Saving money takes a lot of dedication, commitment, and restraint. But it also takes some action on your part. Just an hour of your time can lead to your saving hundreds of dollars a month.

In today's economy, monthly bills have been increasing. Everything from the price of food to the price of gas has been on the rise. With rising expenses, many families are deciding to simply pull the plug from services. Not so fast. You may be able to keep some of your services, along with a reduced rate, simply by making a few phone calls.

1) Call your cable company. If you tell you cable company that you are thinking about switching to a lower-priced company, they may very well lower your cost to keep you. The best advice here is to have sound real data regarding competitor plans which you can use to back up your claims.

2) Call your insurance agent. You may be entitled to discounts that you aren't aware of. For instance, you may be able to lower your overall insurance costs simply by bundling your policies.

3) Call your mobile phone provider. Do you typically have left over minutes or texts at the end of the month. If so, your cell phone provider may have another plan that is cheaper that will still work well with your lifestyle. You may even be able to ditch your land line phone if you feel comfortable doing so.

Don't be embarrassed to make these calls. There's no sense in paying more money than you have to, and in today's economy, you won't be the only one who has made such a call.