With prices climbing almost everywhere, finding extra money in your budget can feel impossible. But one of the easiest ways to stretch your paycheck is by taking a closer look at the bills you already pay.

Jessica Roy , a personal finance columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle, says many people underestimate how much control they actually have when it comes to their expenses.

“These companies are expecting that you won’t even notice when they raise rates,” Roy said. “Or if you do notice, you won’t do anything about it.”

The easiest bills to negotiate are the ones where you have multiple providers to choose from, like cellphone plans. Credit cards are another big one, especially if debt starts to pile up.

“You can call them up and say, ‘Hey, I'm looking over my expenses, I'm explor

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