The Average American Spends This Much on Internet Services — See How You Stack Up
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Scanning over your bills every month, you might be tempted to think that you’re spending a small fortune just to have internet access, TV and a phone. All of these are mostly necessities — and anyone who’s ever gotten hooked on a streaming drama will tell you that TV is absolutely vital — yet they can feel like luxuries in terms of cost.
If you’ve ever wondered about how much you spend compared to your neighbors, you certainly wouldn’t be alone. Late last year, Reviews.org decided to break down the average costs of internet, TV and phone for most Americans. The publication came up with some truly staggering results: “Over a 60-year-lifespan, most Americans can expect to drop about $189,420 on internet, phone, and TV.”
Take a closer look at how you stack up.
The Average Costs of Internet, Phone and TV Revealed
While the monthly costs of these amenities might not seem like much, they add up over time. The Reviews.org piece lists the average costs based on monthly, yearly and lifetime payments.
Internet
- Monthly: $81
- Yearly: $975
- Lifetime: $58,924
Mobile Plans
- Monthly: $66
- Yearly: $793
- Lifetime: $47,571
Streaming
- Monthly: $55
- Yearly: $660
- Lifetime: $39,629
Cable TV
- Monthly: $80
- Yearly: $962
- Lifetime: $57,706
Tips for Saving
If you don’t like those numbers, the good news is that there are ways to lower them — at least for your household. Taking actions like downgrading your internet to a basic plan can be a great first step to lowering your bill. As the Reviews.org article points out, “most people don’t need pricey gigabit or multi-gigabit plans, which can cost upwards of $100 per month.”
When it comes to saving on your phone bills, you can take a similar approach. Instead of going for an unlimited data plan, you can go down to a tighter data cap, since most Americans only use roughly 13.5 GB of data every month. You might also consider going to a smaller provider like Visible, Mint or Tello for service at smaller prices.
As for cable, frankly, with so many Americans turning to streamers for their entertainment, you might do well to simply cut the cord entirely. However, if you’re still interested in keeping it, see if you can bundle it with internet and phone services. Or consider researching local providers who might give you a better deal. Turning to streaming services like Tubi or Pluto TV will also give you a wide range of options at a lower price.
There are so many streamers now that it might be hard to choose which ones to keep and which ones to cut. However, doing an honest inventory of the platforms you use regularly and the ones that have languished after you watched that one series you were interested in will help you determine the right ones to remain in rotation.
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