Conventional wisdom tells us that everything gets more expensive over time and there's nothing we can do about it. That's not the case. If you feel like your paycheck has evaporated after you've paid your cellphone bill, car insurance, the utilities, and the cable bill, here's a bill-by-bill guide to lowering your monthly expenses and keeping more cash in your pocket.


For most of us, following a few simple tips and practicing a little customer service savvy can save a lot of money every month without sacrificing your lifestyle to do it. Below, I've laid out a guide to doing just that with each of your monthly bills. You can tackle the entire guide as a whole, or, if you have one bill in particular that's putting an unjustifiable drain on your pocket, just click on that bill in the table of contents below. Photo by Brendan Wood.

Table of Contents


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Cable/Fiber/Satellite Television and Internet

Some of the best ways to get a deal on your cable or satellite bill Bryan Brenneman

Use BillShrink : BillShrink help you compare cable and satellite television services Update : Sadly, Billshrink has shut down.

: : Sadly, Change or Downgrade Plans : Do you really need all of the premium channels, or are you paying for premium content that you're actually not using? Cable and satellite companies purposefully obfuscate how your experience will change when you step from one tier to another, and the only way to cut through it is to contact them and ask. One tip: call and pose as someone looking to upgrade or buy new service, and ask them to help you understand what the difference in plans means for actual channels.

: Do you really need all of the premium channels, or are you paying for premium content that you're actually not using? Cable and satellite companies purposefully obfuscate how your experience will change when you step from one tier to another, and the only way to cut through it is to contact them and ask. One tip: call and pose as someone looking to upgrade or buy new service, and ask them to help you understand what the difference in plans means for actual channels. Ask For It : Sometimes all you have to do is ask nicely, and a customer service representative will give you a lower rate. When Comcast sent me a notice saying they would need to increase my monthly rate by $15/month, I called to downgrade my plan. The rep I spoke with asked me how much I was paying now, and told me to name my own price. I didn't just walk away free of the increase, but I got a promotional rate for three months, after which the bill went up to the rate I had before.

: Sometimes all you have to do is ask nicely, and a customer service representative will give you a lower rate. When Comcast sent me a notice saying they would need to increase my monthly rate by $15/month, I called to downgrade my plan. The rep I spoke with asked me how much I was paying now, and told me to name my own price. I didn't just walk away free of the increase, but I got a promotional rate for three months, after which the bill went up to the rate I had before. Sometimes the secret is to ask to speak to your cable or internet provider's "customer retention" department. Your mileage may vary, but it's usually this group's job to make sure you stay a paying customer, and they have broad powers to make sure that's the case. A bump down to a promotional rate is usually the least they can do.


How to Reduce Your Cable TV Bill If you're not ready to cut the cable bill entirely just yet, here are a few methods to help offset… Read more


Water

Many of us, especially renters, don't need to worry about water and sewer charges, because they may be parceled out by your management company or included in the lease. For those who do pay a water bill, or who want to make sure to save as much water as possible, here are a few ways to keep your money from going down the drain: (see what I did there?) Photo by Kevin Marsh

Install Low-Flow Toilets and Fixtures : This one won't win over the folks (like me) who prefer high water-pressure in the shower, but a low-flow toilet, showerhead, or garden hose can save water and money on your monthly bills. Low-flow appliances got a bad reputation when they were first introduced because many users found they used more water trying to flush toilets or get good clean showers, but their quality has improved dramatically over the years.

: This one won't win over the folks (like me) who prefer high water-pressure in the shower, but a low-flow toilet, showerhead, or garden hose can save water and money on your monthly bills. Low-flow appliances got a bad reputation when they were first introduced because many users found they used more water trying to flush toilets or get good clean showers, but their quality has improved dramatically over the years. The National Resources Defense Council has an excellent guide to case studies the Tuscon Green Times

Check for Leaks : One of the best ways to make sure you're not wasting water is to make sure your plumbing isn't wasting it even when all the faucets are closed. Check under your sinks and behind your toilets for water damage and leaks. Even small leaks can add up to a lot of money over the course of a year.

: One of the best ways to make sure you're not wasting water is to make sure your plumbing isn't wasting it even when all the faucets are closed. Check under your sinks and behind your toilets for water damage and leaks. Even small leaks can add up to a lot of money over the course of a year. Hack Your Toilet : If you're up for a weekend project, you can buy a retrofit kit turn any toilet into a low-flow one

: If you're up for a weekend project, you can Take Navy Showers: Jump in, get wet, turn off the water. Soap up and clean yourself off, then turn the shower back on to rinse. It's a simple way to use very little water


Credit Cards

Most of us have credit cards, and most of us have a standing balance on one or more of them. Credit cards are, for most Americans, one of the single largest long-term money sinks that don't actually appreciate in value the way a mortgage on a home does, or a student loans does on your earning potential. While it's difficult to save on balances, here are some ways to cut your interest rate. Photo by Images of Money

Find a lower-interest credit card, or one with rewards : Mint, one of our favorite financial management services, can also help you find a low-interest credit card. If you have your banking and credit accounts in Mint already, the service will even tell you how much you would save by switching your balances over to that card.

