It’s all too easy to forget to renegotiate bills that have flexible pricing, such as your cable, satellite radio, and so on. We’ll walk you through how to set a calendar reminder, so you never forget to negotiate for a lower price again.
I’ve had satellite radio in my car for years, and I’ve consistently paid a so-cheap-nobody-believes-me price for it. The secret to my dirt-cheap rate? I never forget to call and renegotiate my bill a few weeks before it skyrockets to highway-robbery rates.
It’s simple to remember when to renegotiate your bills, cancel a service before a trial period is up, or otherwise avoid paying more than you need to. As soon as you sign up for a service or negotiate a new price for one you already have, open your calendar of choice—be it Google Calendar or one on your phone. Next, create a reminder one week in advance of the deadline.
If you can call to request a lower rate on your credit card every six months, then set a reminder for one week in advance of that six-month mark. If you need to call and threaten to cancel your satellite radio for a lower rate every 12 months, set the reminder accordingly.
It takes mere seconds to set a calendar reminder, but it saves the huge headache of retroactively trying to negotiate a better rate—or paying more for months because you forgot all about it.