3 ways to lower your Comcast cable and internet bill

If you’re paying too much for cable and internet service, there are a few easy ways to lower your Comcast Xfinity bill in 2019 — with or without cutting the cord.

In this post, I’ll outline the three best strategies to save money on Comcast cable and internet service…

How to save money on Comcast cable and internet service in 2019

• Sign up for a streaming service and downgrade to Limited Basic cable
• Contact the Customer Solutions department to negotiate a lower rate 
• Buy a modem and router combo to eliminate monthly equipment fees

1. Sign up for a streaming service and downgrade to Limited Basic cable 

My Comcast Xfinity bill is $52 for internet and cable TV, but I don’t get hundreds of channels. I have what Comcast calls the “Limited Basic” plan.

For that monthly price, I get 60 Mbps internet service, local broadcast stations and HBO included.

I called Comcast to see if I could drop the local broadcast stations and lower my price, but they said it’s actually cheaper to bundle internet service and the Limited Basic plan.

To get the cable networks that I really like, I pay $45 a month or less for a live TV streaming service.

Hulu’s live TV streaming service is my favorite 

I’ve tested all of the major options over the last two years: YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, Philo and AT&T WatchTV.

My favorite is Hulu with Live TV, which is one of the $45 per month options. Here’s why:

• Great mix of news, sports and entertainment networks
• Compatible with Roku Express and many other streaming media players
• Access to Hulu’s entire on-demand streaming library
• 50 hours of cloud DVR included

Other live TV streaming options

Hulu with Live TV won’t be the best streaming TV service for everyone. But Hulu and the other services all have free trials, typically for a week. Why not try them all until you find a favorite?

I’ve provided my key takeaways below and links to where you can sign up for the free trials:

• YouTube TV: The best $50/month plan for sports fans, but some popular entertainment networks are missing from the channel lineup. (Learn more here)
• Hulu with Live TV: Great mix of news, sports and entertainment networks, plus access to Hulu’s on-demand streaming service. (Learn more here)
• PlayStation Vue: The least expensive plan is $50 a month, so it’s a little more expensive than some of the other streaming options. (Learn more here)
• Sling TV: Its 30-channel Sling Orange package is $25 a month and the cheapest way to get ESPN and some other popular cable TV networks. (Learn more here)
• Philo: If you don’t care about sports, you can stream lots of entertainment networks starting at just $20 a month. (Learn more here)
• AT&T WatchTV: A bare-bones streaming service with no sports that’s only $15 a month. (Learn more here)

Most of the streaming services require you to enter credit card information to sign up for a free trial. If you don’t plan to become a paying subscriber, just cancel before the trial period is up.

My advice: Take advantage of the free trials before you call Comcast to change your current plan.

2. Contact the Customer Solutions department to negotiate a lower rate 

The $52 that I pay Comcast every month is actually a 12-month promotional rate, so I call up Xfinity’s retention department every year to negotiate a lower rate.

Comcast calls its retention department Customer Solutions, so ask for that by name when you call.

I’ve successfully negotiated with Comcast and other internet service providers over the years by following the same simple steps. Here’s what to do:

1. Find a better offer from a competitor: If you have Comcast, go to AT&T’s website and see if they have a promo rate that’s lower than what you’re paying.
2. Call Comcast’s retention department: The phone number for Comcast customer service is 1-800-XFINITY or 1-800-934-6489. Ask to speak to the Customer Solutions department.
3. Share the competitor’s offer and ask for a better deal: Tell the representative that you’re thinking about switching and ask nicely what can be done to lower your monthly bill.

In addition to negotiating with Comcast myself, I use Ask Trim. This is a service that will contact Comcast on your behalf to lower your bill and charges 33% of the savings.

Trim also monitors for service interruptions and gets you one-time discounts — $10 here and there.

I’ve saved more than $80 with Trim over the past 12 months, but that’s nothing compared to the $175 that Trim was able to save my mother on her cable and internet bill.

Before you sign up for Trim, read my full review and check out its website to learn more.

3. Buy a modem and router combo to eliminate monthly equipment fees

Comcast recently increased the monthly equipment fee from $11 to $13 for the Xfinity wireless gateway that I use to connect to the internet, so I decided to finally do something about it.

You can buy your own modem and router combo from a list of approved devices on Xfinity’s website.

Log in to your account and review Comcast’s list to see which wireless gateways you can purchase and use instead of the Xfinity device that you’re currently renting.

I bought the Motorola MG7315 modem and router for less than $100 on Amazon.com. Here’s my review:

If the Motorola MG7315 is compatible with your Xfinity internet service, I recommend it because it’s one of the cheapest options and it only took about 15 minutes to set up.

After purchasing the Motorola gateway, I’ll save $156 a year in equipment fees from Xfinity.

How to install the Motorola MG7315 modem and router 

I have step-by-step instructions in the video above, but here’s a brief overview of the installation process for the modem and router combo that I bought:

• Unplug your Xfinity gateway and disconnect coaxial cable
• Connect the cable to the new Motorola gateway, plug it into the wall and turn it on
• Contact Comcast at 1-855-652-3446 and have the following information ready for the customer service representative to finish the process on their end:
  • Xfinity account number
  • Make and model of the new gateway (printed on the bottom of the gateway)
  • New gateway’s serial number and MAC address (printed on the bottom of the gateway)
• Open up the Wi-Fi settings on your computer or another device and enter the network name (SSID) and password (printed on the bottom of the gateway)

After your new wireless gateway is up and running, the final step is to return your Comcast modem and router to an Xfinity Store so that you won’t continue to be billed for it.

Bonus tip! Consider Xfinity Mobile 

If you’re generally happy with your Comcast service, you may want to check out Xfinity Mobile.

Available only to Xfinity internet customers, the new cell phone service uses Verizon’s network and is surprisingly affordable. The data plans start at $12 per GB or $45 a month for unlimited.

I switched to Xfinity Mobile shortly after it first launched. After my first 12 months, I paid a total of $180 for cell phone service — that’s only $15 a month.

To learn more, here’s my review and 10 things to know before you sign up for Xfinity Mobile.

Final thought 

I hope that you’ll be able to take the information from this article and use it to save money on your Comcast cable and internet service.

Even if you only follow one of my tips, you’ll be paying less than you are right now!

If you have any other strategies to lower what you pay for cable and internet service, I’d love to hear about them. Leave a comment below or on my Facebook page!

More Michael Saves stories you may like:

• Fetch Rewards review: How I earned $300 in Amazon gift cards
• The Best List: 17 tools to improve your financial life
• Ibotta cheat sheet: How I earned $2,000 cash back
• 5 easy ways to work from home and make extra money online
• How this credit card rewards trick can save you money