I always figured that I was paying too much for my technology services. I remember while I was working fulltime when the bills came, I said to myself, “Who’s got time for this?” Whether it was attempting to decipher my monthly 8-page cell phone bill, trying to figure out if it was the time to change my cable TV or internet provider or whether to “cut the cord” entirely, I just didn't have the time or inclination to dig that deeply into the technology pit. In the end, I went back to, “who’s got the time for this” and just paid the bills.
When I retired from Radio, I found the answer to my who’s got the time question – I do. It all began when I planned a trip to Europe using miles. Within a few days of booking the trip, I examined my mileage account and noticed that the airline had double-billed my account. Not only had they taken twice the amount of miles for the trip out of my account, but the taxes and fees were also doubled. Thus began a phone journey that took almost as long as a flight to Rome. To make a very long story short, it took three phone conversations and over five hours, speaking with multiple representatives from the reservations and mileage departments. I was on hold for at least three of those five+ hours. Finally on call three, after speaking with two supervisors, I was able to get the issue resolved.
After that experience, I realized that a lot of people would have given-up and lost their miles and money because they don't have the time to go through the agony that I had just undergone. This led me to another journey. While this one didn't take me to Europe, it was none-the-less, one of discovery. This trip took me to over a dozen Chicago area brick-and mortar stores as well as a jaunt on the World Wide Web. After many hours of research, it became clear that I was indeed paying way too much for my Cellular, Internet and TV bills. What's more, the services from their suppliers are designed to keep people like me in the dark regarding options for better value.
When my journey to the center of technology began in 2022, I started with my cell phone bill. I chose new call plans that not only saved money on my bills each month, but I was also able to negotiate for three new state-of-the-art phones as well as a rebate for payments owed on previous leased phones. Plus, I was able to get Netflix, Paramount+ and Apple TV+ streaming services for free. I also received the MLB-TV package for which I had been previously paying. But that was just the start of the savings. I then tackled my Internet and TV bills and now save substantial dollars each month on those services. The bottom line is that in 2023, our household will save over $2,000 in Cell, Internet and TV bills. Not too shabby.
This led me to a question...If I can save money for me, can I replicate this for others? So, I asked a few friends for copies of their Cellular, Internet and Television bills. One of whom has four lines and how shall I say, a very robust subscription television bill. Another lives with his wife and college daughter and has three lines. The third lives in a two-person home who is under contract for one of his major services, so he has limited options. With those bills in-hand, I went to work. I saved one friend over $1,000 on cell phone costs and over $75 a month on his cable television bill. The second is saving around $600, some of which is ongoing and he's also getting new phones. Even with limited options, I was able to save the third friend $180 a year in ongoing TV costs and almost $300 on a leased phone payoff. So, I was now four-for-four (counting me) in saving money on technology bills. Time to go to market and Lower Tech Bills was born.
Did all of this take time and effort? It sure did. That's why I started Lower Tech Bills because you may not have the time to take the journey to savings, but I do. Can I save you money and the time it takes to find those savings? We won't know unless you get a free "Tech Check". All you need to do is fill out the Tech Check Request Form at www.lowertechbills.com or email me at hmwellsradio@gmail.com. Let's see where the journey will lead us.