Why You Should be Vigilant in Saving Money on Bills

I like to save money and am constantly looking for ways to do so. Not ways to cheat the system, but legitimate ways to save money. One thing I have discovered is that if you are vigilant you can save a ton, but you have to keep an eye out to do so.

For example, our Internet/Cable bill fluctuates all the time. The reason is that we have been calling every few months for the past few years to see what current deals or promotions can be applied to our account. If you haven’t done this, it is a good way to save some money. These companies have deals for current customers that they can add on, but they do not advertise these savings openly most of the time. The problem is that it can become a hassle to keep calling every time the bill goes back up, so every couple of months for the past year or so I have been checking out other companies to see if we could get a comparable rate. Finally we got a deal in the mail from the competition for a $200 debit card for switching back to them (yes, I did change about 5 years ago to get a better deal, and yes, I think it is worth the hassle of switching back). Between the $200 plus the price we are getting to lock in a 2-year contract, PLUS the fact I will not have to call in or do this price comparison for a while, makes switching a good deal.

Another way you can save is by periodically reviewing your insurance and cell phone bills and providers to make sure you are getting a good deal and still getting the coverage you need. If you take the initiative to do the research, you can really end up saving a significant amount of money. And you can use that money that you save for the things that are truly important to you. In a bind, that extra cash could even pay the grocery bill for a month or so. Do be mindful of things like early cancellation fees if you are under a contract. Cell phone providers tend to have hefty fees that make waiting until the end of a contract the best route to take.

And you may find that automatic bill pay is a great way to free up some space in your brain to think about other things, but one of the ways that overbilling mistakes can easily be missed is through bill pay. Sure, you may be used to seeing the same amount withdrawn each month, but are you actually taking time to look at that bill and make sure things are correct? Are you being charged extra for a service you do not have or need? While auto bill pay is easy, be sure that you do still take the time to check out your bills to see what it is you are paying for. And do know that it is usually harder to get money back after it has been paid than to call before paying a bill to get things straightened out.

So this is my encouragement to you to be vigilant. Keep your eyes open for deals on your bills and go ahead and make phone calls to your providers to see what they can offer. You may or may not get a deal when you call, but if you don’t ask then you won’t get the deal at all. And pay attention to your bills so you know exactly what it is you are paying for at all times.