Three Phone Calls That Will Save Big Money Each Month

calls to make every month

It’s 2016, and if you are still willing to accept things at face value without a little negotiation, you need to get with the program. Additionally, if you care what people think of you, you need to get over it. It’s 2016; the world is a different place. Everyone is offended by something that has nothing to do with them, the importance of saving is more prominent than ever before and we have to consider our wants, needs and abilities to negotiate in every life situation. If you’re not on board that party train, get on; because we are going to teach you how you can make three very simple, very easy phone calls every single month that will save you significantly on just about everything in your life. If you are not on board with that, get off the train and go pay too much for things you use regularly. It’s entirely up to you.

For those of you who are on board the money saving train, I have a bit of sad news. You’re going to have to make some phone calls. No, not text messages; actual phone calls. That thing you use to update your Instagram feed and shop online while lying on the couch or sitting at red lights, that white device you use to text your friends about dinner and drinks this weekend – pick it up, type in some numbers and actually speak to a human. I know; who does that? It’s not fun. I don’t like talking on the phone either. I’m of the, “Most things can be said via text,” family, so I don’t love speaking on the phone (MOM????? Do you see this? You can text me to tell me you love me and miss the kids…you don’t have to call!). However, I promise these three phone calls are worth it every single time. Here’s who you need to start calling right now.

Your Cable Provider

Excuse me while I take a moment to understand his statistic. According to the Leichtman Research Group, cable bills have risen more than 39% in the past six years, and the average monthly bill for a cable provider is $99. Excuse me. Excuse me while I go back and make sure that, yes, it’s true, I spend $180 per month on my Direct TV services. My own personal annoyance aside, it’s time to call the cable company. It’s time for me to call and for you to do the same thing. You have the upper hand in this situation since many cable companies are well aware that many of their loyal customers are no longer loyal, rather they are canceling their subscriptions and service to use streaming services to watch television. Netflix, Hulu and other services are better – and less expensive – than ever, and no one wants cable anymore.

That’s why you have the upper hand. If you have cable and you’re a customer with a great history with the company, you have the chance to ask for a better price. Tell them that you don’t want to pay what you are paying. Tell them you want a lower rate, you want more channels and you want to keep your service, but you just can’t if they cannot show you some sort of love. You might be pleasantly surprised just how many of these companies are willing to lower your monthly price so that they can keep you around.

Your Insurance Company

There are so many reasons to call this company every month and ask for a better price. A new car with more safety features means a lower payment. Turning a specific age, such as 25, means lower rates on car insurance. Losing a lot of weight and getting healthy means you might qualify for a lower payment on your life insurance policy. Giving up smoking might also lower your life insurance policy payment. Call your insurance company and entertain your agent with all the awesome things going on in your life these days. She might not seem overly thrilled about your wedding, new baby or your super awesome weight loss achievements, but she can probably offer you a lower rate and payment because you were able to get healthy, change your life and make things happen. Call and ask; you might be surprised to find out just how many things in your life allow you to qualify for lower insurance payments.

Your Mortgage Company

It’s true that financial experts believe interest rates are rising this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t call your mortgage company and talk to them about it. If you are the type of customer who pays on time, doesn’t miss a bill, isn’t behind on payments and has excellent credit, you might qualify for some lower rates. Now is a good time to refinance because rates are still low at this point. We have no idea how much longer the feds will keep rates this low, so now is as good a time as any to call. The sooner the better, really. When you call to refinance, you might be able to save thousands on your mortgage every year, hundreds every month or even more over the life of your mortgage.

Let’s save you have a $200,000 mortgage and a 5% interest rate on that mortgage. You’ve managed to pay off your loan enough so that the principal balance due is only $180,000. Let’s refinance for a rate of 3.95%. Your payment just dropped more than $219 per month, which is more than $2,600 per year. Multiply that by the 30 years it takes to pay off a mortgage, and you are looking at a savings of more than $78,000. How’s that for big savings?

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