I love following J Money’s “Challenge Everything” series on Budgets are Sexy. If you haven’t heard of it, J selects a different bill each month and tries to lower it. Sometimes, he explores side hustles to make extra money, which all gets added to a special fund he uses for anything he wants. He’s managed to save over $4,000 so far!
I’m a big believer in regularly reviewing your budget and challenging your bills to get better deals. From my experience, almost everything is negotiable if you look for competition. For instance, once we saved over $1,100 on auto insurance with just a few emails.
But I get that for some people, finding better deals can be daunting. Knowing where to start and how to approach it can be tricky. That’s why discovering Cinch was exciting. Cinch is a financial website that offers a unique service: you send them a bill, and a real person audits it for you, not just some automated suggestion.
Unlike other sites that auto-suggest services without detailing potential savings, Cinch has a person to give you tailored advice for free. I tested this with my Comcast cable and internet bill. Cinch came back with two suggestions: ask Comcast to match AT&T U-verse’s price or switch to AT&T U-verse. Both were solid options without me having to do the research.
Cinch also helps you find better credit card rewards by comparing your current card to others with higher rewards. They can estimate how much more you could earn and offer personalized recommendations based on your spending habits. Credit card rewards vary, from travel miles to merchandise points, and popular cashback options that reduce purchase costs if you pay your balance monthly.
Although Cinch has various savings suggestions for banking, auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and mortgages, they had limited options in my area because the site is still expanding.
Whether you use a site like Cinch or do it yourself, challenging your bills is one of the easiest ways to save money each month and stay on track with your financial goals. The key is to stay motivated and make a habit of it. Like J Money, start a special fund for your savings and watch it grow. You’ll be glad you did!
Note: This was a compensated review.
