4 insider hacks to slash your monthly bills today

You don’t need to give up your morning coffee or cancel Netflix to save money. You might be overpaying every single month because you don’t know the tools, tips and a few secrets. Let’s do this.

1. Threaten to cancel

Your internet, cable or phone provider won’t call you with a better deal, but they will give you one if you ask. Here’s the trick I do at the end of every year.

• Call your provider and tell the first person you talk to you’re canceling your service. Do not debate or argue with them. They have no authority to help.
• Ask to speak to someone in the customer retention department. This team’s only job is to keep you. They have unadvertised, special discounts and promotional rates that the regular customer service line can’t touch. Mention a competitor’s rate, and they will often drop your bill by 15%-30% on the spot. Brilliant. 

2.  Use a virtual card

Free trials are designed to quietly roll into paid subscriptions. You can outsmart them.

• Stop using your primary debit or credit card for trials. Instead, use a virtual card number. Many major banks offer this for free.
• When you sign up for that new streaming service or gym trial, use the virtual number and set a hard spending limit on it (like $5) or set it to expire in 30 days. If you forget to cancel, the transaction is declined. 

3. Paying to send money

Still using PayPal or Venmo with a credit card? Stop.

• Use Zelle instead. Most major banks support it in their apps, and it allows for instant, free, bank-to-bank transfers using only an email or phone number.
• You completely eliminate the 2.9% + 30¢ fees digital wallets charge when you fund a transfer with a credit card. Little changes, big results. 

4. Slay zombie subscriptions

That AI app or old fitness trial is costing you hundreds annually. Time to cut the cord!

• iPhone: Go to Settings, tap your Name, then Subscriptions.
• Android: Open Google Play, tap Profile, then Subscriptions.

The Amazon leak: In your Amazon account, check the Memberships & Subscriptions section to cancel forgotten Prime Video channels.

Pro tip: Audit your bank statement for any recurring $9.99 or $19.99 charge you don’t recognize. Or use Rocket Money to track down all your subscriptions. I did and saved $478 a year. I had no idea how many subscriptions I had. Crazy.*💰 Don’t keep the savings secret! Use the share icons below to send this article to the friend who pays their Venmo transfers with a credit card. Help them graduate from “paying retail” to “paying nothing.”

Tags: Amazon, Android, Google, internet, settings