by Ellen Carroll on April 15, 2009

G.I.Joe, Household bills, Saving Sense

So far, we’ve covered some pretty simple tactics to save money on smaller expenses: food, entertainment, etc. We’re building up to the big stuff but in this tumultuous economy every penny counts, so building a firm foundation is key to financial success! This week, it’s time to take a look at the most dreaded (and somehow least negotiated) expenses: household bills.

Here’s the thing about those utility bills.. most customers don’t even know what they’re actually paying for. I encourage all of you to grab your latest stack, and take a closer look. Here are a few things I found:

1. Bundle packages aren’t always the best deal.

It’s easy to be duped into thinking that bundling your services is the way to go to avoid extra bills keep things simple. I’ll remind you here that it is a salesperson’s job to sell, sell, sell. They’ve been trained to add on like crazy to boost their numbers. Before bundling your packages (say for cable, phone and internet) ask for a complete list of bundled services to be mailed or emailed to you. DO NOT ask to be given the list over the phone, you won’t get the whole truth. Choose the bundle package that is right for you, if any. Don’t ask for suggestions from a salesperson, they’ll almost always give you more than you need, or want.

2. Don’t take the discount!

A lot of companies (again- telephone, cable, etc.) will try to offer you a discount to take a new service. For example, my cable company (cough- bloodsuckers..) offered me an HBO subscription at the low, low price of $8 a month. That included free movies on-demand, shows, sneak previews, blah, blah, blah. They assured me that I would get the discounted price as long as I was a customer, so I agreed. Six months later, my cable bill had doubled inexplicably. (I bet you can guess why..) Don’t be fooled by temporary discounts, they usually aren’t worth the mess you’ll find yourself in.

3. Check the fine print.

It’s easy to just pay the monthly bills without a single thought as to whether or not you’re being ripped off. They’re just part of life, right? While you can’t get away with not paying them, you do have a right to be informed. Double check your monthly bills to ensure that extra charges aren’t being tacked on and call the Customer Service lines immediately if you notice any discrepancies.

4. Don’t subscribe to auto-bill pay!

Having said that, I absolutely think online bill paying is the best! However, subscribing to a service that automatically deducts the amount due from your bank account can be a seriously bad deal. It keeps you out of the loop and out of control. Pay your bills online, by all means, it saves stamps, trees and late fees; but don’t have your bills paid automatically. In case of billing errors, your bank account can suffer a serious blow and it can take anywhere from 24 hours to a few days to correct the problem.

5. Check out the competition!

Shopping around isn’t just for groceries and appliances! Many residential areas have their choice between several utility services. Double check the prices, quality of service and ask about additional charges.

6. Do a little bit of good.

It’s more than obvious that lots of people are hurting right now and are stretched a bit too thin. Check your utility bills (electric, phone, cable) for a place to make a donation. It doesn’t have to be huge, sometimes you can just round up on your bill and the excess will be used to help someone that’s having trouble with their bills. If you’re fortunate enough to have a little extra, pay it forward!! A few dollars may not make a big difference to you, but could be more than helpful to someone who really needs it.

I hate to have to drop some G.I. Joe sense on you, but knowing really is half the battle! Take some time to sort out your bills and become familiar with them. Know what is normal and what isn’t. Don’t just shrug them off as something that is non-negotiable. Take charge and enjoy the money you’ll save!!

No related posts.