She saved $3500 with just a few asks -- Here are her 5 biggest takeaways

It all started when she read my book and made a list of the things in it that applied to her, including her gym membership

So many of us pay so much for our gym memberships, but a simple question or two can help. (Photo by Red Reyes on Unsplash)

Christine, a coordinator at a large entertainment company in Los Angeles, got her gym membership costs reduced by a third just by asking.

She did it after reading my book, “Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How To Take Control Of Your Financial Life.” Her friend’s father gave her the book, which helps people pay less, earn more and keep more of their hard-earned money by asking the right questions in various everyday situations -– things like getting credit card late fees waived, reducing medical bills or negotiating with contractors.

When she finished reading the book, she made a list of the things in it that applied to her life and then started making phone calls. One of her first calls was to her gym.

“The gym I go to is pretty local to L.A., and I know the team there decently well,” Christine says. “So I immediately just called and said, ‘Hey guys, just checking. Do we have any more competitive rates that could be applicable to the membership that I have?’ Pretty much immediately, they knocked the monthly price down by a third.”

The result: About $1,200 in annual savings.

More questions led to more savings

The successes didn’t stop there. She also got a lower rate on her Internet service by asking.

“I was moving at the time and was getting rates from other places,” Christine says. “When I went to transfer my Internet service to my new spot, I said, ‘Hey, I've gotten some quotes for other providers. They seem like they're a bit more competitive. Are there any better rates that I'm eligible for?’”

The result: $180 annual savings, just for asking.

She even negotiated a deal on rent for that new place of hers.

“I asked a question about the list price versus basically different numbers,” Christine says. “I pulled information on other comparable places that I had either toured or looked into that were truly very similar in specs. It is the sort of situation where you just assume that what they have told you is correct and is concrete when, in reality, everything is flexible.”

She says she called the property manager of the unit she was interested in. Christine told the manager that a different unit with more amenities in the area had a lower rate but that she actually preferred this unit, for various reasons. She says she told the manager that she’d be willing to move forward and sign but that she would need them to match the other price. The property manager spoke to the owner, and they agreed to the deal.

The result: $150 less per month or $1,800 annually.

But there was more, too.

She says she’s also used strategies from the book to save about $200 in various hotel costs and travel fees, about another $200 in out-of-pocket costs for a recent dental visit and even a few bucks off a magazine subscription.

Add it all up and she estimates about $3,500 in savings.

That’s a really big deal!

Her five big takeaways

Whether in her personal life or professionally, Christine has seen the power of just asking a question.

Here are some of her biggest takeaways that may be able to help you…

“All of these things are, to an extent, arbitrary.”

This is perhaps the most important thing she learned. Very little is set in stone. Prices can change. Deals can be struck. Moves can be made. However, the deals aren’t going to just come to you.

“If you ask the right person the right question,” Christine says, “then there's likely a chance that you could have a different outcome, which I think is really encouraging.”

It is often just a question, not a huge back-and-forth

So many people shy away from making these requests, in part, because they’re afraid of entering into some prolonged negotiation. They’re terrified that they’ll get stuck in some long, drawn-out debate and won’t know what to say or will say something dumb or embarrassing. However, most of the time, the interaction is far simpler than that.

“Most of the time, it is not a combative or aggressive situation, or really even a negotiation,” Christine says. “What I found is that it is just asking that first question, and then they bring you something back. It's either a yes or a no, and if it's a yes, then you go from there. It's exponentially more approachable and, I think, simpler than people realize, which is incredibly useful.”

“You are never inconveniencing them as long as you're approaching them with kindness and respect.”

We want to make these requests, but so often we see them as bothering the other person. We don’t want to be a nuisance or make trouble, so we just keep quiet. Here’s the truth, however: The vast majority of the time, it isn’t a bother at all.

“I used to get so nervous about, ‘Oh, this is an inconvenience,’ or ‘Oh, this person's going to think I'm being rude or disrespectful or mean,’” Christine says. “In reality, however, unless you’re literally mean to them, it's fine. You can just ask whatever questions you need to ask.”

“The likelihood of you being their worst interaction that day is so low,” she says.

“The better you keep track of things, the more likely you are to have a positive outcome.”

We talk about this a lot at “Ask, Save, Earn.” Keeping good notes is nothing short of a superpower. It can be an insurance policy as well.

So many people have experienced hearing one thing from a customer service representative and then hearing something different from someone else within the same company. Making notes of who you spoke with, when you spoke with them and what they said can help protect you in situations like those, whether the error was inadvertent or intentional.

“Keeping track of who you spoke to about what and what they said is extremely beneficial in every scenario,” Christine says.

You have every right to ask

It is perfectly fine for you to ask any business or any organization most any question you have about what you may be paying for. Once you understand that, Christine says, “the simpler it feels and the more approachable it feels” to make these requests. It can help the request feel more like a fact-finding mission than a hardcore negotiation or interrogation.

Asking can also help bring red flags to light. For example, if the business isn’t willing to answer your questions or answers them in an unsatisfactory way, it could be a sign that you should consider taking your business elsewhere.

Share your story

I can’t even tell you how happy it makes me to hear from people like Christine about the savings that they’ve been able to find. These aren’t changes that are going to make you rich, but they absolutely, positively can be things that make your financial margin for error just a little bit bigger — and maybe even help you sleep a little better at night. So many of us need that sort of help today.

If you’ve got a success story, share it in the comments below or reply to this email. I’d love to hear it.

Until next time!
Matt