Posted by Mrs Money | October 9th, 2008

Last month I wrote about how Hurricane Ike decided to make a trip to the Midwest and leave us without power for 6 days.  The frugal side of me was excited because I knew that our electric bill would be much lower due to us not being able to use it.  I was creative and kept busy without spending a ton of money: I read books, went for walks, and socialized with the neighbors; all frugal activities.  I was pretty proud of myself for not going out and spending tons of money.  I’m even more proud of myself for something I did.

I emailed my cable company, explained that we were without power and I was unable to use my phone, cable television, or high speed internet.  I asked them if they would be so kind as to give me a credit for the time I was unable to use their services, or at least give me a partial refund.  They refunded over $20.  I was pretty excited!  I guess it shows that asking for something works.  I am pretty pleased that my next bill will be a little lower, and I can use that extra budgeted money towards something else.  Maybe that will help me pay off debt faster, or fund our IRAs.

Being frugal requires you to think outside the box.  Make odd requests, stand out, and be confident.  The worst someone can tell you is no!