Those who are at the age of retirement may be going over their finances and wondering just where they can make some cuts in their monthly debt. One of the expenses that many people consider cutting is their cable bill. Although cable television may be a luxury, this does not mean that you want to get rid of it completely. There are several ways that you can lower your cable bill, without sacrificing a good entertainment option.

1. Only pay for what you use

This makes sense, but most people will find that if they look at their cable bill they may pay for channels that they never use. Who really needs more than 300 channels? As you know, most of these channels are garbage or foreign language options that we will never watch anyway. You should really evaluate if your current cable package is overkill and call your cable provider to see if the channels you want are available in a lower package. Another alternative would be to cut your cable cord altogether and buy an antenna. If you are over the age of 55 you will certainly remember the old “rabbit ears”.  You should know that television antenna technology has come a very long way since the old days, and today’s digital models pick up quite a few channels. You can still enjoy your local news, and other benefits that an antenna will bring. Best of all watching television from an antenna is free and you can’t get any cheaper than that.

2. Ask for a reduction on your bill

It is as simple as picking up the phone and asking your cable company for a reduction on your bill. Call your cable company and explain that your bill is simply too high and ask them what they can do in order to lower it. For example, call and ask for the promotional offers you see on television. Though you may not get that particular offer, they may give you a different offer to keep you on as a happy customer. Be prepared to ask a few times as you may not get what you want the first time around. Keep in mind that cable companies have “retention experts” whose sole job it is to keep you from canceling your service. These retention experts almost always will be able to lower  your bill through some combination of increasing your contract length, given you a short term discount, and other tricks. If you are the type who enjoys your current cable package, and you don’t want to lose any services or channels, then this is route for you to lower your bill.

3. If all else fails, consider getting satellite

If your cable company simply refuses to lower your bill and there is no way to lower this through taking different packages, or if this option does not apply to you, threaten to leave and go to sign up for satellite service. Many times when you do this, the company is eager to keep you and they will offer special deals and promotional offers that will lower your bill for a few months. Gone are the days of the moon sized dish taking up a ton of space in your backyard. Today’s satellite dishes are about a foot in diameter and attach to your roof. The quality, and number of channels is similar to cable but the price is usually quite a bit lower.

There is no reason that you should be paying sky high prices for the television that you watch. You can negotiate lower rates and find new companies that are willing to offer lower rates. The key is taking the time to make the call and possibly make these calls a few times to get your point across. Be prepared to be told “no”, but don’t give up as there is usually always a way that the company will lower the bill in order to keep a customer.