10 Bills You Can Negotiate To Save Money
Rent
Saving a few bucks is pretty much on everyone’s list of to-dos these days. Have you thought of how you might save money on your rent without the hassle of having to move? One of the most efficient ways to save money on rent is by being a good tenant. What makes a good tennant? Obviously, pay your rent on time. Keep the property clean, park where you should, and don’t be “that guy”, you know the type. Be friendly when you see staff members and learn their names when possible. People like to do business with tenants who follow all of the rules, and stay with the property for an extended time. Once you’ve established that you are a good tennant, try to get your landlord onboard for an extended lease period. You’ll be guaranteed the best price and he/she will be guaranteed not to have to repaint, recarpet, and requalify a new tenant. This will save both you and your landlord from that extra hassle. When possible, instead of agreeing to a 30 day notification to end the lease, suggest 60 or 90 days. Since your landlord already knows you are a good tennant, remind him/her that you are noise-free, keep your house clean, obey the property rules and both of you deserve to share in your combined good fortune. . It’s always possible he/she might be willing to negotiate for lesser rent. If the property allows pets but you don’t own one, this might save you a few bucks.
Credit Card Bills
Imagine this: you’ve used your credit card more than you should have, now it’s the end of the month and your credit card payment is due. There’s no point in panicking now. Instead, do something about it and reduce your liability. For instance, if you haven’t paid off the balance of your card in full and your credit score is good, you can probably call your creditor and negotiate a slightly lower interest rate. You can also consider switching to a different credit card with a lower interest rate or one with cashback offers if your credit score and payment history are in good standing. Try it out and you can surely save big.
Cable Bills
With the sudden emergence and attraction towards OTT platforms or streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime etc., people are less likely to still have a cable connection at their homes. Despite this, the collective group of cable TV watchers is still significant. So if you are one of them, there are several ways for you to save some money on your cable bill. First, contact your cable service provider and inquire about the different plans available. That can be as easy as pulling up the cable website and checking the plans that best fits your needs keeping in mind your streaming services which may be an alternative source for movies or your favorite TV programs. Additionally, youtube has some of the most up to date news sources, potentially the same ones you pay extra for in a cable package. Evaluate your actual watch habits and offload some of those unneeded channels. Consider turning off the television and spend some time with the kids, at the gym, or reading. Review your cable bill and check for any hidden charges. Then call up your cable company and negotiate your way to savings. Don’t forget to ask for a long term customer discount or for any savings being offered to new customers. Isn’t your business just as important? If you live in a metropolitan area, you should also consider checking with other cable providers to see if you can find a package that fits your needs at a better rate.
Cell Phone Bills
Wouldn’t it be great if you knew how to save money on something you can’t live without? We’re sure you know what we are talking about; your cell phones! We can’t deny the fact that phones are a necessity. But we can definitely try to spend mindfully on it. Have a closer look at your phone bill at the end of the month. Try to figure out if your current plan is precisely the right one for you or have you been paying extra all this while. The plans mostly work upon SMSs, calls and data. Which one among these do you use the most and the least? The answer to this question will help you choose the best plan for yourself. Plus, make sure you do your homework about the plans being offered by other networks. Some networks might be giving a better plan at cheaper rates.
Internet Service Bills
Here comes another thing that you most definitely can’t live without; the internet. And that’s all the more reason for you to start saving some bucks on it. Quite frankly, if you master the art of being able to lower your cable and mobile phone bills, the internet bills will not be a huge matter of concern. Mainly because all of them follow the same approach, that is to analyse and select the best plan that fits your needs and is easy on your pocket too. Try calling your service operator and see if you can negotiate and strike a good deal for yourself.
Medical Bill Expenses
Now, here’s a rare thought; you can save an awful lot of money on medical expenses too! Well, not a lot of people seem to be bothered about negotiations when it comes to medical bills and expenses. However, the potential of savings by doing so is enormous. First and foremost, you might want to take note of the fact that medical bills can be full of errors and double entries which may lead to overcharging. Thus, check your bills carefully and see if they are accurate. Secondly, check in with the medical authorities to know about the payment modes. More often than not, health centres can provide the option of interest-free installments for you to pay your bills over a definite course of time. Although it is recommended to not delay your bills and paying right away is most ideal.
Insurance Premiums
This one might shock you a little bit but take our word for it that it is indeed possible to save money on your insurance premiums. And it doesn’t even have to be a specific type of insurance. Any type will do, be it life insurance, health, motor, travel, home or even general. All you need to do is to negotiate a deal with your insurance company about you being able to pay the premium once every six months. Most companies prefer it to be every month but that involves an extra fee. Paying your premiums once or twice a year will help you to steer clear of that monthly fee and any other hidden charges. Pro tip: if you happen to have more than one type of insurance, try moving them to the same company. Oftentimes you can save money by bundling them together.
Purchasing a Car
If you have been planning on buying a car, or even electronics for that matter, we would suggest you to wait for specific sale seasons. In fact, if you make a purchase on special occasions like holidays, the brands offer heavy discounts and offers which can help you save a whole lot of money. Make sure that while buying a car, talk to your car dealer and know about the types of discounts that are available. The dealer can offer a dealer discount, exchange bonus, corporate discount, loyalty discount and discounts on insurance premium and finance as well. If you manage to get at least some of these, you can end up saving more than 10% on your car’s price.
Buying a House
Has all the house-hunting left you too stressed? We totally get that but we can’t really help you in that area. However, we can help you save big while buying a house to take the stress off of at least one thing. First things first, opt for a home loan to eliminate the taxes as the interest on it is tax deductible. Secondly, make sure that while looking for a home loan, choose a bank that offers a low rate of interests and better offers. Additionally, a decent credit score comes in handy for you to substantially reduce the interest of your loan. This would ultimately result in reduced costs and more savings.
Electricity Bills
You can’t really dodge your electric bills unless you want to live in a dark house for the rest of your life. If you use a service, you will have to pay for it later. But paying more or less is in your hands and we’re sure you’ll choose the latter. One of the most basic ways to do that is to turn off any unnecessary electronics when they aren’t being used. Opt for a fixed-rate electricity plan to reduce additional charges. Installing LEDs in your home is a great way to reduce power usage and cut down the costs. Another great way to save is to install your own solar energy panels at your home and see how your electric bill magically lowers.