There are just so many things you could do with some of the money that you are spending on your Internet, phone, cable, insurance, and various memberships you have signed up for over the years. Instead of simply giving up any or all of those things, you can work on reducing how much you spend on them. This way, you will get the best of both worlds. You will have some spare money and you will still have all of the services you are used to receiving.
Shop Around Twice A Year
Do not make the mistake of assuming the longer you stay with one company, the less you are going to pay for the services you are using. In fact, the opposite is usually true. This is why you will want to take a day, twice a year, to sit down and look for better deals. Some of the things that you will want to shop around for include auto insurance, home insurance, cellular phone service, and television packages.
When it comes to your auto insurance, you will want to check out your online car insurance options. This is also a good option when looking for a better home insurance policy. The reason you want to shop online is because you will not feel any pressure to decide too quickly. You will also be able to take your time to comparison shop for the best deals, even if you are a high-risk driver.
Call And Ask For A Discount
If you do not want to leave the company you are using for your cellular phone or television services, you still have the chance to get a better price. All you have to do is call and ask for a discount. Explain how long you have been a well-paying customer and that you are at the point where you need a more affordable package. Simply state that you need a better offer or you will have no choice but to start looking to their competitor to see what kind of deal they would be willing to give for your business. In many cases, there are discounts that can be applied to your service or package, but you would have never known of them unless you specifically asked. After all, it is not as though they are going to advertise this to everyone because of the amount of money that they would lose.
Save That Money
While it might be tempting to take all of the money you have saved and spend it on something else, you may not want to do that at first. Take the money that you have saved after implementing the previous advice and put it into an emergency fund. This is a savings that should be at least one thousand dollars, if not more. It is an account that you set aside for nothing other than emergencies. Examples of such emergencies would be medical procedures, vehicle repairs, or the replacement of your home furnace.
Once you have built up your emergency fund to a suitable amount, you can then have some fun with the money that you are saving on your monthly bills. As you can now see, taking the time to sit down twice a year to reduce your monthly bills is more than worth it.
