You want the best value for your money, but you also don’t want to pay for services you don’t need. Start by contacting your local phone companies, cable or satellite provider, and DSL provider. See if bundling is the way to go for you. Then:

1. Ask friends, family, and co-workers about the reliability of their services—such as whether installers maintain appointment times and how prompt repair services are.

2. When you’re thinking about switching over to a new company or companies, ask about any upfront or tack-on fees.

3. Bills are sometimes difficult to read. Make sure your discounts are easy to locate on your bill.

4. Will anything be installed on your roof, underground, in your home—and how intrusive will the equipment be? How long will installation take? Is the cost of installation included in the sign-up package, or is it extra?

Why we like it: • Two handsets • Good answering machine • Over 15 hours of talk time on a charge

5. If you signed up under a promotion, but the promotion has ended, haggle. You might lose features you enjoyed during the promotional period or pay extra to keep them, but remember that companies want to keep your business, so negotiate.

6. If you would like to stay with your current service but want a better price, shop around and arm yourself with other quotes to make sure your provider listens!

7. If you decide to bundle, make sure the bundle price appears right away on your bill, not in a month or two. Some computer systems are not up to the task of proper billing when it comes to bundling.

8. Cable-company bundles typically do not require a contract nor an investment in equipment.

9. If you’re considering a cable telephone service (telephony), consider retaining one landline phone for the lowest possible cost with a telephone company since Internet-based telephones are much less reliable calling 911 and will not continue to work during power outages.

10.  If you’re considering a bundle, which includes Internet connection, make sure it’s a high-speed connection rather than a standard-speed connection. See more about: Phone Plans.