RoxanneSee how to lower your Internet, phone, and utility bills so you can keep them all connected without emptying your pockets.
Did you lose income during the pandemic? You probably did. In fact, you may have even lost your job, making it nearly impossible to keep up with your bills.
Instead of letting those bills pile to the sky, we’ll show you what you can do to get financial assistance or start paying less per month. At the very least, you can buy some time and keep your services turned on by following these simple tips:
1. Don’t ignore your bills.
The stress from the pandemic can make you want to pile all of your bills in a corner and never open them. But if you do that, you’ll find yourself living with the lights off, no Internet, no phone, etc.
To keep your bills from getting out of control, contact each company. This means getting on the phone with your power, water, gas, phone, and Internet companies and telling them you’re having trouble with payments. This is so common due to the pandemic that many companies will be willing to work with you, so you don’t lose service and don’t go bankrupt.
A quick call could result in a lower monthly payment. It could get you a significant one-time discount. You could be put on a manageable payment plan. Or, you could have your bill postponed, so you get a bit of breathing room. All of those options are much better than doing nothing at all.
2. Get instant help from 211.
Dial 211 into your phone. Speak to a local operator. Tell them you need help with paying your bills. That’s all it takes to get instant “inside information” on how to find financial assistance for utility bills, housing, healthcare, food, and more.
3. Lower your Internet bill to just $10 per month.
You can’t cut the Internet from your monthly budget, especially during a pandemic. COVID-19 has forced us to spend more time inside, which has led to more hours spent browsing online.
But chances are, you use the Internet to do much more than browse now, as you may be working from home or your kids could be taking online classes.
To drop your Internet costs bigtime, try one of these low-cost programs that could set you back as little as 10 bucks per month:
- Access from AT&T
- Comcast Internet Essentials
- Mediacom Connect 2 Compete
- Verizon Lifeline
- EveryoneOn
If you don’t feel like switching Internet service, do as mentioned above and call up your current provider. They can probably offer a discount or make your bill more manageable until the coronavirus goes away.
4. Get a free phone.
You could be eligible for a free phone and affordable cell or landline service through the FCC’s Lifeline program.
5. Cut your cooling and heating costs.
It costs a lot to keep your home cooled or heated. With the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, you can get help from the government with these costs to pay a lot less per month.
