I’ve made a habit in recent years to always always always shop around for utilities, insurance and services at the beginning of the year. It’s kind of like my default resolution and it doesn’t matter if I think I’m already getting a great price.
I check to see what my insurance renewal amount will be and then I shop around. Most recently I found that my lowest rate would be with Company A and so I called Company B and told them the Company A rate and they BEAT it by finding a mysterious “discount” to apply to my quote. If I would have just gone with Company A, I wouldn’t have gotten the lowest price. Now, I’m looking forward to saving $70/month on our home and auto this year.
I call my internet provider and ask for a lower rate - often the rate they’re giving new customers. They typically say no, not going to lie. I ask to speak to retention so I can cancel. I typically bounce between two Internet companies but occasionally the retention department will just give me the Intro rate.
Check your services - like Spotify, phone provider, etc - and see if they have discount bundling partners. For example, T Mobile gives you Netflix for free. Spotify gives you Hulu for free. These bundles are growing in popularity and should be taken advantage of.
My point is this: don’t just accept your budget. Nudge it (without ruining a customer service reps day) and shop around at all costs. You never know what hidden savings are there for you if you simply ask.
February 19, 2020 at 10:22PM
