Jason Fitzpatrick
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.
