How to Save Money Every Month
Posted by Guest on March 5, 2010
One of the ways we all go through money is through subscriptions. If you’re like me, a lot of people are dinging credit cards each month. These fees add up and so I’m always looking for ways to cut back or at least be mindful about what I’m spending. I try to see if I’m being redundant.
I’m not saying all monthly fees are bad – but that you choose them wisely according to what your present needs and patterns are. The expenses that kill me is when I sign up for something online, forget about it and never use it (you’ve never done that, right??).
The best way to track these things is to check your credit card statements regularly.
Here are some of the monthly charges I pay:
Cable TV – I bundle this with my internet, but when I went to cancel, they offered me a better deal. If you’re like me though, you watch certain shows most of the time. Why not pay for just those shows? This DISH Network reseller has a calculator on their site that lets you put in the tv shows you want to see and it calculates the cost for you.
NetFlix – I’m canceling this one soon. We don’t watch movies enough, and I like going to the local dollar theater. However, there aren’t a lot of options for getting movies in my town beyond Redbox. A premium movie channel plus the internet may take the place of Netflix. I may as well look for the movies on eBay that I really want to see and own – it would be cheaper.
Cell phone – This one kills me. Enough said. I could go to a prepaid service like TracFone, but with my talking, that’s not an option. But perhaps you could really save by doing this.
Internet - Have to have. Period.
Gym – I won’t give this up (I’m a Curves girl) because it keeps me motivated to stay in shape plus its social interaction, which is important because I work online. Alone. It’s isolating. Working out with a group of women every day is good, so I’ll continue to pay. It saves on the therapist bill. 
Clubs, Newsletters, Subscriptions, Membership Fees – Stay on top of these. If they aren’t adding value, cancel them. For example, I signed up for a kid’s club with other moms. But then I found that most of the events were so crowded that I dreaded going. Plus the children were a lot younger than my son. So I canceled. My best savings was on my Costco card. I downgraded from a business to a regular card when my spending habits changed. They refunded the difference between what I spent and what I would’ve spent had I been on the lower price card. There are ways to get magazines cheaper (look on eBay) or share subscriptions but pair down to what you really read and enjoy.
Once I signed my son up for Club Penguin. He didn’t use it after the first month, and I didn’t notice it for a few after. I decided I won’t sign up for something I don’t budget and that I have to remember to cancel. Pre-pay when possible for a set timeframe.
How do you save on subscriptions? What ones can’t you live without?
This guest post was provided by Sterling Satellite, a Top Five Dish Network Dealer that has been in business since 2003. They offer extraordinary customer service, which they believe is their competitive advantage.
Many companies will sell you DISH Network. In their effort to provide outstanding service, they go one step further than the competition and assist their customers in determining the best package to meet their unique needs.
Many manufacturers offer rebates for the full purchase price of products. The companies make their money by hopefully gaining you as a customer or by you forgetting to mail in the rebate forms! But you can make money as well as get free products by using a coupon when you make the initial purchase because you’ll get the original purchase price refunded. A lot of refund offers are “guarantees” where you need to include why you dislike the product. You can still like the actual product, but maybe you don’t like the packaging or the price is too high to buy regularly. Those are legitimate reasons for a refund as well. If you can’t use the products yourself, put them in a gift basket or donate to your local food pantry!
