7 Ways to Cut Your Bills in Half

Times are really tough right now. Inflation is through the roof and we are officially in a recession.

Today I’m sharing some easy, actionable steps that you can do to cut your bills in half.

Switch cell phone provider

Hear me out… when we think of switching our cell phone provider we think it’s going to be super complicated.

Can I keep my number? Do I have to get a new phone?

The great news is you can keep your current device, phone number and easily switch services. It’s not complicated at all and you can save a TON of money.

How much are you paying right now for your cell phone bill a month? I bet you, it’s way too high!

Switch to Mint Mobile today and pay as low as $15 a month and you don’t have to sacrifice any coverage, speed, or data.

That’s why I’m excited to partner with Mint Mobile.

Mint Mobile is built on the nation’s largest 5G network and they keep costs low because they sell direct to you online – they cut out the retail stores and salespeople.

Switching to Mint is super easy. Here’s how amazing they are and what they offer:

Digital eSIM cards, you can sign-up and activate them immediately right on your phone from the comfort of your home.
Unlimited nationwide talk and text, plus lightning-fast 5G and free mobile hotspot.

Mint Mobile will show you how much data you use each month and recommend plans that save you money.
Mint also offers a Modern Family Plan that lets you set up a super affordable family plan with as little as two lines.

Stop paying more than you need to on your wireless bill and start saving BIG with Mint Mobile.

What are you waiting for?!

>> Click here to get premium wireless starting at $15 a month!

Evaluate your subscriptions

Before we talk about subscriptions, we first need to talk about the importance of being on a written budget.

Being on a budget and tracking your income and expenses is vital for hitting your financial goals faster and cutting your expenses.

I recommend having a section in your budget, especially for subscriptions so that you can visually see how much you are spending each month. $7-$10 a month adds up fast when you have multiple subscriptions.

How to save money:

Do some research on the streaming services and the channels/shows they offer and pick one or two.

Here are my favorite services:

Hulu: Save $20/month for 3 months on Hulu + Live TV, now with Disney+ and ESPN+.
HBOmax: Now streaming blockbuster movies, epic originals, and addictive series. Plans start at $9.99/month.
Showtime: 30-day free trial, then $10.99/month (also get $2 cash back with Rakuten)
dish: Enjoy 2-year price guarantee, DVR with up to 2,000 hours of recording space, and 99% signal reliability. (also get $75 cash back with Rakuten)
discovery+: The only streaming service with the greatest real-life entertainment from your favorite TV brands – including HGTV, Food Network, and more! Enjoy unlimited access to the greatest real-life entertainment, plus exclusives and originals.
Roku: Thousands of hours, and counting, of content from the top names in music, movies, sports, and television. (also get 2.5% cash back with Rakuten)
Amazon Prime Video: Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime with a 30-day free trial.
Paramount+: 30-day FREE trial with SHOWTIME® for just $3/month more than Paramount+ alone. Watch hit originals, movies, docs, and sports, all in one place. Plus, SHOWTIME is always commercial-free!

This is also why it’s so important to have a written budget so you can see how much you are spending each month in your subscriptions.

Honest moment:

My husband and I have been guilty of signing up for a subscription service to watch one show and then forget to cancel it months later.

Add an event in your calendar to cancel the trial or subscription after you expect to finish the series.

Click here to get the same budget I’ve used to pay off my debt, pay cash for our wedding and save $50k in a year!

More ways to save!

CIT Bank: BEST High-yield savings account; your bank shouldn’t be charging you money. Instead, YOU should be making money off your money!
Ladder: Get a quick, free quote on term life insurance, affordable, online term life insurance. No exam! No waiting! No hassles!
GetUpside: Earn 20 cents per gallon on gas cash back when you download the app and use code FIAB20.
Fetch Rewards is a free grocery savings app that rewards you just for snapping pictures of your receipts. That’s it. Really. Free gift cards on groceries on thousands of products every day, no matter where you get your groceries. Just scan your receipts and get gift cards from retailers like Amazon, Target, Ulta, Applebees. Use code QHKBH to earn 2,000 points ($2)!
GoodRx: Free app that provides you savings of up to 80% on your prescriptions (even if you don’t have insurance). $5 sign up bonus!
Rakuten: Get cash back on online purchases and automatic coupons and savings with their browser plugin… and remember, you have to make a $20 purchase to get your $20 for free!
Lively: A modern health savings account. Prepare for tomorrow by making smart decisions about finances and healthcare today. Lively HSAs are free for individuals and families, so you never have to worry about hidden costs.
Build Wealth by Investing in Index Funds Course: I’ve teamed up with my friend Jeremy from Personal Finance Club to teach you everything you need to know to invest in index funds! How to open an account, how much to invest, and how to choose an index fund. You’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to optimally invest and build wealth for decades.

Call and negotiate your bills

Did you know that a simple 5 minute phone call to your cable or internet company can save you hundreds of dollars a year?

Don’t know what to say?

I’ve got you covered, follow this simple script to lower your bills.

When you first sign up for a new service you are most likely given a super low price to get you in the door.

As the 6-month or year-end contract ends, your bill gets higher and higher. You see ads on TV for that same company offering lower rates to new customers than to you, who is a LOYAL customer. That is just not right.

