apply at work and personal life. I’m amazed at how well some of the techniques work. The open ended questions and mirroring are brilliant.

FrontRanger

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 50
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2018, 06:47:15 PM »
I always consider this move with cable, but still hesitate.  My wife is a stay at home, and we have three kids.  The ability to have Disney channel on in rough times for her on call, and the ease of live events like the Oscars and TNT/ESPN NBA sports - it's hard.  Could we do it if there we no other options?  Sure!  Heck, we could live without internet and just read books.  Just not there yet.

Congrats though - especially if it isn't a meaningful component of your free time.

We went with DirecTV Now, which is their streaming service. $35/mo, no contract and I get all the channels I watch (ESPN, locals, TBS/TNT, discovery, history, CNBC, etc). Check it out.

DreamFIRE

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1593
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2018, 10:50:39 PM »

I cut cable several years ago, put up an antenna in my attic, and I get the major broadcast networks in HD.  That's all I need.  No thanks - not paying for streaming.  With my HTPC with 2 tuner cards, it records what I want, so I have enough to watch for free when I have time to watch, and there's additional free content online if I need it.

haflander

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 379
  • Age: 33
  • Location: Dallas
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2018, 10:01:59 AM »
I always consider this move with cable, but still hesitate.  My wife is a stay at home, and we have three kids.  The ability to have Disney channel on in rough times for her on call, and the ease of live events like the Oscars and TNT/ESPN NBA sports - it's hard.  Could we do it if there we no other options?  Sure!  Heck, we could live without internet and just read books.  Just not there yet.

Congrats though - especially if it isn't a meaningful component of your free time.

We went with DirecTV Now, which is their streaming service. $35/mo, no contract and I get all the channels I watch (ESPN, locals, TBS/TNT, discovery, history, CNBC, etc). Check it out.

FR, could you give more details about DirecTV Now? I've never heard of a streaming service that includes all the channels you listed... other than maybe Sling. I also really like the no contract detail. I'm a big sports fan like TZ00, one of the main reasons I still have cable. I also like to watch my local sports teams that are only on regional channels, for me it's mostly Fox Sports Southwest.

I pay my apartment management company for cable as a part of my lease. It's about 90 for internet and cable, including HBO and AMC. After getting obsessed with MMM I called and asked to see if I could cancel the cable and only pay for the internet, but they claimed it was a part of my lease and that paying for cable was just part of the deal. Idk if this is legal/correct but I never bothered to do the research. Anyway, I'm not sure if I could get a deal lower than 90 that includes internet plus streaming through Sling or DirecTV Now, as you detailed.

Khaetra

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 719
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2018, 11:00:45 AM »

FR, could you give more details about DirecTV Now? I've never heard of a streaming service that includes all the channels you listed... other than maybe Sling. I also really like the no contract detail. I'm a big sports fan like TZ00, one of the main reasons I still have cable. I also like to watch my local sports teams that are only on regional channels, for me it's mostly Fox Sports Southwest.

I pay my apartment management company for cable as a part of my lease. It's about 90 for internet and cable, including HBO and AMC. After getting obsessed with MMM I called and asked to see if I could cancel the cable and only pay for the internet, but they claimed it was a part of my lease and that paying for cable was just part of the deal. Idk if this is legal/correct but I never bothered to do the research. Anyway, I'm not sure if I could get a deal lower than 90 that includes internet plus streaming through Sling or DirecTV Now, as you detailed.

Actually that's a very good rate for both!  I pay just shy of $100/month for internet alone.  You might be able to get Fox Sports with DirecTV Now, but honestly since you're already paying for cable and if you could (but most likely not, since it's in the lease) just have internet the price would be a wash, saving you nothing.

haflander

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 379
  • Age: 33
  • Location: Dallas
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2018, 11:21:26 AM »
Right Khaetra, that's what I was thinking. I know I'll be moving late this year to be closer to my new job, which would enable me to walk/bike depending on the distance. I've already been looking around at apartments online for fun (I'm weird). My current property management is huge and has a fancier apt community closer to my work. It would be a little more expensive than my current rent, BUT I do like the convenience of including the cable and internet at a discounted rate (not having another contract/bill) AND the included washer/dryer in all of their units. I think I may be able to avoid the deposits and fees as I've been a resident of theirs for 2.5 years at another community. The alternative would be to look for a cheaper apt and then have to pay for all of those things individually...cable, internet, and either using the laundromat for a few dollars every time, buying a washer/dryer, or enduring the humiliation of doing laundry at my parents' house when I visit them every weekend.

If anyone's interested and/or I'm bored again later at work today I'll come back to do a breakdown of the math for this.

Just Joe

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6720
  • Location: In the middle....
  • Teach me something.
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2018, 12:15:23 PM »
We can't get live TV OTA here so if a person wants TV its either Netflix, Hulu or Amazon or CABLE/SAT.

Check out Hulu LIVE: https://www.hulu.com/live-tv?cmp=8461

We are trying out the free trial but might cancel it as the weather warms up and we are busier outside.

It has most of the popular cable channels live. of course you have to watch commercials just like cable but it also has a DVR function.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2018, 09:43:43 AM by Just Joe »

FrontRanger

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 50
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2018, 03:47:50 PM »
I always consider this move with cable, but still hesitate.  My wife is a stay at home, and we have three kids.  The ability to have Disney channel on in rough times for her on call, and the ease of live events like the Oscars and TNT/ESPN NBA sports - it's hard.  Could we do it if there we no other options?  Sure!  Heck, we could live without internet and just read books.  Just not there yet.

Congrats though - especially if it isn't a meaningful component of your free time.

Directv now has all their channels listed in multiple packages if u want to pay more. I paid for 3 months up front (no contract) and they sent me a free Apple TV4k device, which is worth $179.
We went with DirecTV Now, which is their streaming service. $35/mo, no contract and I get all the channels I watch (ESPN, locals, TBS/TNT, discovery, history, CNBC, etc). Check it out.

FR, could you give more details about DirecTV Now? I've never heard of a streaming service that includes all the channels you listed... other than maybe Sling. I also really like the no contract detail. I'm a big sports fan like TZ00, one of the main reasons I still have cable. I also like to watch my local sports teams that are only on regional channels, for me it's mostly Fox Sports Southwest.

I pay my apartment management company for cable as a part of my lease. It's about 90 for internet and cable, including HBO and AMC. After getting obsessed with MMM I called and asked to see if I could cancel the cable and only pay for the internet, but they claimed it was a part of my lease and that paying for cable was just part of the deal. Idk if this is legal/correct but I never bothered to do the research. Anyway, I'm not sure if I could get a deal lower than 90 that includes internet plus streaming through Sling or DirecTV Now, as you detailed.

soccerluvof4

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7161
  • Location: Artic Midwest
  • Retired at 50
    • My Journal
Re: Cut cable, re-bid all insurance, and negotiated lower internet
« Reply #15 on: March 24, 2018, 04:30:42 AM »
Nice work! I did that myself awhile back and saved a ton as well. Just recently our internet provider findly started doing bundling so I did pick back up Ten channels for 22 bucks I missed having mostly sports channels and others like History, Natgeo, USA and few others. Also all the channels I got for free through my antenna and local channels I get as well outside of the 20 with a clearer picture. No contract but guaranteed rate for 2 years so we will see. But to your OP its a good thing to go over ever year or so as there seems to be always a better deal somewhere.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!