Home internet is expensive. Where we live in Buffalo NY, it can range from $50 a month to over $100 which is crazy. Both Lisa and my (many) jobs require us to have high-speed internet plus it’s nice to be able to stream our favorite shows on our Amazon FireStick without lag. In this edition of Weird Tricks, learn how we are able to save $774.94 on our home internet service.
In this Basic Breakdown you’ll find:
- New Customer Promotions
- Existing Customer Promotions
- Credit Card’s that Offer Internet Savings
- How we saved $774.94 on Home Internet
- Basic Breakdown
New Customer Promotions
These are the typical New Customer Promotions meant to bring in new business. Usually, the new customer promotions come with a special rate for an introductory period. When the time frame is up, the price increases. It’s financially sound to shop out services that are contracted through – think auto and homeowners insurance. When the annual contract or promotion period is about to be up, check around with some competitors for their new customer rates.
Existing Customer Promotions
Existing customer promotions meant to retain current customers. Sometimes they are called retention offers. I’d even suggest following the same strategy for receiving a credit card retention offer which is the process of reducing or eliminating the cost of an annual fee. Basically, give the company a call and say that your considering going to “competitor company” for X price and ask them to beat the price.
Credit Cards that Offer Internet Savings
Using a credit card to pay the monthly internet service charge is a great strategy for saving money. At a baseline level, this will help you accrue points and miles regularly every month. To earn even greater savings, you can use a credit card that offers a specific bonus for paying internet services.
Ink Business Cash – Earn 5% Cashback on Internet, Cable, and Phone Services up to $25,000 per year. The 5% cashback can be converted into 5X Ultimate Rewards Points if you have another card that earns them. This is easily my top option for earning rewards on home internet each month. Most people can qualify for Small Business Credit Cards too, check out this Basic Guide which breaks down how.
If you’re not interested in a small business credit card, the following options provide an opportunity to earn at least 2%/2X back on home internet!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card – Earn 2X Miles on all purchases. Miles can be redeemed for travel rewards with no cap on earnings!
Citi Double Cash – Earn 2% Cashback on all purchases.
How we saved $774.94 on Home Internet
By combining all of the strategies above, we have been able to save $774.94 on our home internet charges over the last 3 years. Let’s look at each year and how we saved.
2018
This was the first year we figured out this weird trick. We called around and found a good deal with Spectrum internet services here in Buffalo, NY. For 12 Months, the promotional period is $49.99 plus tax/fees which totals out to $56 ($672 for 12 months). The standard rate for the same basic home internet package is $74.99 ($899.88 for 12 months). By opting into the promotional 12 month period we saved $227.88. To pay the bill each month; we use our Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card to save an additional 5% which works out to be an additional $33.60 in savings or $261.48 total.
2019
At the end of the first year of the promotional period, Lisa reached out to inquire about existing customer promotions (Also Called Retention Phone Calls). She explained that Verizon and T-Mobile both offer home internet options that fit within her budget. The representative came back with a 12-month extension on our current promotion. Year two savings were exactly the same as year one – $261.48 and $522.96 combined.
2020
Going into year three we knew that it would be a challenge to get another 12-month promotional extension. Lisa called the customer service line and sadly they said there were no more offers for her (lightbulb moment). Here is where we got creative. Given the internet is in Lisa’s name; I was able to call and receive the new customer rate in my name. The only hassle of this was a mandatory exchange of the modem and a $9.99 new service fee. I drove over to the Spectrum office exchanged modems and was all set up in less than 30 minutes. With the $9.99 fee, our savings for 2020 will only be $217.89 for 12 months plus $34.09 in cashback from the Chase Ink Cash Credit Card.
That is a grand total of $251.98 for year three and $774.94 combined in savings!
Basic Breakdown
Literally, this weird trick could be called, pay for two years of internet and get the third free because that’s essentially what we did here. By combining a new customer promotion, a current customer retention promotion, and a cashback credit card we have saved $774.94 on home-internet services over the previous three years. I hope that you enjoyed this edition of weird trick and provided inspiration to save some money on your home internet. 🙂
Have you done something similar to save money on home internet? How about a unique strategy or another weird trick?
