This is the fourth post in the monthly series titled Simple Budgeting. Check the left sidebar for the links to the posts in this series!
So the topic for this month is “Spring Cleaning“. If you wrote out all of your bills like I suggested in January’s post, did anything surprise you?
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Do you pay more for your cell phone than you thought?
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Do some of your bills vary in charges month to month and you haven’t paid attention in the past?
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Do some of your bills have “fees” associated with them?
Every few months is it a good idea to go through your bills and make sure you are paying for what you need and not just what you are being charged.
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Short term offers might have been added to your plans or accounts at full price.
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New fees might have shown up on a bill that weren’t there before.
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Rates might have changed without you noticing that letter in small print that came in the mail.
Also, it might be time to “shop around” for new services too! Maybe your contract times are up, if not, check and see when they are. Remember how I saved $48/year by changing trash pick up companies? That was all “fees” on our trash bill. The new company we use has no fees! That might not seem like much but it adds up! I recently read where someone calls their satellite company and asks for the new customer specials. Why not? She said she gets them. She is a good customer and they want to keep her. It never hurts to ask, right?!
So take a look at your bill list … or go here and learn how to make one … and see what you can spring clean out of your bills!
If you take time to do this, leave me a comment and let me know. I love feedback.
Also if you have a budget tip of your own, question, scenario, etc., you would like to see in my monthly post, leave me a comment or send me an email at simplybudgeted at gmail dot com! I LOVE hearing from you!
I recently called Comcast to remove the sports package and they also re bundled the plan and saved us $30 a month!
Hi Beth,
I recently tried two of your suggestions and they both worked!
1. I reviewed out family plan and found we could downgrade, saving us $20 a month.
2. I called DirecTV and they gave me a $15 "credit" for being a customer.
$35 a month adds up to over $400 a year. Small change adds up to big dollars!
Eric – That is GREAT!!!! Thanks for leaving a comment to let me know it worked for you. Leaves me feeling less crazy, ya know?! We will have to find a chance to work together at some point!
Our cable bill is huge every month- it has the wifi internet, home phone, and cable tv with lots of extra channels. We were just planning on switching to a different company and probably cancelling our home phone line, but now I think we'll sweet talk them. The bill is not in my name, so that will have to wait until the weekend. 🙂 I did, however, call Victoria's Secret credit card service and said I wasn't interested in keeping my account open since the good coupon books are only given out for your first 6 months and I've their card for several years. I did a little happy dance when they said they'd lower my interest rate ( not a huge deal because I don't keep a balance on that card) and send me the newbie coupon book. 🙂
I just noticed we live in a suburb just outside of the city and th carring charged for electicity and water are more than our actual bill !!! I will definately have to inquire about that, thanks never really paid to much attention.
You give great advice. I have been doing what you suggested for a while now regarding the bills and have caught several (excess charges ect…) on my bills. I had to call the companies on several ocassions to see that thses extra charges were removed. By paying attention to the small things (charges ect..) I have saved a nice little chunk of change.
I am so excited to see all of the comments on this post and how this advice is working for my readers!!! I wasn't sure if this was a useful topic but it appears that is … YAY!!
Keep the comments coming … pretty please!
Thanks for some extra tips, I've always been taught to watch bills for added fees and then call the company if you don't understand. I've helped my grandmother save quite nice on her phone bill.
When our daughter needed a tow due to a car breakdown, we discovered how next-to-worthless the breakdown coverage we had added to our cell phones really was! The policy covered a tow of about 3 miles only. We then dumped the cell phone car coverage and subscribed to AAA.
Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com