It's amazing, but true. God helps those who help themselves. Here are some real examples of how we've saved money by simply asking.
Lower Interest Rates - When my grandparents were still alive, I would sometimes help them with their finances. They didn't really understand how credit card debt worked, and they were really being taking advantage of by the size of their interest rates. So, in one phone call, I was able to drop their rates by 4%. That might not seem like much, but it really added up over time.
Waive Late Fees - During our marriage, Jason and I have been late with one credit card payment. Since we have a good history with the company, I simply called and asked to see if we could skip the $25 fee for our mistake. The call representative didn't even need to ask her manager. In less than 5 minutes, the fee was gone. If you try this, and get a no, try asking for a supervisor.
Lower Your Monthly Costs - A few years ago, I got a glimpse of our telephone/DSL bill, and I was shocked how high the cost was. For DSL alone, we were paying $49.99/month. I called the company to see why it was so high. They said we could get the same services for the following year for $19.99/month for the year and $29.99 for the next two years if we agreed to stay with them during that time. That was our plan anyway, so it was a really easy way to save $840.
Negotiate Lower Service Fees - When it came time for our fuel pump to have a check-up before winter, I really wanted to go with the company who installed it without paying the fee they wanted to charge. So I called a couple of competitors to see who had a better rate. I found one willing to charge $30 less. I called my favorite company back, and they were happy to match the competitor's price. I've even had companies honor coupons from the yellow pages from other companies in order to get my business.
In each of these cases, we saved money for things we would have purchased anyway by simply asking. How have you asked for a savings? Let us know in the comment section below!
I've had good luck asking managers for discounts at stores. Example: I found a Xmas tree 2 years ago on clearance at Michael's. I think they wanted $125, and I found the manager and offered $100. It was their last one and I knew they wanted it gone, so he took my offer. Just make sure you always find a manager, ask quietly, and be serious about purchasing. You can do that a lot with display items, too, as long as it's the last item.
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