Use cash-back apps

We can’t get out of buying groceries, gas for our car or everyday household expenses, right?

Unfortunately not.

BUT… we can earn cash-back by simply scanning our receipts!

Sounds too good to be true right? It does, but it’s not!!

Here are my favorite cash back apps, I’ve been personally using them all for over 5 years!

Rakuten (formerly eBates)

Rakuten is the top app and desktop plugin for earning cash back on places that you already shop. They have an app as well as a chrome plugin that will ensure that you never miss a cashback deal.

How it works is when you shop at your favorite stores Rakuten will trigger that you went through them and give you a set amount of cashback!

If you sign up through this link and make your first purchase of $25 or more you will receive a $10 bonus!

*Note* You need to make a qualified purchase to receive your sign-up bonus of $10.

The best part is it will come to you directly through Paypal quarterly. They do have a feature where you can get a BOOST in your rebate if you redeem for a gift card!

>> Sign up for Rakuten here!

Upside (formerly GetUpside

Upside is an easy-to-use app that gives you cashback for every gallon of gas that you pump!

Use code FIAB20 to get 20cents per gallon.

How the Upside app works is it uses your GPS location to find the closest gas stations, what their gas price currently is what the discount would be if you use the Upside app.

After you choose which gas station you are using, select “claim offer”, you then have 4 hours to make the purchase.

*Note* Be sure to get a receipt at the gas pump or inside the store.

>> Sign up for Upside here!

Ibotta

Ibotta is a free grocery savings app that rewards you with free gift cards or cash back through Paypal just for snapping pictures of your receipts.

Free gift card rewards on groceries on thousands of products every day, no matter where you get your groceries.

Select which store you are shopping at, scroll through the items offered, add the items you want to redeem to your list, go shopping, and scan your receipt after your purchase.

>> Download the Ibotta app and enter code suwetiv when you sign up and make your first qualified purchase.

You will receive your own referral code that you can give to friends and families to earn additional bonuses and cashback!

Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is a free grocery savings app that rewards you with free gift cards just for snapping pictures of your receipts.

That’s really it.

Free gift card rewards on groceries on thousands of products every day, no matter where you get your groceries. Just scan your receipts and earn gift cards – FOR FREE!

*Note* You need to scan your first receipt within 7 days of entering a code to get your 2,000 points.

Download the Fetch Rewards app and enter code QHKBH when you sign up to earn your first 2,000 points which is equal to $2 in gift cards.

There are thousands of gift cards that you can redeem from charities to entertainment to retail to electronics to travel.

Some of my favorites are Amazon, Target, Applebee’s, Panera Bread, Cheesecake Factory, Bass Pro Shops, CVS Pharmacy, Khol’s, Marshall’s, Nordstrom Rack, The Home Depot, and Walmart.

>> Sign up for Fetch Rewards here!

Meal plan & meal prep

Meal planning and meal prepping may feel like a lot of work or something that you don’t have time to do.

But if you are super busy, that is even MORE reason to meal plan and meal prep.

Taking the time to meal plan will help to set up your meal for success.

You will no longer have the internal battle or fight with your spouse of “what’s for dinner”! It’s already decided at the beginning of the week.

Meal planning and meal prepping also takes the urge out of ordering take out which will save a ton of money.

Another tip is to only go to the grocery store a maximum of once a week. Each time that you go to the grocery store, the likelihood of impulse purchases increases.

Get Your 7-Day Meal Plan Here!

Are you wanting a new weekly meal plan? Or maybe it’s your first time ever using a meal plan? Either way, you are in luck!

I’ve created a 7-Day Meal Plan for you and your family!

Using a weekly meal plan is the best way to cook healthy meals, save money, and time! My weekly meal plan includes a grocery shopping list, weekly meal plan, recipes, and printables.

A great way to save money while meal planning is to choose recipes with the same ingredients for multiple meals. This will help make your shopping list shorter resulting in saving money. Some ingredients you can even cook once and use for the next day as well!

• Have you thought about your food habits and felt discouraged?

• Have you found yourself throwing away vegetable after vegetable, month after month?

• Are you tired of never having a plan and watching your food budget balloon out of control?

I know those frustrations well. I have felt the pure, unadulterated annoyance that food can bring. It’s never fun feeling like you’re floundering and wondering what the heck to do to ‘fix it’.

That’s why I created the course How To Save Money on Groceries!

What are your needs and wants in your budget?

Take a look at your budget at last month’s budget and for each transaction, decide if it was a want or a need.

Eliminate all of the “wants”, I’m not saying they are gone forever, but right now we are looking to cut our expenses in half and this is a sacrifice that will pay off big!

Pause your accounts

If you are in a financial hardship, you’re in between jobs, or had a BIG expense that wiped out your emergency fund and you want to build it back up.

Evaluate what expenses or subscriptions you can put on pause.

Give the company a call and say “Hey, I’m going through some stuff right now. I really enjoy your service, but can we pause it for a few months?”

Often times they will let you pause for 90 days. Companies would rather pause your account than lose you as a customer altogether.

Companies like: direct tv, gym membership, meal kits or supplement subscription.

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