<prompt> Human: Just a friendly reminder to do a quick review of your recurring monthly bills and see if you can easily lower anything! I do this every 6 months or so, and its a pretty painless way to make sure youre not paying for things you dont need, but also ensuring that you get the best price for everything.First, I make a list of all of my recurring bills eg. phone, internet, cable, etc.. Then, I call every company I can and just straight up ask if I can pay less. I dont ask to change my service or features unless I want to. I just ask politely if I can pay less money. And guess what? A lot of times, it works. Companies REALLY dont want to lose your business, especially when there are similar alternatives eg. cable vs. satellite TV or much cheaper alternatives cable vs. cord-cutting, so theyll usually bend over backwards to retain you. All you have to do is ask. And as far as total time involved? I wrote most of this while on hold with Comcast for 15 minutes, and the whole process took under 2 hours.Heres a list of things I currently pay and ways I reduce my monthly bills:1. Internet Comcast: I only have internet with them, and right now Im paying 50month for their blast internet, which is fast enough for me. Every time I call, they lock me into that rate for another 6-12 months. If I just accepted their current rate, Id be paying around 100month. Despite their horrible reputation, theyre actually very easy to deal with and Ive only ever talked to an American. Theyre usually very nice, too. Probably because they know how much we hate them. Total saved: 50month.2. TV DirecTV: I LOVE tv, so Im never going to be a cord cutter. Love as in pay WAY too much for 300 channels. So my bill would normally be nearly 200month. Instead of accepting that, I just call and ask for their best rate. Right now its at 150 for the next 6 months. Rinse and repeat. Total saved: 50month.3. Satellite Radio Sirius XM: Inspired by a similar reddit post, I call these jerks every 5 months and threaten to cancel. My current rate is supposed to be 45 for 3 months, or 15month. Theyll offer you their best rate. You say no. Theyll offer you their new best rate, which is 25 for 5 months. Thats the best Ive ever gotten, so I accept. Total saved: 10month.4. GasElectric: Depending on your state, you may be able to lower your monthly gas andor electric bill by switching your supplier. Im in a state Pennsylvania that allows you to choose your supplier and change it pretty much whenever you want. It doesnt change how you pay your bill or who actually sends you gas or electric, but it changes who supplies your electricgas company. Its weird and I dont fully understand it, but I dont really care. Total saved: Varies. Usually between 10-20month.5. Cell Phones Verizon: Almost impossible to change by simply asking, but you can monkey around with things like your data plan assuming youre not on unlimited. Sometimes Ill have a ton of rollover data or bonus data one month, so the next month I can adjust how much data I buy. I also make sure to remove anything I dont need or use, like insurance or add-ons. Other than that, calling them will generally make almost no difference. Total saved: Varies. My bill fluctuates 15 depending on my data.6. Insurance CarHouseLifeMedical: This one is more of a review of your finances, but Ive done things like raised my deductible on my homeowners insurance, gotten in better shape to reduce monthly premiums on life insurance, and chose a health insurance plan that was more in line with my needs. Total saved: Varies. This time it was nothing because I didnt make any changes.7. Drop anything you dont use. This may seem like common sense, but I was surprised at how much I was throwing away on things that I never used. Sometimes I guess I just get on autopilot and forget to cancel things. Hulu? Gone. Wifes gym membership? Cancelled. Netflix? Well, were still in arbitration since Always Sunny got dropped. Last we left it, Dee had filibustered and Charlie had a motion pending. Total saved: Varies. This time it was 40month Hulu Gym.Total monthly expenses cut: 160month.EDIT: Since this is getting a little popular, are there any other services or bills that you guys negotiate with any success? Im sure people would appreciate hearing it!Assistant: Just saying I found it hilarious that you referred to Sirius as these jerks. Human: Hahaha theyre the ONE company that I absolutely loathe. I get the hate for other guys, but Sirius...ugh. Theyre terrible.  <response>: You know something is wrong when you can sign up for service on line, but have to wait on hold for an hour to cancel service with a customer service rep who cant seem to find your account information. 