Every day you receive an email from Team Clark put together by me, Chelsea. Inside is a newsletter that, I hope, helps you save money and make the best financial decisions for you and your family. In my own personal life, I have the same mission to help my family and friends cut expenses. Most recently I helped my self-employed, small business owner father save $283 a month by making changes to just three bills. Here's how I did it: Step 1: Review Bank Statements I looked back at his bank statements from the last three months and identified the most expensive recurring charges: Cable Internet Cell phone Step 2: Negotiate Bills Pay TV: First, I called the cable company. I explained that I was calling on behalf of my father who was present and wanted to explore opportunities to reduce his bill. We realized there was no better deal they could offer than the streaming options I found in the Team Clark streaming guide. My dad decided that YouTube TV was the best option, so he’s now paying just $49.99/month compared to his old cable bill ($158.24/month)! Tip: Many streaming services offer free trials, so you may be able to cut your bill to $0 for a little while by taking advantage of these offers. SAVINGS: $108.24Internet: He was paying $171.50 for internet and a phone line. After deciding the landline was not an essential item, I searched for promotional offers in his area and found he could get 300 Mbps speed on fiber for $50/month. That is more than the minimum speed he needs to stream TV and do his work — sold! SAVINGS: $121.50Cell Phone Service: I spoke to his mobile provider so I could understand every charge on his bill. I discovered that he was paying for cell phone protection even though one of his credit cards provided coverage. He was also paying additional fees for things like an added blocking tool for scams and robocalls when there are free versions available. I negotiated from his current $121.37/month plan to a prepaid plan with unlimited talk and text and 6GB of data for only $68/month. SAVINGS: $53.37 While the idea of negotiating your cable, internet or cell phone bill with a company can seem complex, it’s not as hard as you may think when you have the right tools. In fact, I spent one afternoon making a few calls and saved my father $283 every month — that’s $3,396 a year! Thank you for allowing us to be your trusted source of information during this time. May you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy. — Chelsea Glass
P.S. Take the time this weekend to go over your expenses and find a few bills to review for potential savings. Share this with friends and family and let's find some savings together!
