An Online Tool to Shrink Your Bills
If you’re attempting to live the frugal life (whether to get out of debt, build up savings or stay within a limited budget after filing bankruptcy), you’ve probably heard the classic advice about shopping around for the best price.
Well, thanks to the website BillShrink.com, you can get all the benefits of researching competing prices without doing all the legwork!
How It Works
On its homepage, the site allows you to choose whether to find bargains on savings accounts & CDs, cell phone plans, credit cards or gas prices. Clicking on any option leads you to a screen where you fill in the blanks with information that applies to your life.
The site then leads you to the best bargains. Here’s what I like about this site:
- Specificity: The gas price function allows you to select your vehicle’s make and model, your home and work address and the size of detour you’re willing to make for cheap gas.
- Comprehensiveness: The prices offered take into account fees for switching from one service to another (as with cell phones and credit cards).
- Flexibility: One option on the site allows you to sign up for email alerts if better deals come up for your circumstances.
Who It Works For
This is a good site for you if you’re fairly organized or willing to get there. To calculate where to get the best interest rates on a savings account, for example, you need to know your current interest rate, your monthly savings rate and how much cash you need available.
Similarly, the other functions require specific information about your current card, plan or routine. So be prepared to access or dig up a recent bill to verify the facts so you can get an accurate idea of how much you stand to save.
Should I Try It?
If you have a few minutes (it doesn’t take long), it’s probably a good idea. A recent msnbc.com article notes that most Americans overpay for at least their cell phones – and possibly other services as well.
Plus, the site’s services are free and non-binding – so you might as well experiment.
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