Jump Start January: Week 1: Day 5

Earlier this week, we had a quick look through our bank accounts. Today, it’s time to pick just one of your regular expenses and find yourself a better deal.

You’ve probably already seen something where there’s room for improvement: insurance, utilities, broadband, phone, mortgage, savings interest, TV subscription, and so on.

Take it step by step:

• Check your current usage levels. Could you move to a simpler tariff? Or do you need a new provider?

• Check your contract for penalty clauses.

• Research the market via comparison websites and newspaper best buys.

• Try haggling. A polite and friendly approach can work wonders.

• Check the small print of any new deal you are offered.

• Look out for cashback deals on mobiles, energy bills, insurance etc, before buying.

I’ll be renegotiating my mobile phone tariff today. Foolishly underestimated the amount of data I get through in an average month, and went for a very low cost contract originally – and I have been hit with silly top-up charges in the last couple of months. So I’m either going to step up to ‘unlimited’ (it isn’t ever truly unlimited, but the threshold looks about right for my usage patterns), or I’ll try to negotiate a low-cost deal for a little bit more data.

If there’s time after that I might research gas prices as I think we’re coming to the end of our current contract.

How about you? Where do you think you’re getting the worst deal? Which expense could you fix the fastest?

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The pennygolightly.com Jump Start 2013 ebook is now available at Amazon. You can use it all year round, and it contains all kinds of extra tips and resources to make your Jump Start January go with a bang. We’ve put loads of work into it and we’ve deliberately kept the price nice and low – please buy one and help support this site. There’s more information about the ebook here.