Saving Money - Part 2
By Michelle Black
Have you ever found yourself in a place where you have more bills than money? Money shortages lead to a poor credit rating, marital stress, and the inability to provide the things your family needs. One of the first things you will want to do if you find yourself in a situation where your budget is unbalanced is look for a way to start saving money. We hope today's tip will be helpful.
Tip #2: Ask for your bills to be lowered. Similar to yesterday's tip regarding asking for your credit card interest rates to be lowered, you can also request for many of your monthly bills to be lowered as well. Try calling your cable company, explain that you have seen some great offers for satellite TV and that you are considering switching services. However, before switching, you wanted to check with them to see if they could offer you a lower monthly rate. While you are at it, ask for your internet service bill to be lowered as well. I have personally saved money off both of these monthly services just by calling and kindly making the request.
Other monthly bills you may be able to get lowered with a request include your cell phone bill (even if you are currently under contract), your lawn care bill, your newspaper subscription, your insurance bill, etc. By calmly and politely making the request you can save yourself a lot of money. When making the request for your bill to be lowered please keep the following in mind:
1. Always be polite and calm. Getting angry will most likely insure that you do NOT get the bill reduction you need. 2. Explain why you need for the bill to be lowered. For example, "I have seen an offer for a better rate" or "I cannot afford to continue making such high payments and I'm trying to balance my budget." 3. Ask for a supervisor if necessary. The first customer service agent you speak with likely will not have the authority to lower your bill. 4. Don't take no for an answer. If the supervisor refuses your request politely explain your reason for needing the bill lowered again and ask "What can you do to help me please?"
Remember to check back with us again for part 3 of our money saving blog series. Saving money can help put you on the path towards a balanced budget and even a healthier credit report! If you need personalized credit or budgeting advice please feel free to give our friendly staff a call at 704-499-9696.
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