If you live in Los Angeles, you know that the city’s constantly perfect weather, eclectic culture, and proximity to the Pacific coastline come at a cost — the cost of living, to be precise — that’s almost as high as the city is massive.
Between juggling your home services, rent, and other living expenses, it’s easy to let a few bucks slip through the cracks here and there. But those coins add up, and it can leave you wondering, “Where’s all my money gone?”
Well, we’re here to help you seal those leaks, starting with your internet bill. We know it’s possible to keep your home connected without emptying your pockets, and we’re here to share the inside scoop with you. It might take some legwork, but you’ll thank yourself once you’ve slashed your internet bill down to a fraction of what it is now.
Here are some simple moves you can make right away to ensure you’re not paying more than you should be for internet:
1. Do It Yourself – Self-Install
Ever purchased a new internet service only to sit around for half of your day waiting for the technician to show up and install it for you? If so, you know it’s pretty much like waiting for traffic to clear down the 405. Then, when you finally got your first bill, you were probably surprised by the one-time technician fee.
We have good news! You can put those bad memories behind you, as you can likely install your internet service yourself for free. Just select the self-install option at checkout if it’s available to you and say goodbye to fees up to $100 for plugging up a modem.
If you sign up with Frontier today in Los Angeles, you could have your new router in the mail within three days, just waiting for you to self-install and save. Find out what promotions Frontier is running right now by calling 844-923-1689.
2. Stop Paying Lease Fees With This Trick
Now that you know how to install your own equipment, why would you keep paying equipment fees every month?
Modems, routers, and Wi-Fi boosters are just some of the pieces of hardware you’ll need to get your high-speed internet up and running. Internet providers prefer for you to rent this equipment from them, but that’s just a guaranteed way to get more out of you.
Buy your own internet equipment instead to cut off this parasitic fee. Doing so can save you hundreds of dollars on equipment fees each year, depending on the provider.
In Los Angeles, Spectrum charges up to $10 a month to rent their basic modem, costing you up to $120 a year! Thankfully, Spectrum allows you to choose your own modem from their list of authorized devices to avoid this fee.
Explore Spectrum’s internet plans here to start your service and select your own equipment. Streamline the process by calling 855-919-2806 and asking about your equipment options with Spectrum for big savings.
3. Beware of This Hidden Fee
The largest fee you never need to pay is an early termination fee (ETF). Providers like to lock you into contracts that are typically 12 to 24 months in length. They’ll even give you nice promotional rates for making the commitment.
But what happens if you need to break your contract before it runs its course? You’ll be on the hook for hundreds of dollars in ETFs.
Make sure you only sign a contract if you know you’re not planning to move or cancel service within the contract’s length. If you don’t feel comfortable making that kind of decision, opt for a provider offering no-contract plans and avoid this fee altogether.
AT&T offers no-contract agreements, giving you the flexibility to walk away from their service at any time without paying a penalty. Find out more about AT&T internet services in Los Angeles here, or like many savers, call this number — 855-904-2990 — to get the best deal today.
4. Don’t Miss This Due Date
We all get distracted from time to time with work, school, kids, hobbies, or even the latest celebrity gossip (what’s up with The Weeknd anyways?). In the midst of all these comings and goings, your internet bill can creep up on you before you know it, causing you to miss your payment due date.
Providers often charge a percentage of your outstanding bill or a flat fee when you miss the deadline to pay. This fee may be as little as $5 to as much as $25!
To avoid this unfortunate oversight, simply set an alarm or create a monthly calendar event to remind you to pay for your internet service. If that doesn’t work, see if you can set up an autopay arrangement with your provider so you can set it and forget it.
If you sign up for AutoPay through AT&T internet in Los Angeles, you can enjoy $5 off per month. That adds up to $60 a year! Now, that’s a lot of avocado toast.
5. Get Rid of Excess Megabits
The type of internet plan you choose depends on what kind of person you are.
Everybody’s hype about 1 Gig fiber internet plans right now, such as this one from AT&T Fiber. But if scrolling through social media and showing off your latest acai bowl creation to your mom via video chat capture the extent of your internet use, you don’t need the fastest and most expensive plan to live your best life.
What if you’re a competitive gamer or dead set on watching the entire Star Wars saga in 4K by next Tuesday? In that case, you may need a bit more speed than the cheapest plan your provider has to offer.
That still doesn’t mean you have to choose the most expensive option.
Gigabit plans are great for larger households with lots of internet users and screens. But even just 200 Mbps is enough to stream HD video on up to 8 devices at a time. A plan offering those speeds will definitely cost a lot less than the top-of-the-line fiber plan in Los Angeles.
To make sure you aren’t spending more than necessary on your internet speed, ask yourself, “What do I really use the internet for?” Then, enter your Los Angeles ZIP code here to find a provider in your area with the perfectly priced plan for you.
6. Date (Don’t Marry) Your Internet Provider
Nobody likes change, but when it comes to internet providers, you have to play the field.
Internet providers know you’re looking for the best deal, so they’ll often provide incentives like free trials, extra services, and even cash to win you over (and you thought flowers were nice...).
Ever feel left out when your friends get into heated debates about the latest blockbuster series on HBO? Subscriptions to those premium channels can be pricey, but internet providers like Frontier will give new customers three months of HBO, SHOWTIME, Cinemax, and Starz for free when they sign up.
What’s better than free premium channels? Free money, of course. AT&T often runs promotions offering new customers hundreds of dollars in Visa Rewards. That can amount to up to two months of free internet service!
Do you often find yourself in the city relying on your cell phone data to get online? Internet providers like Spectrum make public Wi-Fi available to their customers throughout LA, so you can keep your mobile bill low even when you’re out late at the newest juice bar.
A sprawling metropolis like LA is a competitive market for everything from coffee to internet providers, meaning you’ll have lots of options on tap. Get the rundown on the best provider promotions offered by the top Los Angeles internet providers here.