How To Find $900 In An Hour

Hunt for the money sitting under your nose.

Years ago I received some amazing advice from my dad about hidden money.

I was a young advertising salesperson for a television network. I worked for 100% commission, which meant if I didn’t sell enough advertising— I didn't pay my rent or eat very well.

On a call to my father, he asked me how I was doing and I said — I’m OK.

I told him my job was taking longer to gain momentum but it was slowly happening.

I said,

It’s a good thing you and Mom taught me to be frugal.

He laughed and told me to stay focused and not to give up.

And then he said,

“Looks like you need to find your hidden money.”

Of course, he caught my attention with that comment.

Dad said,

“Get on the phone and start contacting people who you spend money with each month.

You need to find out where you’re over-paying just because you don’t know any better.

Call your telephone and utility company. Contact your car and home insurance company. What kind of bank fees are you paying?

Companies change their packages all the time. Go hunting!”

He told me I would be surprised at the outcome.

“You should be able to find $900–1,000 in 1 or 2 hours of calling.”

I was living in a shitty apartment, had an older car that needed repairs, and I had to pay for my own fuel for driving to sales appointments.

An extra $100 per month in my wallet was pure gold to me.

So I did what he said.

I turned the calls into a game.

I’m a visual person. So before I hit the phone, I did something you will probably laugh at.

I made a poster of a thermometer similar to what non-profit fund-raising campaigns use. I made $50 increment lines on it and kept my red marker by the phone.

I was a little nervous at first when I first started calling but I kept repeating my mantra:

I’m hunting for my money.

I called every single company and I told them I was comparison shopping. I needed to find a better way of working with them or else I was going to have to switch to someone else.

I wasn’t rude to anyone. I was prepared and had all my bills and account numbers handy.

Being in sales had taught me to be fair, firm and friendly.

I didn’t make false threats. And I was serious about jumping to a competitor if I needed to.

My thermometer started to go up.

I saved $20 a month with the bank fees by switching to a different package:

$240 a year.

My telephone landline I dropped some of their additional services and I bought a cheap answering machine instead: $15 a month x 12 = 180. I changed to a plan where I wasn’t paying $1.00 per minute for long-distance. (Yes. They hosed us pretty bad back then.)

That one call saved me $65 a month. A total savings of $780 per year.

Now I was pumped.

I called my car insurance and apartment insurance companies and chose one company that offered a better rate if I brought all of my insurance to them.

I increased my deductibles. That saved $350 a year.

In 1 hour I’d saved $1370 a year.

I kept going. I actually made it to $1500 savings in 2 hours.

This hunting-for-my-money exercise was forever imprinted on me.

I got off the phone sweaty, talked out and totally thrilled.

And of course, I called Dad and bragged about it.

Here are some things you take for granted.

Cell phone plans; insurance for your home/apartment; car, health, and life insurance; bank fees, utility fees for power and electricity, interest rates for credit cards; fees you’re paying to financial advisors for your retirement savings; cable and internet charges; gym memberships; Netflix charges and a long list of other fees are getting more money from you than they should.

These companies revise their customer plans on a constant basis. You assume they automatically lower your fees because you’re a loyal customer.

Hello?? They won’t contact you.

They know they have you tightly wound up in the PITA factor.

Because it is a PAIN IN THE ASS to leave them.

They know most people don’t have the time or desire to change banks or insurance companies because it is such a hassle. (It is done on purpose.)

And because you think it is hard work — you just keep paying thousands or tens of thousands more over the years.

Want to travel? Want to save more money?

Face the PITA factor head-on and go hunting for your money.

Think of it as an hourly wage or a nice bonus you are giving yourself.

Sounds weird but totally works.

I still do what Dad taught me. Except now I go hunting for my money twice per year. It’s become a life-long financial habit.

First rule? Be diligent before you buy services and save money upfront. Stay updated on their newest plans.

Don't just think of something as $5–10–20 dollars a month. $20 a month is $240 a year. Multiply that x 5 yrs= $1200. That is a round trip ticket to Europe in my books.

Don't be so willing to give your hard-earned money away.

Review your credit cards monthly at the minimum. 2x a month or weekly is best. You’ll catch charges that shouldn’t be there. You’ll catch membership fees for stuff you don’t even use anymore but forgot about.

The good news?

Almost everything is negotiable and can be renegotiated.

The bad news?

You may kick yourself when you realize how much money you’ve wasted and could have had in your own pocket.

Happy Hunting!

Thanks for reading! I have loads of food essays (delicious recipes too) and thoughtful and quirky simpler living essays waiting for you. (Well over 200 of them!) And this story caught the attention of NBC News in New York!