Especially in this economy, everyone is trying to save money on unnecessary bills. If you’re wondering how to reduce credit card bills, you’ve probably seen numerous places to reduce your bills.

Beware, most of these businesses will charge you a fee for something you can do easily for free. You’re already paying too much for your credit card bills, why would you want to add another fee on top of that? Don’t fall into these scams, it’ll take a little bit of legwork, but you can reduce your credit card bills from your home with three easy steps.

This sounds intimidating, but it’s exactly what any company that promises to consolidate debt actually does. Get all of your bills together and all your expenditures so you can answer any of their questions. Just call your customer service number and ask to talk to a financial consultant or their customer retention division. Basically, a representative will ask you your bills and your expenditures. They want you to keep paying, so if you can show that it’s going to be tough to pay your bills, they’ll likely reduce it for you. They may simply reduce your interest, but if you’re significantly in debt they may also reduce old interest as well — cutting a big chunk out of that remaining balance.

This sounds easy, but making a budget can keep your finances in your mind and push you to simply spend less. Again, sit down with all your bills and see what you can and cannot afford. If you go out to eat three times a week, cut back to one. Skip that the next gadget purchase and put that money toward your credit card. It’s not going to be fun, but forcing yourself to stop wasting money creates good habits for life. Sit down with your kids and have them help with the budget. And no matter what, leave some wiggle room. You’re not just working to pay your bills, leave a little extra money aside if you need to splurge on a nice night out or a weekend road trip.

Even financial guru Suze Orman suggests this tactic when people ask, “how to reduce credit card bills”. She says anyone with decent credit should look for a zero percent credit card online, they’re not hard to find, but they often require good credit. This option is especially suited for people who haven’t missed any bills but want to free up cash. It’s not for people who are likely to miss a payment however. Zero percent credit cards can shoot up to near 20 percent. If you can make the payments though, put your highest interest balance on the card, or use it to pay off the last chunk of another card. All the money wasted on interest will simply disappear.

If you’re asking yourself how to reduce credit card bills, try these three steps. A little time and effort goes a long way to creating good credit habits and cutting your payments.