How do I keep track of renewal dates?

Almost every avoidable overpayment in a household — insurance, energy, broadband, subscriptions — comes down to a date nobody had written down. One list solves it permanently.

Step by step

1. List everything with a renewal date.Insurance of every kind, energy, broadband, mobile, breakdown cover, subscriptions, memberships, MOT, professional registrations. One list, one place.
2. Record the notice deadline, not just the renewal date.Renewal date minus notice period. That is the date you actually need to act by, and it is the one to put in the calendar.
3. Set a reminder two weeks before each deadline.Enough time to compare the market and act without rushing. A reminder on the day is useless.
4. Use one calendar, and make it recurring.Annual repeating events so it self-maintains. A system needing manual re-entry every year lasts about eighteen months.
5. Note the current price in the reminder.So when the renewal quote arrives you can see immediately whether it has risen. Providers rely on you not remembering last year's figure.
6. Diarise the price-rise exit windows.If a provider announces a mid-contract rise, the window to leave penalty-free is usually short. Diary it the moment the letter arrives.
7. Do a market comparison at each reminder.Insurance especially. New-customer pricing is routinely better than renewal pricing, and existing providers will often match it if asked.
8. Review the whole list annually.Remove what has ended, add what is new. Fifteen minutes once a year keeps it accurate.

Tips

• Insurance renewals are usually the largest single saving available from this. Comparing at every renewal is normal and expected.
• Add the account number and customer reference to the calendar entry. It saves hunting for them when the reminder fires.
• Share the calendar with whoever else runs the household. One person holding all the dates is a single point of failure.

Questions people ask