7 Ways You Can Save Money On Your Monthly Bills

Your monthly bills can drain your income slowly over time, especially if you leave it unchecked to grow. Some companies may offer you a reduced joining up fee for their service, with it going up by double after a year. You may not even realise that it’s gone up, costing you greatly for a service you hardy use.

That’s why you should look at means to reduce your bills and keep them from doubling back up when you’re not aware. This article will explain some of the means to make this happen.

Reduce Your Broadband Bill

Most households will not use the internet as part of their daily life. That’s why there are so many different brands offering broadband services, and why politicians wanted to offer free broadband as a national service. Whilst that has not yet happened, it leaves brands to compete with each other with different rates and broadband speed to entice potential customers. You should look at competitors to find different deals that suit you.

Save Costs On Water Bills

There will be a few different ways you pay your water bill. Depending on your supplier, you could be paying water weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly. In some rare cases, you could also be paying your water bill annually. It’s worth finding a term for billing that suits you and your household, as you may have the money to pay weekly, rather than every few months as it will be a bigger fee.

Consider how you are spending your water allowance too. Are you paying an estimated bill or by the meter? Consider cutting down on wastewater, such as running the shower for a while before you are getting in, or turning the dishwasher on when it’s not yet full. You will be surprised at how many little changes can make to your bill.

Speak To Your Electricity And Gas Supplier

It is always worth speaking to your electricity and gas supplier. That’s because they will have a range of different tariffs that you can sign up to, that could be more tailored for your budget. Many people just assume that your electricity and gas bill is locked in for what you use, but certain suppliers will offer different options.

Your supplier may be more inclined to offer you a generous agreement if you are thinking of swapping to a different supplier. Likewise, a new supplier may offer you a generous contract over a fixed term to gain your business. Speak to a few different people to help gauge your options, and find the best deal for yourself.

Don’t Neglect Your Phone Plan

You would be surprised to hear how much money you could be wasting on a phone plan that you simply don’t need. That’s because people will pay premium prices for unlimited data, minutes and texts on the newest phones, despite the fact they won’t ever use much of it.

That’s one of the reasons that people choose to purchase their phones outright, as they can then pay a smaller fee each month. Of course, this still promotes the problem of having to pay for the phone outright, which can oftentimes cost over £1000. That’s why it’s a good idea if you have the money or have been gifted, but problematic otherwise.

You can also adopt SIM-only plans, which means you pay for what you use. There will be a variety of bundles available, that allow you to choose from a selection of minutes, texts and data usage month to month. This allows you to prepare in advance for months where you don’t need as much data or minutes, and to get more when you need it.

These plans can benefit you internationally too for whenever you are off visiting people for business or personal reasons. Lebara offers cheap SIM-only deals that will allow you to pick and choose your plans, from a monthly basis up to a year. Using the award-winning Vodafone network, they can allow international minutes in over 41 major countries.

With a more tailored cheaper phone plan, you will start to see your monthly bills decrease, allowing you to focus money elsewhere, or save in general. You will find that your phone plan is more suited to your life when you have more control over it.

Look Into Council Tax Payments

Many people don’t like paying taxes of any kind, especially when they see a large amount of their salary going out in the payslip. Of course, these tax payments help to pay towards a range of different public services that everyone can benefit from. This will include health services, as well as helping to fund the police.

Council tax payments will go more towards local services that happen around you directly. Despite the many benefits associated with council tax payments, not everyone will be able to afford them or contribute as much as they like.

Fortunately, the government and local councils have plans in place for just this. You can apply for council tax reduction, or find out if you’re eligible, to greatly reduce the amount you pay each month.

These same services could also offer you monthly grants to help you with affording bills such as rent or utility. The amount you get will depend on how much income you have, as well as how much your current bills are.

Reduce Public Transport Costs And Car Bills

You may notice that a lot of your money gets drained with the costs associated with commuting to work or just getting about in general. That’s why you should look into how much public transport you are using, and work out how much of it is essential. If you find that a lot of it is being used for work purposes, then it could be time to look into season tickets.

These types of tickets, which exist for both busses and trains, allow an individual to purchase a commuting ticket that will last for a set amount of time. For example, you could get an annual ticket, which will be a costly one lump sum but save you money over the year, and prevent you from paying each month.

If you drive, then you could look into finding ways to reduce your car bills. This could be to do with fuel, limiting the amount you need, or reducing your free driving time. Certain car models will require different amounts of tax, so consider swapping your car for a model that will save you costs on tax. Aside from road tax, you will have to think about the car insurance you pay, which can also be reduced through different models.

Don’t Fall Behind On Payments

Importantly, if you are looking to reduce your monthly bills, then an important part of that is to not fall behind on any of your payments in general. If you fall behind on a payment or two then it will mean you have to pay it alongside the next months bill for the same bill. This could mean you fall behind on the next payment, which starts a vicious circle.

Consider speaking to a financial advisor, or planning your financials in general. Understanding where your money goes, with knowing what’s a priority or not, will help you to gain control over your money and not fall behind in the future.