5 Ways One Phone Call Can Lower Your Biggest Monthly Bills

Finding ways to reduce the cost of household bills is paramount for many consumers. The average American consumer spends over $4,600 on household expenses every month. More to the point, Consumer Affairs found that in 2025, households spent an average of $2,058 each month on essential bills. That's a lot of dough to keep the lights on and the wheels turning, especially since the average income last year was about $5,550 per month before taxes (via SoFi). Some expenses are largely immovable objects: You can't haggle over the price of eggs or bacon at your local grocery store. Others actually exhibit quite a bit of leeway, allowing for plenty of room to improve things and take the tension off your wallet. Calling up your phone company, utility provider (electricity, gas, etc.), or even your credit card issuer can yield a better rate or more favorable payment terms. But it's all in the way you approach the agent on the other end of the line. If you want something from them, you'll need to understand the game and play it with intelligence.

Naturally, there are many other things that can be done to reduce household maintenance costs. Homeowners looking to reduce their heating bill can try caulking the windows. It's an affordable and simple solution that's easy to overlook. But caulking seams requires both authorization (which renters may not have) and some skill with handheld tools. Calling a service provider, on the other hand, demands just a bit of your time and persuasive efforts.

The best way to endear yourself to a customer service agent on the other end of the line is to start off appreciative and approachable. There's no need to argue or shout, especially not at this stage. There's a reason why they say you catch more flies with honey. Meeting the person on the other end of the line at a human level allows for the empathy machine to kick into full gear. Remember: The person you're talking to doesn't own the company, they're a worker bee just like you. If you can build a rapport (something that's often central to what the agent is looking to do with you), getting them on your side and making an ask becomes easier.

Perhaps the easiest question of them all involves discounts. You might ask about offers broadly, saying something like "what discounts can you offer me?" This can be a valuable approach for virtually all of your unavoidable monthly bills, from electricity to internet and cable service, and even across some insurance products like those covering your home or car. The simple act of asking for a better offer can sometimes be enough to move the needle. You don't get what you don't ask for, so taking the time to make some calls to your service providers and simply asking for a discount can ultimately yield you a few price reductions with little effort.

It's usually not a great idea to get into an argument with someone you are hoping to entice to help you. Shouting should essentially always be off the table, and other tense language and tones will equally sour the mood. These can make your ask much harder to make, and far easier for a frustrated agent to shoot down. However, there is one exception that can be immensely valuable. Don't argue or get angry; instead, simply say that you're thinking about (or planning to) cancel your account and move to a competitor's service. 

Specifically, you'll want to have a figure at the ready. If you're paying $100 every month for gas to heat your home and a different company looks set to charge you $85, say those figures matter-of-factly and then stop talking. Allow the threat to linger briefly without getting aggressive, and you're often likely to receive a competitive counteroffer. Sometimes, you'll be offered a price match, which effectively gives you the competitor's price without the hassle of actually moving. In some rare cases, you might even get an offer from your provider that beats the stated rate. Yet, in the worst-case scenario, if you've done your homework then you know that you can make a switch and save money, and may just do exactly that. If your provider is unwilling to come down to a rate you're happy with, simply make the change to lock in the new, discounted rate. Best of all, in another year or so, you'll be able to use your previous provider's new client rates as your next bargaining chip.

If you want to try a focused approach while making it clear you want to stay put, spending a bit of time searching for various discount options before placing a call to your provider can help. Two buckets come into the picture here. As an existing customer, you may be eligible for loyalty offers. When considering your insurance products, this might come in the form of a no-claims discount or a multi-year bonus rate reducer. With your phone bill, sometimes companies are willing to give you a free upgrade or reduce the cost of a more expensive device when you re-sign for a new term. These can be valuable ways to leverage your history with the company, and many service providers do in fact reward their loyal customers. The best results of this line of questioning come after asking to be transferred to the loyalty team or a similar branch within the brand's call center ecosystem.

On the other hand, if you explore the new customer rates that your provider is offering, you might be able to snag a steep discount even as an existing user. Even with your status making this seem like a non-starter, in many cases, agents have relatively broad authority to authorize rate cuts. This can include applying discounts you aren't immediately eligible to receive.

Credit card issuers might seem like unapproachable walls. They're often gigantic companies that don't appear to be flexible. But in practice, these brands know that the best way to keep their clients paying (and for them, ideally that means with added interest charges) is to keep them at least somewhat happy. Surprising to some, credit card companies are actually fairly amenable when it comes to negotiating better repayment terms. All you have to do is pick up the phone and ask. Often, you'll find a helpful and understanding agent on the other end of the line.

It's entirely possible to negotiate a better interest rate or gain a temporary reprieve from your repayment obligations in the form of a deferral or grace period. Those who have had trouble making their minimum payments in recent months might consider calling in to discuss a payment plan to get back on track, potentially settling on a manageable figure in the short term while clearing the account's late status. For those really struggling, it's even possible to settle the account with a payment plan or lump sum for less than is owed in order to close the account and move on. Borrowers have plenty of options available to them during times of difficulty, but first they need to pick up the phone. On another note, negotiating more favorable terms or account status treatments can even be an easy way to raise your credit score.

Homeowners looking to reduce their monthly repayment costs might consider recasting their mortgage. This involves a lump sum payment to the bank that makes a dent in your remaining balance. If you've received a tidy bonus or a large tax refund check, this can be a uniquely valuable way to make those funds work for you over an extended period of time. Once you've paid a tranche of money into the mortgage, you can have your bank re-amortize the loan, meaning they'll recalculate the monthly figure required to finish paying off the loan under the existing timeline. With a bulk of additional equity in your back pocket, this can lower your monthly bill by a noticeable margin.

Renters also have options to restructure their monthly housing costs, if you're facing difficulties, you might ask your landlord for a temporary rate cut. This might be followed up by a promise to make up the difference over a set time period in the future. You might also consider offering something of value in return for a rent decrease. You might offer to paint the walls or handle some of the communal property maintenance if you live in a shared building. Landlords also frequently seek stability, so when it comes time to sign a new lease, you might have some luck trading a longer commitment for a rate reduction. In a property that's not in spectacular form, you may also be able to negotiate a lower cost in exchange for living with old carpeting or an aging kitchen rather than asking for renovations.