Money Makeover – Cut the cost of your home phone bills….

It’s that time of the week again and this week, my Money Makeover post is about cutting the cost of your home phone bills.  In case you’re wondering, my Money Makeover series is all about reviewing your family’s finances – step by step.  With a new set of eyes helping you to see where you could save and helping you to make the changes you need to make to save money. Each week, you’ll get a little bit of (non compulsory) homework or a change to make.  I’ll add the links to the other Money Makeover posts at the bottom of the new post each week so you can go back to the start if you want to.  Let’s get on with it….

The cost of your home phone can certainly add up quickly so it’s important to keep track of it all and make savings where possible.

I’m sure you can guess what the first thing I’m going to say is clearly that you need to be making sure that you’re on the best deal possible – and there are lots around to choose from.  TV and internet providers do package inclusive of landlines now and even just for the phone alone there’s lots of companies offering competitive packages including different types of calls.

As ever, look at a price comparison site like Compare the Market or Go Compare and find the best deal available to you.  Next you need to clear the cookies on your computer and then go to a cash back site like TopCashBack or Quidco to see if you can get cash back by switching to the company offering the best deal.  Don’t forget though, don’t be tempted to go for the higher cash back amount if the deal is not as good because cash back isn’t guaranteed.

When you’re happy that you’ve got the best deal, you can make sure that you’re aware of where the charges rack up so you can save wherever possible.

• Start by making sure you know how much your calls cost with this handy guide that I wrote a while ago.
• If you have caller ID, consider if you really need it.  If you have it because you get sales calls then you can stop these by registering with the Telephone Preference Service.
• Use websites like SayNoTo0870 to find geographical numbers for companies who have 0845 or o870 numbers.
• Do you use 1471?  It’s free to use but if you ever press 3 to return the call you’re charged almost 20p each time.
• DO NOT use Directory enquiries – some of the companies charge in excess of £1 a call and then even more on top of that if they connect the call.  Go online and use a service like 118.com for free.
• Use your mobile phones free minutes if you have any.
• Make sure you’re on the best package with your provider according to how you use your phone – some offer some great inclusive deals.

I’ll leave you with that for this week but if you get chance at some point over the next few days, just spend a few minutes to see if you can get a better deal.   It could be worth that five minutes!

Previous week’s Money Makeover posts

Week One – Money Makeover Introduction

Week Two – Sort our your spending

Week Three – Dealing with Debt

Week Four – Get a better deal on insurance

Week Five – Energy Money Saving