Get More for Less: Easy Ways to Save Money Around the House Without Cutting Back

Saving money on household expenses does not always have to mean cutting back or eliminating things that you want or need. From your home entertainment services right down to your utility bills, cutting costs can put more money in your pocket each month. When eliminating services is not an option for you, there are still economical ways in which you can save money. Some of the most common methods to saving money are negotiating, comparison shopping and promotional offers.

Let’s look deeper into how these methods would work in your household.

Home Entertainment Services

When it comes to home entertainment, having services such as your phone, internet, and cable are essential. Though you could certainly save money by eliminating or reducing the services you have, there are other ways that allow you to save money on the same services. In this instance using comparison shopping and promotional offers would be best.

Comparison shopping – There is likely more than one home entertainment service provider in your area. Since each company is vying for your business, they’re going to be willing to offer you a better deal than their competitor. Comparison shopping allows you to see who has the best offers. Check each of the home entertainment service providers in your area and see what prices they offer for the cable, television, and phone services you need. Choose the company that offers the better deal.

Promotional Offers – Another option for getting the services you need for home entertainment without cutting services is to use promotional offers. Many cable companies that offer phone and internet services will offer them as a package deal. This package deal is given for a period of time (3 months to a year). Since many of these companies don’t require you to sign a contract, you can simply look for better promotional offers once yours is expired. This way, you’re always paying the better price for the services you want.

Negotiation – if you like your current service provider, simply contact them and try to negotiate a lesser price. Since they are trying to keep your business, they will do what they can to give you the same services at a more affordable price. Let them know that a competitor is offering the services for a lesser amount and see what the company can offer you.

Utility Bills

Another household expense that can consume your budget is the utility bills. Gas, and electric obviously a necessity, so cutting them is something you can’t do. So how can you use savvy shopping tips to cut the costs in instances like this? Comparison shopping and negotiating work best in this instance.

Comparison Shopping – Many residents are not aware that they have the power to choose their own energy provider. Due to new regulations in many states, residents can now choose which service provider they’d prefer for electricity services. Now you can easily use a price comparison website that allows you to shop electricity rates. Search for an energy service provider in your area that offers better rates than your current supplier and switch.

Negotiate – Again, if you like your current electricity provider but want to see if you can get the price lowered, negotiation is your best tactic. Because of deregulations in various qualifying states, electric companies are more than willing to negotiate with consumers to keep their services. If you find a price at a lower rate through price comparison, bring this up to your current energy provider and see what they can offer you in return.

Household Repairs

Don’t you just hate it when something breaks down in the home? Depending on what it is and the severity of the damage the repair could set you back hundreds if not thousands of dollars. While you can’t go without certain appliances and systems in your home, there are ways in which you can save money on repair and maintenance services. 

Comparison Shopping – again, comparison shopping is your best tool when it comes to shopping for repair services. Look around at the various companies that will provide the repair services you need. Get several quotes (at least three) that give you an accurate read on how much the services will cost you. Lastly, choose the service provider that offers the better deal.

Promotional Deals – There are companies that will offer promotional deals on repair services. For instance, an HVAC company may give you a percentage off your repair services if you sign up for a maintenance contract. While you might not look at this as a savings, maintenance on household systems and appliances actually saves you money in the long run on repairs. Therefore, signing up for a maintenance contract will ensure your systems or appliances are working efficiently while also giving you a discount on your repairs.

Negotiating – Like the credentials of a particular contractor but don’t want to pay the high costs? Sometimes you can use negotiating to your advantage to get a deal. By letting the contractor know that the services are offered at a cheaper rate from a local competitor, they may be willing to come down on the costs. If you know a few people in your neighborhood that are interested in such services as well, you could use that as a negotiating point. Letting the contractor know that you also have two or three residents interested in their services might get you a discount as you’re supplying them with new business.

You as the consumer have a lot more power than you think. When it comes to saving money on products and services around the house, cutting back or eliminating them doesn’t always have to be the answer. Instead use the three savvy shopping strategies: comparison shopping, taking advantage of promotional offers, and negotiating to see if you can get more for less. While it may not work in all cases, it is a great measure to take when you’re looking to balance the budget.