They don't really have your back.

Discard the idea that your phone company (or companies if you have a land line and mobile service) and credit card providers will let you know when you are eligible for a better rate.

At least once a year, call them up and ask if they can give you a better rate.

It's particularly helpful if you can tell them the lower rate that a competitor is offering (which you can often find with a bit of internet research if your junk mail doesn't announce it). They will almost invariably be able to match that rate.

Comments

[Nick]

Okay not to burst your bubble, but I got a letter from my phone company/internet provider that they were going to give me $5 off per month for six months if I just called them. I expected a sales pitch (They're big on bundling.), but the guy on the phone just spent too much time typing, and told me I was all set. No sales pitch.. $30 for one phone call.. So most of the time they don't have your back, but you can be surprised...

[Dinah]

Well, that's good to hear.

I found out that my provider had been offering a better price to new customers for about a year which would have saved me $20-30 a month. Hence my slight bitterness on this front.