Q: My wife and I are about four years from retirement, and we've started going through our budget more carefully. Last month, our internet bill jumped from $68 to $97. When I looked into it, I learned we'd been on a two-year promotional rate and didn’t notice that it had ended. A week later, our home insurance renewal arrived and it was about $250 higher than last year, even though we've never made a claim. I've always paid what the bill says, but my wife thinks I should call these companies and ask for a better deal. I’m just not good at haggling. With all the talk about tariffs, interest rates, and prices that don't seem to come down, we want to be sure we aren't paying more than we need to. Is it realistic to negotiate these bills, and where do we start? ~Dale Read More