<prompt> Human: I figure people should know about this as cablesatellite TV is still a major monthly budget item for a lot of people. I was shelling out like 2,200 year. Im saving nearly 1,500 600 of which is an actual discount, 900 of which is slashing things I barely used, if at all for 2018 over what I paid last year, with no new contract commitment, and all of this took less than an hour to get done. Better yet, it all went down online, so I accomplished this while I worked on other things at my desk in my office. Note that this story applies to DirecTV, but I bet this is how it works with most big providers.As you figured out already, Im not ready to cut the cord yet. I figure I will sometime in the future, but not yet. Still, I use Netflix and Prime way more than my satellite now, so I finally bit the bullet and did some research to cut some of the ridiculous cost. I procrastinated for too long, as I despise calling these kinds of companies. I feel dumber now for waiting, as this was a pretty painless process with todays web experience.the next paragraph is kind of obvious, so skip this if youre only interested in the negotiation part.My first step actually came last month. I really hadnt paid enough attention to my bills. I logged in and figured out I was paying 73month on stuff I definitely didnt need. I asked them to drop my movie channels that alone dropped bill by 54 f-ing bucks month. Then I gave the online rep a list of the three channels that are actually important to me, and asked them to drop me to the lowest tier package that gives me those channels. It was only one tier lower, because the local sports FSN-MW requires no lower than a mid-tier package, but still theres 12month back to my pocket. Finally, I asked them how to drop one of my receivers for a television I never use for anything but Netflix. They sent me a mailing label to send it back 7mo. All in, that put 73mo pocket. Still, under their standard existing customer pricing, I was paying more than I knew I should have, at like 120month all-in. obvious stuff overToday, I logged back in to my account and again found their chat feature. I went into this fully prepared to cancel if they couldnt get me a price within shouting distance of their competitors, including things like SlingTV and their own DirecTV now service. Now, I like my current service, so Im willing to pay a reasonable amount extra to stay, but for what Im actually need, there are way cheaper avenues available that make standard pricing unconscionable, in my opinion.So I logged in, and I started with their billing department. I told them than I knew there were much cheaper options I named a couple - slingTV, their own DirecTV now, etc., and I was strongly considering cancelling. Naturally, their first move was to ask questions, try to sell bundles um, no, and eventually offer a downgrade in service um, no, then I cant watch my hockey team. So I said thanks for your help, but after hearing my options, Id like to cancel and go elsewhere. No real fight from their billing department; they transferred me to the cancellation peeps.They transferred the chat, and the new person came on, and reviewed the text I exchanged with the last person so I didnt have to repeat myself, which I appreciated, and then they asked some questions. As expected, the person deflected a little, so I answered one of the deflections truthfully, but ended the response saying I was ready to cancel and switch providers. The dude then offered 12 months credit, 50 each month, with no new contract. I can cancel anytime screenshot that, as Im paranoid. I took them up on the offer who knows if I could have gotten more, but Im happy. I figure Im paying 70month now including equipment charged. Thats still probably a lot higher than many alternatives, but its well below their existing customer price for the same service, and Im happy with it.Now, if youre still in your contract period, Im not sure if theyll give you the same love, since they have you by the balls, but it may still be worth trying if youre past the discount period, but still under penalty. Furthermore, I acknowledge this goes back to being way too expensive in 12 months I set a calendar reminder, at which time Ill either get an extension or cancel service. Regardless, Im very glad I finally got around to doing this, because clearly the economics are better for the company to let people overpay than to keep their pencils sharp. TLDR: cancel shit you dont need, and then if youre past the discount period and on standard pricing, tell your cablesatellite provider its not competitive, and theyll probably be willing to offer a major discount. Please dont be a slapdick like me and sit on your thumb!  <response>: Heres what you need to know:1. You can purchase a lot of premium channels like HBO directly from the provider, instead of using the cable company. For instance, you can get HBO Now for only 15 per month from one of these providers: Many cable companies charge 20 for HBO. Never pay the asking price. Shop around.2. Watch out for bogus fees. A lot of cable companies charge wire maintaince fees for silly stuff like protecting the coaxial cable inside your walls in case the mouse chews through it. Yes, Im serious, they actually charge for this. Cancel all types of wire maintaince fees.3. Ditch the rental modemrouter they keep charging you for each month. Go on ebayneweggamazon and buy your own. It will pay for itself usually in a year or less.4. If you have voice service with your cable company, consider Ooma or Obihai, two free or low-cost alternatives. 5. Sling TV, YouTube Red, Hulu, etc. all have viable streaming packages that cost less than traditional tv. Get a roof antena if you watch local channels. I highly recommend the Roku boxes or Roku-powered TVs, as there are dozens of great apps with free and low-cost content. You wont run out anytime soon.6. Dont forget your local library. They have a large selection of DVDs to rent, and many have Hoopla, an online streaming service for movie and tv rentals. Youre already paying taxes into the system, go and enjoy what youre paying for!7. When in doubt, threaten to cancel and tell your cable company that the number one reason why youre canceling is because they charge too damn much. For years they have been sticking it to the consumer with never-ending price increases. You can live without cable TV. I canceled years ago and my life has actually gotten better watching more interesting and educational content via Youtube and other platforms.Hope this helps, if anyone has questions, please ask! 