List everything you pay to watch
Start with a complete list. Subscriptions are easy to forget because many renew quietly on a credit card or through an app store.
Your cable or satellite bill, including every package and add-on.
Each streaming service, with its plan and monthly price.
Subscriptions billed through your phone's app store or a smart TV account.
Channels or services added through another provider, such as your internet or wireless plan.
Check your last two months of bank and card statements to catch anything that isn't billed monthly. Add up the total. For many households, this number alone is a surprise.
Find the overlap
With everything on one list, look for places where you pay twice for the same thing. Common examples include a premium movie channel on your cable package plus the same network's streaming app, a sports package on cable plus a sports streaming service, or a live TV streaming service on top of a full cable package.
For each overlap, decide which version you actually use. Keep that one and cancel the other. If you watch a channel mainly through its app, the cable add-on may be the one to drop. If you mostly watch on a TV with your cable box, the reverse may be true.
Check what your bundle really costs
TV is often bundled with internet, and sometimes with home phone or mobile service. Bundles can save money, but only when you use every part. Ask your provider what each service would cost on its own, and what your internet would cost without TV.
Also check whether one of your plans already includes a streaming service. Some internet and wireless plans include a subscription as a perk. If you pay for the same service separately, you may be able to drop the extra charge.
Trim add-on channels and premium tiers
Add-ons are where TV bills grow quietly. Premium movie channels, sports packages, international channels and extra cloud DVR storage each carry their own monthly price, and most stay on the bill long after the reason you added them.
Cancel seasonal sports add-ons when the season ends.
Drop premium channels once you finish the show you subscribed for.
Ask whether a smaller base package plus one add-on costs less than your current tier.
Pick the right streaming plan for each service
Streaming services usually offer several plans. Prices can differ based on ads, the number of screens you can watch on at once and video quality. If only one or two people watch, or you don't have a 4K TV, a lower plan may work just as well.
You can also rotate services instead of keeping them all year. Subscribe to one, watch what you want, cancel, then move to the next. Set a calendar reminder before each renewal date so you choose what to keep instead of renewing by default.
Don't forget equipment and TV fees
If you keep cable or satellite, box rentals, DVR service, broadcast TV fees and regional sports fees can add a lot to the bill. Our guide to why your cable bill keeps going up walks through each one and what to ask your provider.
Let us negotiate your TV bill
Once your audit is done, you know what you watch and what you pay for it. If you keep a cable or satellite package, estimate your savings, then send us your bill and we'll negotiate with your provider for you. See how we approach cable and satellite TV bills.
No savings, no fee. No credit card is needed to sign up.