Month 6: Review and Negotiate – Your Mid-Year Check-In

You’ve been at this for six months! It’s time to pause and see how things are going. Pull out your budget notebook and ask yourself a few questions. Which spending categories were easy to stick to? Which ones were consistently difficult? If you always seem to run out of “grocery” money by the third week, maybe your initial estimate was too low. It’s okay to adjust your budget. It’s a living document, not a stone tablet.

This month’s action item is to try and lower one of your fixed bills. Many people assume these prices are non-negotiable, but that’s not always true. Your target is a service bill, like cable TV, internet, or your cell phone plan.

Call the customer service number and be polite but firm. Explain that you are on a fixed income and are reviewing all your expenses to find ways to save. Ask a simple question: “Are there any promotions or loyalty discounts available to me to lower my monthly bill?” Sometimes they have newer, cheaper plans they haven’t told you about. They may offer a temporary discount for a year. If they say no, ask if there are any services you can cut to reduce the cost, like slower internet speed or fewer cable channels. The worst they can say is no, but a 15-minute phone call could save you hundreds of dollars over a year.