Next time you receive a service bill (hopefully you’ve switched to email billing), take a look at the services provided and ask yourself a simple question: Am I already getting this service through another source? It seems amazing that people would pay twice for a given service, but there is a good chance that you could be doing exactly that. Let’s look at 4 duplicate services that could be costing you in duplicate payments.
4 Duplicate Services To Avoid Paying For Twice
Roadside Services
Are you paying a company like AAA for towing assistance? It might be that you are already covered for this by your automobile insurance policy. You’ll want to read through the fine print and make sure that everything is in place and proper, but paying out perfectly good money for a service you already have is probably something best avoided.
Sometimes even a car warranty will cover towing expenses, so check that too in case your insurance policy does not. Just be sure before you cancel any service you might need while on the road.
TV And On Demand Services
Many of us may be guilty of duplicate services on this one. Consider someone that has Amazon Prime and Netflix – both of them often have the same titles for viewing. Same for people that have Hulu and Xfinity – there are many places where these services overlap with what they offer.
Some of them, such as Xfinity, have services that you may not even realize have an online viewing aspect for on-demand viewing.
Check out your options with what you available. Then make a list of what you want for your viewing pleasure. You may discover that a handful of platform exclusives simply aren’t worth the extra money.
It only takes less than $21 a month to realize a $250 savings over a year, potentially all from programs that you were able to watch anyways.
Landline and Cell Phone
I’ll be honest with you, I am old enough to remember when the phone was part of a residence. In fact, I was taught to answer the phone by saying, “Hello this is the Chaffins residence.” But with the wide availability and service coverage of cell phones today, you may find that the need for the landline just doesn’t exist.
In fact, cell phones do so much more than the house phone ever did that it seems an unfair comparison between the two. It wasn’t that long ago that we bid adieu to our aging phone system and committed to cell phones.
It was a great decision for our needs, and being able to answer the phone on any computer or device I have handy is so much better than sprinting for the phone on the desk or the wall.
Plus, I never miss an important call while I am out. In fact, having both just might be a great example of unneeded duplicate services for most people.
Internet
Most work from home people can probably justify a real need for a dedicated connection to the web. However, the casual data user may find that simply sharing the data bucket from your smartphone works for them. Almost every modern cell phone has the capability to be used as a hotspot to share their data with a laptop or tablet. This could eliminate the need for the additional expense of WIFI service.
Now, if you are an online gamer or watch your favorite shows online, then this is probably not an option due to your data requirements.
You could instead consider using your WIFI service with your device instead of paying for a data connection for it. Some tablets fall into this category, especially if you typically use them at home.
For the few times that you are out, you can always use your phone as a hotspot for the tablet. This simple change could save $10 or more a month.
By going through the services you already have, you might find that you are paying for some things twice. Save the money for something you want or need instead of spending it for something you already have. Clean these out, and your piggy bank (and your pocket) will be much happier.