Maximize your savings on your monthly bills
The following tips apply to all recurring service fee that you pay. This includes your phone, cable and internet bills, but also your auto, home, and life insurance fees, which apartment you rent, etc.
1) Get all your recurring bills, which you subscribed to on a fixed plan; also note how long you've been with them.
2) Take note of all of the features you currently use or no longer need [trim the latter]
3) Investigate competing companies (e.g. Rogers if you use Bell; Belair Direct if you use the Cooperators) and call them and now try to negotiate for the best possible deal.
Tell them thanks and you'll call them back (if the package is really special, make sure you take detailed notes including the person's name, time you called, etc.)
4) Call your current company.
* Point out that you've been with them for N amount of years. You are upset that only new customers receive rebates & discounts, you want to know what they can do to show you their appreciation and then tell them about the prices obtained in step 3 ... "Company ABC offered me blah blah blah.">br>
Feel free to mention the company name in whichever order.
Feel free to ASK for something as well, make them stretch their offer: e.g. "Since I'm getting your best phone, I would like you to throw in a free case."
5) Get the best deal, it may require you to be bold and switch companies you've been with for 10+ years.
Always remember that because company ABC offered the best deal in 1998, it might no longer be the best value for you in 2001, 2003, or 2013; likewise, just because the company XYZ was the worst in 1998, doesn't mean it's not the best today. Keep your eyes open and remember your company doesn't care if you live or die, you are a number and that is all. So don't feel guilty or upset for leaving your this company after 20 years, they may even offer a better package to get you back.
6) Charge your recurring bills to a rewards credit card (e.g. TD Rebate Rewards or CIBC Dividend; no fee, cash back); the same one you should charge everything else to.
If you have the cash to pay your bill in full, you also have the cash to pay the credit charge in full. Your net gain is 1% back in cash, lower bank fees, and a more convenient bill.
Doing these steps have really saved me over $1,000 per year.
|
