If you’re a greedy “culture vulture,” and love to keep up with all the latest movie releases, music, stay on top of what’s happening in social media, talk to friends, and generally stay ahead of the game across all media then you really have to go for a bundle deal these days.
It’s amazing how many people don’t do this, yet it generally saves a fortune, and the download speeds are getting better all the time. And, if you’re already an avid consumer of media content it’s likely that you’re consumption won’t decrease in the future. We all know there’s only one answer here, and if you’re part of a larger family all living under one roof, then bundles are really the only option.
Competition in bundle deals
Choosing the optimal deal depends on where you live, of course. In the UK, Sky and BT are competing hard for our business whilst in the U.S., High Speed Internet Providers seems to be the best available at the moment.
It’s perhaps surprising, then, that so many of us still have our phone, television, and internet provision through two or three different suppliers — and pay much more than we should be doing. It may not be the most exciting couple of hours you’ve ever spent, but if you can take a deep breath, and spend a little time researching the best deals are out there, you’ll probably end up saving quite a bit of cash each month through a bundle.
Better yet, you’ll be simplifying your life. Better still, your download speeds could improve. But you need to be careful in choosing the right deal from the right provider for your own need.
What to think about
There are various things to think about here: first off what’s your likely monthly usage? Whether you live on your own, or in a busy household will, have a big bearing on the bandwidth you need. Think about the people who live in your house and how much time they spend on the internet now, and whether that’s likely to change in the not too distant future.
You need to make sure you aren’t likely to exceed the monthly download limit (which would incur additional costs at the end of the month), but you should also try to ensure you aren’t paying for unlimited broadband you’re not going to use – if you’re a fairly sporadic internet user who spends a lot of time away from home, for example. Also, always read the small print. With so-called “unlimited” internet deals, the devil is sometimes in the detail as there are often fair usage policies, which mean that you may be charged more if you exceed this “fair usage” limit.
What does the future hold?
Think also about the right contract length. If you commit to an 18-month, or two-year broadband, phone and TV contract, you’ll generally get a better deal, but how long will your current needs remain exactly the same? And will there be a better deal just around the corner? This is certainly the way things are moving, and some wider bundles involving mobile devices seem likely to be in the offing too.
Finally, check out the speed. If you’re an avid YouTube user and you also want to stream movies and music, you’re going to want a speed of around 10-25 Mbps.
