Save Money Without Leaving Your House
If you’re trying to pay off debt, you need to watch every penny that you spend.
When we open accounts – cell phone accounts, credit card accounts, you name it – we tend to set things up and leave it on autopilot. Send the same amount out month after month. And when we do that, we are throwing away money.
Out of all the monthly bills that you pay, there are almost certainly some that could be reduced. Cell phone companies, for instance, are always coming up with new deals and incentives to get you to extend your contract. Check every month or so to see if they have a new, cheaper, program that you could switch to. Just keep in mind that when you do that you may be agreeing to two more years with that company.
Make a list of all of your monthly bills: cable bill, gym bill, electric bill, cell phone, home phone, car payment, mortgage payment, et cetera.
Do you really need HBO and Showtime? Basic cable is more than sufficient if you are struggling to get out of debt. In fact, it’s a luxury. But if you can’t do without – shop around – and see if there are cheaper competing companies – and ask your company how you can lower your bill.
Do you use your gym regularly? If not, time to quit paying that monthly bill. If you do, make sure they’re the cheapest one around – and if not, switch.
And if you’re really struggling to make ends meet, call your mortgage company and see if there are any options for you, including refinancing.
Don’t just assume because you signed up for a service a year ago, it still needs to cost the same. There are almost always ways to lower the bill or find cheaper alternatives.