Affordability remains the focus of consumers in 2026. Grocery prices, housing, utilities, health insurance and transportation comprise the most immediate concern. And with some economists forecasting an annualized inflation rate of 3.26%, we’re wondering how we will either deprive ourselves, tighten our belts, or cut costs otherwise.
You may not have to deprive yourself however. You may be overspending in some areas so much so that if you reduced those costs, dramatic belt tightening and sacrifices may not be required. What I am simply saying is that there may be better deals out there and that you are over spending where it may not be necessary. Let’s take a look!
You Have Not, Because You Ask Not
If I can get religious for a minute, in the bible book of James Chapter 4 and verse 2, it reads, “you have not, because you ask not.” Some people people often lack, or fail to receive what they desire from God simply because they never pray or ask God for what they desire.
What does that have to do with saving money? Here it is: in a recent Lending Tree survey, more than 80% of credit card holders who requested a lower interest rate were granted their request from their bank or lenders. I am not saying that your credit card vendor is God, quite the contrary! The principle here though is that you would not get it unless you ask! With the average credit card rate ranging as high as above 28%, why would you not ask for a lower rate? Whether you are carrying a monthly balance forward on your credit card or not it does not matter. Request a lower interest rate. And while you are at it, the same Lending Tree survey found that 95% of those who requested the annual card fee be waived or reduced were granted their request.
The Ask
Now I do not want you to be ignorant, as one writer puts it. When it comes to asking for what you want here are some strategies.
Before, you can ask, you should have conducted some research about the competition’s promotions and/or rates which can be used in your discussion with customer service. Indicate whether they can match competitors’ and let them know you do not want to switch vendors.
Timing is important and so for best results you should call early in the morning or late in the evening. During the day vendors are the busiest and you may not receive the best deal. Calling in the morning may allow customer service to spend more time with you, perhaps go over certain charges line by line and not be in a rush to process the next person waiting for services.
Finally, when you call the first representative may not offer much and that is because he or she may not be authorized to do so. What happens next in the conversation is to ask for their supervisor or the “ retention department.” If that fails, you should end the call or hang up and call again since the next representative may have more flexibility and authority to provide a better deal. Generally, I would say never accept the first offer, since it may not be the best. Once the offer has been agreed upon, that’s when you become an attorney and confirm the new rate in writing through an email. Be sure to keep notes regarding with whom you spoke, and check your next bill to confirm that the new rate is in effect.
Cable and Streaming Cost
These days it is easy to get caught up with additional streaming and cable fees because of automatic subscriptions renewal. Here is where you need to apply strategies such as the 30-30 day rule. Basically, it requires you to review your streaming and cable services every 30 days. If you have not used the service or plan to use it in the next 30 days, then you should cancel the service. There is no harm since you can sign up again later. In addition to the 30-30 day rule, you should conduct this practice annually if not twice each year. To help facilitate this, schedule reminders on your phone as to when annual subscriptions begin and end.
Loyalty Programs
The entire loyalty game is no longer as it was first advertised or purported to be. Loyalty. We were made to believe that having loyalty points and cards provide exclusive benefits for birthdays, rewards and coupons which add up to significant discounts. Today that is partially true, as signing up for email or text messages and using the vendors app provide even greater discounts.
What I am saying is that at checkout you may not get the best deals with your loyalty number. What you find today is that some app-only users from some providers are receiving discounts that are not available to loyalty customers. In other instances, loyalty customers who are also app users receive additional discounts. The idea here is not to cancel your loyalty programs, but to be more strategic in your spending approach in order to take advantage of those discounts.
WHAT’S UP! Today’s What’s Up is about fees. Ticket sellers for events charge 20-38% fees in addition to the event price. You can avoid these fees by visiting the box office in person or by using the platform TickPick which does not charge a fee on resales. One of the ways to avoid baggage fees is to use the vendor’s credit card or to have elite status on their frequent flyer travelers program. Finally, use your bank Zelle to transfer money for free instead of using Apps such as Paypal and Venmo that charge 1.78% to transfer money And that’s what’s up!
Ruthven R. Phillip, Esq., is a tax attorney, Stewardship and Philanthropy Ministry Assistant, and CEO of Give2Getrich, LLC. Give2Get Rich, LLC 2026 All Rights Reserved. Any distribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited.
