how to lower your monthly bills

With everyone focusing on saving money and getting out of debt, I wanted to share some easy steps you can take to lower your monthly bills.

One phone call to AT&T saved me about $15.00 per month on internet and landline service.

Almost all service providers have a Customer Retention Department or the equivalent. If you don't know the name of the specific department, just tell the customer service representative you're thinking about switching providers and they'll get you over to the right people ASAP.

Before you call, research a competitor that's offering compatible services at a lower rate than you're paying with your existing provider. I used this strategy when dealing with T-Mobile to get my cell phone bill reduced; I went online and compared two different companies that had similar rate plans. This signals to your company that you're serious and ready to drop them immediately if they aren't willing to work with you to lower your bill.

Ask the representative how long you've been a loyal customer. Although you know good and well how long you've been with them, this puts the attention on them to acknowledge the fact that you've chosen to do business with them for X number of years.

Here's something you can say to help get your point across: "As a consumer, I have choices and I've chosen to do business with you for 5 years." This is exactly what I said to AT&T.

More than likely, the representative will come back with something along the lines of the lower advertised rates only apply to new customers and not existing customers. I love it when they say this!

This is when you ask one simple question, "So you're saying I can't save money because I've chosen to remain a loyal customer for 5 years? If so, please tell me why I should remain your customer." You want to reinforce the fact that you're already a paying customer and have been for a long time. And when you ask why you should remain their customer, expect a brief moment of silence as the person on the other end of the phone tries to gather his/her thoughts.

Set aside a few hours one day before the end of this month and make the phone calls. Some companies will be more cooperative than others, but don't back down. If they flat out refuse to work with you, be prepared to make a decision to stay or move to another company. In my case, I was genuinely prepared to switch services. 

Which company are you going to call first? I suggest starting with the one that could save you the most money. Let me know how it went and how much you saved.