Read the Label for Month 13, Not Month 1
FCC broadband labels exist so intro rates, typical speeds, and monthly prices are comparable. FTC guidance on video service is full of equipment and broadcast fees that never appear on the hanger. For internet bundle vs standalone, build a 24-month cash total. A cheaper first year that explodes in year two is a loan from your future self.
Drop every line into the Subscription Detective. TV ballast is the same leak as streaming bundle traps. Mobile should be compared to the plan you already optimized in family phone vs prepaid—porting to “save $10” is not a win if you lose a free line.
- Keep: Speed you actually use (upload for work, not a gigabit brag).
- Drop: Linear TV you would replace with one rotating stream.
- Calendar: Promo end date on a reminder 45 days ahead.
Salt Lake: $89 Looks Smaller Than $115 Until TV Sits Idle
Riley in Salt Lake City pays $70 for fiber she needs for video calls and $45 for a mobile plan she already audited ($115). A triple-play promo is $89 for internet+TV+mobile, jumping to an illustrative $129 in month 13 when the internet discount dies. She does not watch linear TV. Switching mobile would also eat a workplace discount.
Year-one bundle: $89 × 12 = $1,068, plus the unused TV she will still ignore. Year-one standalone: $1,380. The bundle “wins” year one by $312 if she actually ports mobile and never wanted TV. Year two at $129 × 12 = $1,548 vs standalone $1,380—the standalone wins by $168 after the promo, before any rate hikes. Two-year total can flip. Put the winner in rotation calendars so TV does not linger.
Renegotiate on a Clock, Not After the Bill Shocks You
Providers count on inertia. A calendar reminder plus a competing FCC-label screenshot is the negotiation kit. Automate the surviving bill via paycheck automation so it sits in needs. If cash is tight, paycheck-to-paycheck exits start by deleting ballast, not by hoping the promo lasts.
Speed tests at 7 p.m. beat marketing gigabits. More tools: money hub.