It’s safe to say that one of the most disappointing parts of adulthood is the part where you have to pay bills! No matter what your budget is, no one likes to pay bills. Monthly bills can be the worst because they usually aren’t optional. Unlike credit cards, you will always have electric bills, homeowner’s insurance, and similar bills. The good news is that most of the monthly bills you have can be trimmed down, so you save some money. From electric bills to your monthly cell phone fees, there are options out there that will help you save money.
We’ve compiled some of the main bills most households are paying so that we can offer some additional ways to cut your costs.
1. Electric Bills
There’s no way of getting out of paying your electric bill. However, you do have the option of choosing your energy provider, which can drastically lower your rate. While this process can be confusing at times, services like Real Simple Energy exist to help you find the best rate without any hassles. Their customers pay an average of 36% less for electricity than the average Texan. They offer a simple signup process that will have you picking the right plan and saving money almost instantly!
2. Home and Vehicle Insurances
Whether you rent or own your home, you likely pay some sort of insurance. The same goes for vehicles including cars, trucks, and boats. It goes without saying that one of the easiest ways to save money is to shop around. Insurance is definitely one of those areas that come with competitive pricing. You can often save the most money when you bundle the various insurances you need into one package. So, if you have home and auto insurance at two different companies, you might be able to save a bundle, by bundling your insurances into one package.
3. Cable TV
If you have cable you know how expensive it can be. It’s great that you can flip channels and find plenty to watch, but what if there was a cheaper way to do that? What if you could sign up to a service that offered all of your favorite cable channels at a cheaper price without contracts? If you’re intrigued, you only need to look towards the streaming market. You can choose services like fuboTV (free one-week trial) to get over 100 channels for $55 per month. Hulu Live (free 7-day trial) is another option including 60+ channels for $55/month. Both services offer on-demand libraries, cloud-DVRs, and more perks at no additional cost. There are no contracts, and with the free trial offers, you have nothing to lose and money to save!
4. Food
Like a lot of bills on this list, you can’t really escape the need for food. However, if you find yourself making impulsive purchases at the grocery store or you eat out more than you should, there may be a solution. Services like Instacart save you the trouble of having to do your shopping. You can opt for pick up or delivery, but someone shops your groceries for you. Many people find that they save money doing this because they put more thought into what they are shopping. It’s also easier to craft a list or meal plan. You can think about what you need, add it to your cart, and then go about your day. Someone else can go through the hassle of shopping for you. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
5. Cell Phone
Most families have at least one cell phone plan with at least one cell phone on it. Depending on the cell phone provider you choose, you could have a host of fees to go with your standard bill. Some services even have you enter into a contract, so you can’t leave without a fee if you’re not satisfied with your service. The common option with cell phones these days is to give you a deal based on the number of phones on your line. So, a company might charge you $60 for a single phone, but $50 per phone/month if you have two phones, and $45 per month if you have three phones. This sounds like a deal, but the prices still add up and that doesn’t include added fees. The good news is that there are companies like Straight Talk Wireless that utilize the main cell towers to offer you the best service, but that charge you a much better price. In fact, lines at Straight Talk start at just $30 per month with no contracts!
How are you saving money on your monthly bills? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
