It's the Little Things

Little things add up. Keep a jar and toss your change in it every day, when the jar is full... start another one. This is a pretty obvious way to see that little things add up. Others aren't quite so glaringly obvious.

Do you review your monthly bills? Most people don't really look at them too much. They scan over them and pay the amount requested. However, bills need to be reviewed for accuracy. Do you really want to pay the phone company extra each month for services you aren't using? Remove the line maintenance fee! It's like buying an extended warranty. Check for other fees.

I have two phone lines, for one I was being charged a rate for having touch-tone, the other I wasn't. All my phones are touch-tone... why was I being charged for one and not the other? I asked for the charge to be removed. I'd requested bundle billing with my dsl, phone service and unlimited long distance. This was to save me some money each month. A review of my bill after requesting the bundle, showed that they didn't bundle it. Another phone call.

It can be frustrating to deal with these things and that's why I'm sure most folks would rather not. But, think of that change jar. If your utilities are hitting you for $1 here or $3 there in extra charges, it doesn't take very long for that to add up. Double check your meter readings... I've had them reported incorrectly. Take a good look at that bank statement, I've had the bank erroneously enter a $10 check from my account as a $100 check. That was a messy error. All of these entities rely on a combination of humans and computers... mistakes do happen.

So, take the time to really look over your bills and note any changes. If necessary, prepare to approach the entity regarding the error. Remain calm. It's not the person on the other end of the phone line's fault that an error was made and they aren't personally profiting from the mistake. Remain vigilant. It may take several attempts to correct the problem. If you keep decent records though, it should all work out in your favor.