Hey again, {{first_name}},

Recently, a coaching client and I found a leak in her budget: her internet bill.

She was paying $115 a month for a small apartment, basic internet, and a service she never asked for and didn't need. She was upsold to a faster internet speed than she really needed…classic, right?

So she did what any of us would do after we identified that was a high number during our coaching conversation. She contacted Xfinity herself and tried to get it lowered. After going back and forth with an agent, she managed to get $10 off. And even that came with more confusion than answers.

By the time the dust settled, she was still paying over $100 a month. She felt stuck, frustrated, and honestly, a little defeated. She had done what she was supposed to do. She live chatted with an agent (what I recommended to start with), asked questions, pushed back, and still ended up almost exactly where she started.

If you've ever tried negotiating with your internet provider, insurance company, or cell phone carrier, you probably know the feeling. Sometimes it seems like the whole process is designed to wear you down until you finally give up and go all Ron Swanson on your phone.

I decided that what her internet provider was offering was not good enough.

Thirty minutes later, we had her bill down to $59.54 a month. Same internet, same streaming bundle she actually uses, and almost $60 a month back in her pocket. That's over $700 a year.

What did I do that she didn't? Nothing magical. I've just done this before.

I knew what competitors were charging at her address, so when the agent told me that was their lowest offer, I knew there were other options worth discussing. I knew the first offer didn't necessarily have to be the final offer, and I knew to ask about retention discounts.

Here's what I want to emphasize: She's smart. She's capable. She just hadn't spent years negotiating bills. I had an outside perspective and a little more practice. That was the whole difference.

And she's not the only one.

Another coaching client was paying over $200 a month for her cell phone service. After looking at what she actually needed, I sent her a link to Mint Mobile. She made the switch and now pays about $35 a month. Same phone. Same number. Over $165 a month, or nearly $2,000 a year, that she gets to put toward other things that matter to her.

The bills we stop questioning

I think one of the strangest things about recurring expenses is how quickly they become invisible.

We sign up for internet, choose a phone plan, get an insurance policy, or subscribe to something we think we'll use. Then life happens. The bills keep coming, the payments keep going through, and eventually we stop thinking about them. Sometimes the prices slowly creep up. Sometimes our needs change. Sometimes we're paying for something we never really needed in the first place.

But because it's been part of our budget for so long, we just accept it as another expense.

And I get it. Most of us don't have the time or energy to call every company we pay each month and spend an hour arguing over $20. Between work, family, and everything else going on, it's easier to just pay the bill and move on.

The problem is that those little expenses add up. And because they come out of our accounts every single month, even relatively small changes can make a meaningful difference over time. This is especially important when income is limited and margins feel tight as is often the case for my coaching clients.

So, how do you actually negotiate a bill?

I made a free one-page guide to help you negotiate your bills down. Click here to get it.

Sometimes you just need another perspective

I know financial coaching can feel like another expense. At my current price of $95 a session, it's real money, and I don't take that lightly.

But these conversations are a good reminder of why I believe coaching can be valuable. Sometimes a single change creates savings that continue long after our session ends. Sometimes it's not nearly that dramatic. And sometimes the value has nothing to do with finding an extra $60 in your budget.

Sometimes it's having someone sit down with you, look at the whole picture, and help you make sense of something that's felt overwhelming for months (or years).

I think we underestimate how helpful an outside perspective can be, especially when it comes to money. When you're the one staring at the bills, trying to make your paycheck stretch, or feeling frustrated that things aren't changing, it's hard to see options you don't know exist.

And I want to be clear about something: You can absolutely do this yourself. I've been negotiating my own bills for years, long before I ever charged anyone for financial coaching. You can call your providers, compare prices, question charges, and ask what other options are available. You don't need a financial coach to do any of that.

But if you've tried and felt stuck, or you've been putting something off because you don't even know where to begin, that's where having someone in your corner can make a difference.

A lot of what financial coaching means to me is helping people slow things down enough to see what's actually happening, figure out what options they have, and take their next step with a little more calm, clarity, and confidence.

Sometimes that next step saves you $700 a year. Sometimes it's finally building a budget that makes sense for your life, coming up with a plan for your debt, or simply feeling a little less anxious when you open your banking app.

And sometimes it's just having someone remind you that you're more capable than you think.

If there's a part of your finances you've been avoiding looking at, whether it's a bill that feels too high, debt you don't know how to tackle, or a budget that never seems to work, let's look at it together.

Book a Financial Coaching Session

— Andrew

P.S. Not ready for a session? Here's the free guide to do it yourself. Pick one bill this week to try this on.

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