If you think your bills are fixed and can’t be cut, you have another think coming. According to the bill negotiating service, BillShark, we consumers could save as much as $50 billion a year just by haggling over certain bills. Cell phones are where you can currently get the best deals, as the cell phone companies are currently engaged in a price war. The founder of BuildFixers, Ben Kurland, has noted that if your cell plan is more than six months old, this might not be the most efficient plan for you.
If you think your bill fixed and can’t because you have another think coming according to the building associating service bills we consumers could save as much as 50 billion a year just by handling over certain bills cell phone bills are where the biggest savings can currently be found as a cell phone companies are engaged in a price war. Billfixers founder, Ben Kurland, has noted that if your cell phone plan is more than six months old, it may not be your most efficient plan.
Six other bills you could get cut in without working out much of a sweat are:
Pay television
Of course, when we say pay television, we basically mean cable TV. If you have more than one cable company in your area, you can probably get a better deal simply by changing providers. We have two cable TV companies where we live, and they are currently slugging it out to attract new customers. If you have only one cable TV provider where you live, consider cutting the cable entirely. You should be able to get all your local channels with an indoor HDTV antenna. Then, there’s Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for catching up on old programs and for movies.
Alarm systems
If you have an alarm system in your home, it’s almost certain you can cut your bill. If you have a long-term contract, try haggling with your provider. If you can’t get a better deal, Vivant Home Alarm is currently offering free installation and says it charges less than two dollars a day. You could do even better with SimpliSafe. It uses a fast cellular connection, so you can monitor your home 24 hours a day no matter where you are. SimpliSafe also includes 24/7 professional monitoring and police dispatch, and costs just $14.99 a month – with no contract.
Storage units
If you have a lot of stuff in a storage unit, you may not want to consider moving it to a new unit just to save money. But if you haven’t yet rented a unit, there’s a website, SelfStorage.com, where you can find the best storage units close to you at the best prices. The site allows you to view and compare storage options nearest to you, and without the hassle of calling around for prices. When you find one, you can then book the unit free in just a few minutes – either online or on the phone.
Gym membership
Want to get in shape on the cheap? Joining a gym can get expensive. In fact, one source says belonging to a gym costs an average of $58 a month. You can beat this by using free passes. Some health clubs offer free one-day passes, while others have week-long passes, or even two week passes. If you work for a large employer, it probably offers some kind of workplace wellness program, which would be like a gym membership except for free. And some cities have discount gyms that cost as little as $10 a month.
Satellite radio
Since there’s only one satellite radio provider, SiriusXM, you can’t comparison shop. However, you can save money with SiriusXM. It doesn’t talk about this much but it actually offers three pricing tiers. The first is titled Mostly Music, and offers 80 channels of great music. It’s priced at just $10.95 a month. While this tier does not include online streaming, you could add it for just $4 a month. The next tier is called the Select Package, which costs $14.99 a month and includes more than 150 channels of sports, music, and comedy – though you cannot add Internet streaming to this plan. Finally, there is the top tier, All Access that provides all of the 160+ channels, as well as online streaming from your tablet, phone or computer.
The Internet
You may be able to get a better deal from your current Internet provider just by threatening to switch to a different company. It’s also possible to save money by reducing your usage. Think about how you use the Internet. If it’s just for general web surfing, email and social media, you only need a speed of 1 Mbps (megabyte per second). But if you’re an online gamer, you’ll need 1-3 Mbps, and if you’re into high-definition video streaming (think HDTV movies), you’ll need 5-8 Mbps.
In summary
Write a list of all your bills. Then, ask yourself how many you might be able to cut. We’re willing to bet you’ll find more than just the six mentioned here. The fact is, it only takes a little time and effort to get a lost of your bills reduced.