More and more of our utility companies are offering a low cost rate for X amount of time at a very good price to lure you into signing up for their service. Cable and cell phone companies are the worst.
Before signing up though, you need to find out what the cost of that service will be after that X amount of time expires. The companies won't want to give that information up, because the price after that time is so much higher than what it is during the sale period. But if you are persistent, insistent, and determined you will be able to get the answer. Whether you like the answer or not is an individual choice. But it's the only way to make an informed decision.
Before we signed up for the cable package we have, I forced them to tell me what the future cost would be after the initial sale period ended. It took a lot of arguing, but they finally told me what it would be.
Unfortunately we didn't do this when we got our cell phones. Initially we were paying a very low price and were extremely happy. But as soon as the sale period ended, wham! Our bill almost doubled. Then 6 months later it went up again another almost $15. It has gone up twice since the initial sale period ended.
So it's extremely important to force the company to tell you what the price will be after the sale period ends. That way you can make an intelligent informed decision.
By Cricket from NC
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I spoke with my provider, AT&T, on another subject today, and learned something very useful in process. Because I am low-income enough to qualify for food stamps, I qualify for AT&T's Lifeline discount.
Looking to lower fees for your carriers, like insurance companies, TV, phones, computer, etc.? First, I bundled (calling one carrier such as AT&T to combine multiple services) which is a HUGE savings.
When washing your dishes in the dishwasher, set the control panels to use less water and less drying time. Using the most eco friendly settings your dishwasher may have.
Some utility companies, such as water and electric offer 2 or more rate times through out the day. Check and see if yours does, and then act accordingly.
The high temp today is -5 (Fahrenheit) and falling toward -15. Fearing my face will crack, I'm staying in. I could set the thermostat at 72 degrees, but it's at 64. I don't need to be cheap, but I want to.
Check with your cell phone provider to see what discounts you may qualify for. Most people are aware that auto insurance companies give discounts, but are not aware that cell phone companies do as well.
In my area, the trash company and the wireless internet company are locally owed. In reading the fine print on the bills, I discovered some interesting savings.
If you know you are going to be away for more than two months, suspend your cable TV and internet. It will only cost $5 or $10 a month to do this, so you save a lot of money.
Check with your electric company for savings you may be overlooking. This is especially true if you are on a co-op system, and often also true if you are on a town electrical system.
It seems that everyone is concerned with replacing their incandescent bulbs with the compact-fluorescents to save on energy costs, however the worst offender in utility costs is the WATER HEATER. It operates 24/7/365 and we're not talking about saving just a few watts (or BTUs) per evening :).
Today, I was able to go to my city's offices and pick up a landfill coupon. It will pay for a dump run for all the things I can't donate or recycle as I get organized this spring.
