Just call and ask them to lower your bill
by Andy Zeigert
4 min read
$10 a month feels pretty cheap until you realize that you are likely signing up to pay that every month in perpetuity. I've recently felt a little disillusioned by all the monthly charges. So I tried to do something about it. Here are my experiences.
Mobile phone service provider
No matter what massive, under-regulated corporation you pay for cell phone service, you are probably paying too much. Chances are that the plan you signed up under no longer exists, because these companies refresh their service offerings every couple of years. Sometimes the prices are lower or the services are better on newer plans. You can usually check on your account page and can sometimes make the change online. Other times you might need to call or engage someone via the little chat window. Or go to a store.
Another option is to switch providers! Go to the other guys every couple years. They will happily offer you deals to come over, and you can sometimes bring your existing phone and almost always keep your existing number. Then do it again in a few years! Maintain zero loyalty to these companies.
If you don't really want to switch, call your existing provider and tell them that you are going to unless they offer you a discount! They usually will, even if it's only 10%.
If you work a public service job, most companies will offer you a larger discount. I was able to get 25% off through AT&T because my spouse is a teacher. They wanted some basic proof, but it was relatively easy. That discount added up to almost $250 annually.
Another good bit of advice is to pay off your phone early. Take advantage of the discounts they offer if you purchase via a payment plan, but then either go on your account page or call to pay it off immediately or make larger payments.
Internet service providers
Some people in larger markets have multiple ISPs to choose from. If so, shop around! Follow some of the same basic advice as above.
If you're like me and there's really only one ISP in town (sorry AT&T I don't want your crappy mobile hotspot home internet), you can still call! Their sales departments are usually able to offer you a discount, even if it is meager. I was able to knock $8 a month off of mine, which doesn't seem like much. But that's $8 a month every month for the foreseeable future. It adds up.
Car insurance
Fuck all these companies. They are ripping you off, but somehow their services remain essential in America. Again, maintain zero loyalty and shop around. Move from one company to another about every 2 years. I made the mistake of sticking with Allstate for almost 2 decades before I realized that they were "price optimizing" me. I overpaid them probably thousands of dollars over the years.
Insurance is an especially tough pill to swallow because you are essentially betting against yourself. "I wager $100 a month that I will get in an accident. If I am right, this company will help me out for a percentage of the overall expense, and I'll be in the black. If I am wrong, they simply take my money over and over again and give me nothing." Obviously, I'm being facetious. Insurance never seems important until it is, which is kind of the point. But it's also big business in America. Look no further than the obscene marketing campaigns that these companies finance. Flo is not your friend. Loyalty is expensive.
Streaming services
Cancel all your streaming services and buy physical media.
I'm only half serious about the above statement. I still subscribe to numerous streaming services.
This one is harder, since we're in a period of change in this market as bundles are appearing and services are consolidating. But rest assured that none of these changes are likely to benefit us, the end user. So what can we do?
Check with your cell phone providers, they sometimes offer deals on streaming services. For example, my AT&T plan is a slightly older plan that still includes HBO access. At the current rate, that's about $18.50 per month. I know that Verizon offers some Netflix plans, but they are for the "with ads" plans that I assume no consumer actually wants. Disney+, ESPN and Hulu have a bundle that's fine, I guess. AppleTV can be had in a bundle of services from Apple that I already use. Again, this space is mostly just a bummer. Very few deals to be had.
Another thing I do is "surf" the streamers. Most of them only require a single month commitment. So sign up, watch stuff you want to watch, and then cancel. Sign up again when you hear about stuff you want to watch.
Also, check out Kanopy. Free through most libraries. I could probably cancel everything else and still have enough stuff to watch here forever.
Our modern world offers a million ways to separate us from our money, and a little vigilance and curiousity can often save a few bucks. Multiply that by a monthly expense and it can turn into quite a few bucks.
The finished product, before numbering
Printed but not colored
Couldn't find my old barren or ink plate, so I used a candle and the back of a binder