Website design By BotEap.comMy Five Minute Money Manager series seems to be going pretty well. So I thought I’d keep things going with a little lesson on how to save money on bills.

Website design By BotEap.comOf course, we all have different types of bills, so I’ll start the discussion with just three bills and then move on to some general comments. I’d like to talk to you about your phone, cable, and internet bills.

Website design By BotEap.comFirst of all, when I got serious about my finances, I was able to make some significant savings with just these three bills. And it was incredibly simple. First I looked at my home phone bill (of course this was when I actually had a phone at home, but that’s for another discussion). My home phone bill at the time was about $40 a month. At the time, both my wife and I had cell phones, so to be honest, the biggest users of our home phone line were telemarketers. Before we decided to remove the phone from our house, I took a good look at the bill. They charged me extra for call waiting, extra for call back, extra for three-way calling, and extra for voice mail. Needless to say, we did not need any of these services. One phone call to the phone company, and after convincing them I didn’t really need all those services, I cut my bill from $40 to about $23. That’s $17 in savings per month and $204 per year.

Website design By BotEap.comWire. When I decided to be realistic about my financial situation, I also saved a lot here. At the time, I think it had the second largest channel package one could have, and it had two movie channels. Here’s my take on the subject: Unless you’re absolutely addicted to movies, and unless you have all the extra time in the world, and unless you can’t think of anything better to do than sit and watch TV all day, then cut some of these things off. I went down to the second lowest package (there are some shows I like to watch) and removed the two pay channels. This cut my cable bill from just under $100 to $62 per month. Savings of $38 per month, $456 per year.

Website design By BotEap.comFinally, the Internet. Years ago, she would have told him to slow down his connection to save some money; I doubt she would say that ever again. However, depending on your internet usage, it may be worth looking into. I did this a long time ago and only saved $5 a month so you be the judge if it’s worth it or not. I mention internet along with cable and phone because if you’re not currently doing that, you should seriously consider bundling these three services for even more savings. Believe it or not, currently, for these three services, I am paying $63 per month.

Website design By BotEap.comOn how to save money on bills in general, here are some tips. First, check your bills. Second, if something suddenly goes up a month for no reason, do your research! Half of getting your finances in order is getting started, and the other half is taking action when you see something that isn’t right. Of course, I’m oversimplifying, but not by much. Third, get organized. Saving your monthly statements can be an advantage. It might be something you won’t need to refer to for years, but the one time you do, you’ll be glad you did. Also, it’s always good to have these copies on hand if disputes ever arise.