Real Money: How to Cut Down Your Bills - East Idaho News
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Real Money: How to Cut Down Your Bills

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ABC real money sk 140121 16x9 608?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1390353949657ABC News(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — Monica and Ryan Sawyer, of Corpus Christi, Texas, say they face a Texas-size problem every time the bills roll in.

“We have a discussion all the time about how are we going to save money. We need to cut here and there,” Monica Sawyer said.

Cable, Internet, electricity, phone bill — for the Sawyers, the bills add up to about $1,000 every month.

And they’re not alone.

Nearly half of American families revealed in the brand new World News Real Money poll that they believe they’re overpaying on utilities, smartphone, Internet and entertainment bills.

But there’s a company that says it has uncovered a new way of changing that.  It’s called BillCutterz.

“We’re just like a really good tax expert that saves you money when you file your taxes — except we do it with your monthly bills,” said Barry Gross, founder of BillCutterz.

His team of “savings experts” analyzes Americans’ everyday bills and then calls companies on their behalf to negotiate.  They take 50-percent commission of the savings they get their customers.

“Everybody, in my opinion, is being overcharged for services,” Gross told ABC News. “We know what to ask, how to ask, what the promotions or otherwise are, or the flavor of the month — because all these companies change regularly.”

The Sawyers tried out BillCutterz.

The final verdict? The experts were able to remove $1,493.93 over the course of one year from the six bills submitted.

“That is amazing!” Monica Sawyer said. “Really, what it comes down to is time, and I don’t have that extra time and so outsourcing something like this is appealing.”

BillCutterez would not let ABC News reveal all its trade secrets, but it shared the following tips for those who want to try going it alone.

No. 1: Call at off-peak times, such as early morning. Companies are less busy and more likely to spend time negotiating with you.

No. 2: Go through the bill line by line and ask for specific discounts instead of general ones.

No. 3: Get them on your side by using their name and encouraging them.

No. 4: If you’re not having luck, hang up and call back and start over again with a new agent.

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