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We’ll reveal several common billing errors that could be sabotaging your monthly budget and how to stop them.

1. Charging for TV channels or services that you already canceled.

As you decided it was time to trim your monthly expenses, you analyzed your cable lineup. You realized you weren’t watching a lot of the channels, causing you to trim that lineup via some cancellations.

You expected your cable bill to drop, only to find it stayed the same. Why? Because your cable company kept charging you for those channels you canceled.

Whether this is an honest mistake or intentional, call your cable company to tell them to remove the charges so you can be appropriately billed.

2. Charging for TV channels that you don’t receive.

Cable companies sometimes offer channels, but forget to deliver them. What don’t they forget to do? Charge you for those phantom channels, which isn’t surprising.

Compare your cable lineup to your bill. If you’re getting charged for channels that are blocked, either ask that the company unscramble them or request a refund.

3. Billing for equipment that you do not have.

Equipment fees are a sneaky way cable companies make money. Not only are some of those fees ridiculous, but they can also show up on your bill when the device never made it into your home.

If you see equipment fees for items you do not have, call the company and ask for a refund.

4. Phone companies forgetting to apply discounts.

Phone bills can sometimes seem so complicated, they give you the urge to hire a lawyer to read them and figure out all of the charges and fine print.

While phone companies never seem to forget charging you for services you receive, they can forget to apply discounts to your account.

For example, you may have signed up with your cell phone service provider to get a special discount. Unless you examine your bill, you may never notice that the discount hasn’t been applied, which could lower your bill.

5. Cramming charges on your phone bill.

Take out your phone bill and read each line. Do you see any lines where odd charges are accompanied by a description like “Member Fee” or “Subscription”? If so, you could be the victim of a common scam where outside companies charge you for frivolous things like ringtones, hoping that you forget or overlook the charges.

You may have signed up for those services and forgot to cancel them, even though you no longer use them. Regardless, block the companies and contact your phone provider and ask them to remove the charges.

6. Incorrect codes on medical bills.

Always check your medical bills to ensure the codes are correct. If not, you could be charged for a more expensive service that you never received. If you see a suspicious charge on your medical bill, call your insurer for clarification.

7. Medical bills where you are billed before your insurer.

The insurer should be billed before you. If not, you could have quite the costly medical bill on your hands. Ask for clarification before paying the bill to make sure you are not being billed first.

8. Faulty meters that lead to overpaying for utilities.

Whenever your gas, water, or electric bill seems unusually high, contact the company and ask them to check on the meter. Mechanical errors can often lead to overcharges.

9. Utility bills with taxes and other charges that do not apply to your situation.

Look at each line of your utility bills. Clerical errors when setting up accounts can sometimes lead to erroneous taxes and other charges that shouldn’t be on your account.

If you see any such charges or want an explanation of what they are, call your utility company.