These days, most consumers are searching for ways to make their money go further. But while it’s commonplace to negotiate on the price of a new home or car, many consumers don’t realize there may be some wiggle room in the cost of several basic household necessities:
- Insurance – Whether it’s home or auto insurance—or both—you may be able to cut your bills by as much as 15 percent by renegotiating. First, call other insurers to check for rates on the same coverage. Feel free to switch to take advantage of the lower rate, or call your current carrier and ask for a price match.
- Cable and satellite service – Cable and dish-based services tend to creep up over time as promotions and discounts expire. But one phone call once a year can net you big savings on new discounts and promotions, which they likely won’t tell you about unless you ask.
- Streaming media – If you subscribe to one or more streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu, keep an eye on which ones you watch. You can cancel one or more to rein in the total cost, but since providers don’t want to lose you, ask for deals like free add-ons or discounted service.
- Home repairs and maintenance – Local providers such as pest control, water delivery, lawn care or alarm services, to name a few, may not have a lot of wiggle room. But the competition for business is keen. Check around to negotiate best pricing, and remember to ask for senior citizens or other available discounts.
- Medical bills – First, check your bill for inaccuracies. Second, even if the bill appears to be accurate, a call to the billing department of your hospital or medical office may result in a discount if you ask for one, or if you offer to pay in cash instead of in installments.
