Step by step guide to get the best deal on everything

When you are buying a product, a service, a house… do you always check you are getting the best deal around? I sure know I do. Unless there is tangible value in going with a more expensive deal, you can be sure I will shop around before deciding on any purchase. Here is a step by step guide on getting the best deal for yourself too.

1. Energy

You are usually on an intro offer reserved to new customers for the first 12 months. Or on a locked tariff until a set date. After which the energy supplier quietly goes on charging you their full rate. Needless to say, you don’t want that to happen. So make a note in your calendar to check prices again a month before your deal expires. That will give you plenty of time to switch. Thanks to sites like Ofgem’s Go Energy Shopping, you can get all the information about switching. An energy supplier switch can save you up to £200, but it can be confusing the first time around. Ofgem helps you shop, explaining what to look for in a new provider, and giving you a list of accredited energy comparison sites.

Once you have all the information, you need to go to a price comparison website. Simply enter your postcode, your supplier, the deal you are on, and let them find you a deal. The website will tell you how much you can save by switching, or staying with the same provider under a new special deal. It takes about 15 minutes as your new provider will then do all the hard work of switching you over.

2. Internet and phone

It is just as easy to get the best deal on internet and phone bundles. Well, maybe a tiny bit more work for you as it is not just a matter of having electricity at home, but having a bundle that works for your household. It requires you to first assess your needs. Do you need unlimited broadband, are you happy with a slower line, do you need fibre? Do you need phone minutes or do you rarely call?

Then have a look at the packages offered by different providers. If one has a better plan for your needs than your current provider, call them, and explain you would like to leave because the grass is greener somewhere else. I have done that with my current provider for the past 8 years. And for the past 8 years, they have offered to keep me on their new customer discount in exchange for 12 more months of loyalty.

Again, once you’ve got what you want, set a date in your calendar to do it again next year.

For that little bit of research and one phone call, I keep my bill around £18 for line rental and unlimited broadband when the usual package is around £25-30. You may think that’s not a big saving, but it is actually £144 a year.

3. Savings and loans

There are also online comparison sites for mortgages, loans, and credit cards. If you can switch your credit card balance over to a 0% card for a year or two (I recently read some cards offered up to 30 months!), you can tackle your debt much faster than when you are crippled by interest.

Banks will also gladly have you as a new customer, and a small reduction in your mortgage’s rate can save you thousands over the life of the loan. So shop around, and if you have good credit, switching should be a breeze.

4. Everything else

A quick online search will tell you a lot about the product or service you want to buy. Your favourite store could have a free delivery offer. This attraction may have 2 for 1 coupons. This museum a free day once a month or once a year. That restaurant has half price specials if you come in before 6pm.

Just Google it with a few keywords like “what I want to buy” + “offer”, “coupon”, “voucher”, “promo”, “deal”, etc. It doesn’t work every time. But it works once in a while, and savings can be big.