Save a bundle.

I'm in the process of selecting a television provider (yes, I have lived without TV for nearly five months, and it doesn't bother me a bit) and an internet provider. I checked what is offered by the phone company, the cable TV company, two satellite TV companies, and the local utility (which just installed fiber-optic service in my neighborhood).

It's tough to make any direct comparisons (especially price for a particular level of service) because the choices aren't identical. Then they tout that I will save money if I order more than one type of service from them ("bundling"). That's only true for certain packages.

First off, the "savings" are that the price for TV (for example) will be lowered if I also buy internet or telephone or both from that company, kind of like a "value meal" at a fast-food chain, which is less expensive than ordering each item separately. It doesn't mean they are cheaper than a competitor. If I go that route (which I will), the least I'll pay is phone from Company A, TV from Company B, and internet from Company C.

Second, the "savings" become greater the more you order. Sure, I could save $60 a month if I buy the options with all the bells and whistles, but I don't want to ring any bells or blow any whistles. (In this example, it's like the double cheeseburger value meal is cheaper than a double cheeseburger, large fries, and sugary drink ordered separately, but what I want for dinner is the single cheeseburger, smaller side of fries, and water.) I'll save more than that amount by not choosing that option in the first place.

I'm going to stick with my current telephone provider and go with the cheapest TV package. My only dithering point is for internet. For equal service (15 Mbps download speed), do I go with the cable TV company (which I dislike and which will not be my TV provider), or do I go with the fiber-optic service (which is more expensive)? There's a price difference (fiber-optic is more expensive), but will it be outweighed by my opinion of the one provider or the future of the two different technologies used?