SALT LAKE CITY — With so many people unemployed, or underemployed right now, the bills may be starting to pile up.
Here at FOX 13 News, we're committed to helping you make your way through these tough times.
That is the focus of our Rebound series, and we've found that a few phone calls just might save you a lot of money.
Ed Chip does everything he can to cut corners in his budget.
"I'm retired now so I'm pretty much on fixed income," Chip said. "I still clip coupons."
He also likes to negotiate his bills, using "billcutterz," a bill negotiating service.
Everybody's looking to cut back any fashion they can.
"billcutterz" CEO, Barry Gross, says now is the perfect time to negotiate, since many companies are offering deals -- but you have to be the one to initiate the call.
"If they don't call they're not gonna get, and if they don't ask they're not gonna get," Gross said. "And don't be bashful."
Gross says the easiest bills to negotiate are nonessential services.
Start with your cell phone, cable, satellite, internet, landline phone, home security and satellite radio.
"When negotiating, talk to someone outside of the service department, Gross says. Threaten to cancel or switch providers, he adds, and ask questions that can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no."
Simple as that, then be quiet and let them speak.
Gross says be polite, but don't accept the first offer.
It's all stuff you can do yourself, but Gross says companies like his know how to get you better deals, and they'll save you time.
Chip says he ended up saving close to $1200 over the course of a year.
"I would say to pursue it because in almost all cases you can get a discount if you are persistent," he said.
In addition to "billcutterz," there are other companies you can find online such as BillSlasher and BillFixers.
Most of them take a percentage of what you save that first year, and you pocket the rest.
FOX 13 wants to help Utahns get back to work, make ends meet and manage the pressure of the coronavirus crisis through personal stories and practical information.
Visit The Rebound home page for complete coverage. You can also get answers to your questions from hundreds of Utahns in The Rebound Facebook Group.
