By Marsha Barnes
Have you ever been fed up with the bills that you pay monthly? You’re unaware of how much you pay
over each month, why you’re paying it, what fees are being added and whose to blame for the light bill being so high (…cut those lights off).
Many become comfortable with simply paying the bills and zooming in on the amount that they fail to review their statement thoroughly (practice this habit). It is extremely common for families to stare at $200, $300 and in some cases $400 utility expenses consistently each month. This can be a hard pill to swallow when money is already tight.
What if you could have a dream amount that you would prefer to pay for all of your utilities, insurance, groceries, etc? How much could you really save?
This week we have a resource for you to take the first leap towards dreaming and saving more.
Download the My Beautiful Savings Plan document here.
- Fill in the name of the monthly expense.
- Pull out your current monthly statement and identify the approximate amount that you pay per month.
- DREAM big. Fill in the space labeled “What I want to spend.”
- Call each creditor and negotiate your current rate. There are tons of opportunities.
- Grab a calculator and subtract the current amount from the “What I want to spend” amount, or the amount that has been adjusted. This will provide you with the amount that can be saved.
Remember the answer from your creditors can only be yes or no. Take a shot at changing your situation. Dial them up! Let us know how this exercise worked for you.
Marsha Barnes is the owner The Finance Bar. Visit www.financebar.com for more information.