New Services to Save You Money

We’ve all heard of the recommendations to automate your savings or use the 30-day rule when making a non-essential purchase.

However, there’s many services that can set you up for success beyond queuing up automatic transfers from checking to savings each payday.

First , there’s Bill & Subscription Management.

Rocket Money (formerly Truebill) is a service that finds and cancels unused subscriptions, negotiates bills and tracks spending. You’ll first sync your accounts (via Plaid), categorize expenses, then create your own custom budgets and goals.

Many users like them for their subscription management service which lists recurring charges and offers a concierge cancellation service. Premium members can have Rocket Money negotiate lower rates on bills (phone, internet, etc.); where fees are charged based on the first year’s savings (often 35–60%).

Another great subscription management company is Billshark which will negotiate lower prices for your internet, cable, and phone bills.

It’s backed by Mark Cuban, has an 85% success rate, and claims an average savings per bill of around $285. You’ll upload a PDF or photo of your bill via the app or website then their Sharks are off negotiating for you. Similar to RocketMoney, if they save you money, they take a cut—35–40% of the first year’s savings, capped at 24 months

Also, if you haven’t been maximizing Cashback or Rewards, you need to check out sites like Upside, Rakuten and Fetch Rewards.

Upside will save you cash on gas, groceries, and dining at participating businesses. Founded by ex-Googlers, Upside partners with over 50,000 U.S. locations through an affiliate model making money for driving your purchase.

Many users like that Upside works in conjunction with credit card points and loyalty programs for a “double dip” effect.

Rakuten on the other hand is a resource that will help you earn cashback when shopping online at major retailers. With over 20 million members, Rakuten has paid out billions in cash rewards—over $3 billion since 1999.

Start on their website, app, or click the browser extension before heading to a partner retailer. You’ll earn cash back in store or online where range from 1–40% depending on the merchant (e.g., up to 10% regularly, higher during promotions). Note, cash returns can take up to 90 days to confirm, and payouts arrive only quarterly.

Fetch Rewards is a company that requires you to scan grocery and personal care receipts to earn points for gift cards something you can easily incorporate into your everyday to save big.

The point value is that such as 1,000 points ≈ $1. Typical gift cards start at 3,000–5,000 points ($3–$5). While uploading your receipts may sound monotonous, you can also link e-receipts by connecting your email or retailer accounts (Amazon, Walmart, Instacart) to automate reward tracking.

And when it comes to banking and budgeting you can also explore, Chime or SoFi which offer no-fee banking, round-up savings, feature early direct deposit, and spending insights. Just refreshing your bank and taking a hard look at your return on your savings will go a long way.

Beyond free banking, at Wealth Elf we love smart budgeting apps which will help you stay on track.

Monarch Money or Copilot are modern budgeting apps with AI features to help track goals and reduce wasteful spending. If you love the now ended “Mint” app these are great alternatives.

Finally, if you’re looking to save on insurance and utilities there are ways to trim the fat. Explore Gabi by Experian or Policygenius to compare auto, home, and renters' insurance to find cheaper options. Both are digital insurance brokerages that simplify the process of comparing and switching auto and home insurance policies.

For instance with Gabi, users can upload their current insurance policy or connect to their insurer’s portal. Gabi then scans the coverage and provides real-time quotes from over 40 national and regional carriers, including Progressive, Travelers, and Safeco.

Arcadia is a platform that connects people to renewable energy without needing to change their current utility provider as a great way to save on utilities.

It acts as a middleman that allows you to support clean energy and save money by tapping into community solar projects or buying renewable energy credits (RECs).

Did these tips help you save money? Let us know at @Wealth_Elf on Instagram