My wife tackles reducing costs on many services we buy. Usually keeps it at about 1/2 the going prices. As soon as they escallate after about a year she tackles them again.

Saves about a grand a year and anyone can do it. At full price the packages of services in eastern Canada approach what was once about the amount of a morgage payment.

One way that usually works but we do not use is simply calling up providers and mentioning you just cannot comforatably afford it right now. This will usually get a reduction in costs going as they do not want to lose a customer. Another approach is finding a cheaper provider and asking for comparable rates if possibe. Usually there is one out there almost all the time with a promotional rate.

Our youngest daughter works out of her home as a senior customer retention specialist. Their corporate policy is for her to retain customers basically by whatever it takes.

If a customer is leaving and cannot be reasonably retained by normal retention incentives the issue is handed over to her. What suprises me is that they pay her much better than I would have expected.