: Mint, one of our favorite financial management services, can also help you find a low-interest credit card. If you have your banking and credit accounts in Mint already, the service will even tell you how much you would save by switching your balances over to that card. Also, even if you're in it for the low-interest, it's worth looking into a good rewards card paying for anything you could get for free

Transfer balances to a lower-interest card : If you have a standing balance on a high-interest card and no balance on a low-interest card, or even if you can get a low-interest card to transfer your balance to, you could save thousands of dollars in interest by shifting that balance to a lower-interest card while you pay it off. You'll usually have to pay a small fee to do the balance transfer, but many credit card companies waive that fee, especially for new customers or customers who have been with them for a long time.

: If you have a standing balance on a high-interest card and no balance on a low-interest card, or even if you can get a low-interest card to transfer your balance to, you could save thousands of dollars in interest by shifting that balance to a lower-interest card while you pay it off. You'll usually have to pay a small fee to do the balance transfer, but many credit card companies waive that fee, especially for new customers or customers who have been with them for a long time. Call and Ask: Credit cards are another type of bill where it pays to just get on the phone one day, talk to a customer service representative, and let them know you've been a paying customer for a long time and you'd really appreciate a break on your interestr rate. In some cases, they'll grant your wish, dropping your rate a few points. In other cases, even if they say no, let them know you're planning a balance transfer to a low interest card with their competitor. They'll usually turn around, and if not, make good on the threat.


Five Best Rewards Credit Cards The right rewards credit card offers great perks and bonuses for spending the money you were… Read more


Irregular Bills

Not every bill comes in an envelope every month. Some services and charge aren't quite so regular. That doesn't mean you can't save some dough when it comes time to pay up for your car insurance or gaming habits. Photo by Andrew Steinmetz

Insurance : Even if you have a car insurance company that you love or a health insurance provider that you tolerate, it's a smart idea to shop around and make sure you're getting the best possible rate for the type of driver you are. For car insurance, there's simply too much competition in the market for you to not be able to get a better deal just by offering to move to a new company, assuming they can offer the same level of protection you already have.

: Even if you have a car insurance company that you love or a health insurance provider that you tolerate, it's a smart idea to shop around and make sure you're getting the best possible rate for the type of driver you are. For car insurance, there's simply too much competition in the market for you to not be able to get a better deal just by offering to move to a new company, assuming they can offer the same level of protection you already have. Similarly, if you do find another insurance provider offering a lower rate, odds are your current provider is willing to meet it in order to keep your business. While you're on the phone with them, see if they'll toss in a deal on renter's insurance, or if you can save some money by combining policies they'll toss it in for free Mint can also help you find affordable auto insurance

For health insurance, look into previously mentioned Simplee

Netflix/Blockbuster/Vudu/Amazon Instant Video : Yes, you can save money on your cable or satellite bill by switching to a streaming video service. Many of you have, but you can also save some money by pitting streaming video services against one another to find the one with the catalog you like the most and the lowest prices.

: Yes, you can save money on your cable or satellite bill by switching to a streaming video service. Many of you have, but you can also save some money by pitting streaming video services against one another to find the one with the catalog you like the most and the lowest prices. Even with Netflix incoming price hikes Blockbuster Vudu Amazon Instant Video

Gaming : If you play a subscription-based massively-multiplayer game and pay every month for the privilege to do so, odds are the company you're paying will offer you a lower per-month rate if you sign up to be billed for several months at once. So instead of paying $14.99/month, change your plan to be billed every three months and you'll usually get charged $38.99 every three months, or the equivalent of $12.99.

: If you play a subscription-based massively-multiplayer game and pay every month for the privilege to do so, odds are the company you're paying will offer you a lower per-month rate if you sign up to be billed for several months at once. So instead of paying $14.99/month, change your plan to be billed every three months and you'll usually get charged $38.99 every three months, or the equivalent of $12.99. Tired of paying to play at all? The free-to-play game market is heating up, and there are plenty of rich multiplayer titles available that let you play for free and only pay when there's something you want to do.

Alternatively, subscribe to a service like GameFly OnLive

We can't stress enough how much you can save a lot of money in many cases just by asking. More businesses than you may think are interested in keeping customers and will offer you discounts to make sure you stay with them. If you encounter someone who doesn't seem to feel that way, call back until you find someone who does. In the worst case, think about whether the service you're paying for actually enriches your life, and if it doesn't, let it go. You'll probably be happier with the money you've saved.

Take the time to look at how and where you spend your money, and you'll likely find things that you thought you wouldn't be able to negotiate prices on that you're actually very able to get a break over. Whether it's your favorite video game or your electric bill, there are opportunities to put more of the money you see going out the door every month back into your pocket, or better yet invested into your future.

Are there monthly bills that you wish you could lower or be rid of that we didn't cover here? Share your tips in the comments below.


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You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter.