{"id":18877,"date":"2025-11-20T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T14:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/?p=18877"},"modified":"2026-02-02T12:27:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:27:25","slug":"lowering-your-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discover.com\/online-banking\/banking-topics\/lowering-your-bills\/","title":{"rendered":"Lowering your bills: 6 tips to save money monthly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Housing, utilities, credit cards, streaming services\u2014the list of bills is often longer and costlier than anyone likes. But guess what? In many cases, you can negotiate or otherwise reduce your \u201cfixed\u201d expenses\u2014which can make sticking to your budget a far easier task, especially if you\u2019ve already trimmed your spending elsewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are six tips to help you save money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to lower bills at home: Negotiate your bill payments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most people never consider asking a big corporation\u2014like an internet provider or utility company\u2014for a lower monthly charge. But these providers can bend the rules on their rates more than you think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calling a phone, cable, or other utility company to say, \u201cI\u2019m interested in lowering my bills,\u201d can<\/em> be fruitful. For example, you may be able to negotiate with companies to remove a recent late fee or reduce your monthly rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider fixed pricing plans for utilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To manage your utility bills, consider switching your electricity, gas, or water bill to a fixed-price plan, sometimes called \u201cbudget billing<\/a>.\u201d You\u2019ll incur the same charge each month\u2014as determined by your utility company based on your past usage\u2014which can remove surprises from your monthly budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Your utility usage is very likely to change over time\u2014maybe a mild summer meant you used your air conditioner less often or a brutal winter led to spiking heat costs. As a result, your monthly amount will likely change as well when a new year begins, but utility companies will typically notify you in advance of any change.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If energy costs decrease overall, you may pay more annually on a fixed-price plan than on a traditional plan, where amounts will vary month over month.  But depending on your budgeting needs, it might be worth it in exchange for predictability.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downgrade, rotate, or bundle streaming services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve amassed several streaming services\u2014and who hasn\u2019t?\u2014you may be paying a premium to watch only a handful of shows. If so, here are a few strategies to manage subscriptions<\/a> to consider when trying to lower your bills: <\/p>\n\n\n\n