A letter from our founder
In 2024, I moved into a new apartment in Austin.
I needed to set up utilities—electricity, internet, insurance. So I did what any "responsible adult" does:
- Googled "best electricity provider Austin"
- Spent 45 minutes squinting at rate tables
- Got confused by "TDU charges" and "EFL documents"
- Gave up and picked whatever seemed reasonable
Three months later, I realized I was overpaying by $40/month.
Not because I'm dumb. Because the system is designed to be confusing.
Why is this so hard? And why isn't there something that just... handles it for me?
The Problem We Discovered
Everyone has the same story:
"I know I'm probably overpaying, but I don't have time to figure it out."
"I tried to compare insurance quotes once. It took 3 hours and I still wasn't sure."
"My electricity rate definitely went up, but dealing with it seems like such a hassle."
The math is staggering:
- Average household: 12+ monthly service bills
- Time to properly compare each: 1-2 hours
- Annual checkup to ensure best rates: 15+ hours
- People who actually do this: ~8%
Translation: 92% of Americans overpay because life is busy.
Enter M-8
What if there was an AI that could:
- ✅ Know every provider in your area
- ✅ Actually understand the fine print
- ✅ Compare plans at YOUR usage level
- ✅ Alert you when prices drop
- ✅ Do all this in minutes, not hours
That's M-8.
We built M-8 to be the friend who's weirdly obsessed with utility rates. The one who actually reads electricity facts labels. The one who knows your "unlimited" mobile plan throttles after 22GB.
M-8 doesn't get bored. M-8 doesn't get confused. M-8 just finds you better deals.
Our Mission
Everyone deserves fair prices on essential home services.
Not just people with finance degrees. Not just people with hours to spare. Everyone.
How We Actually Work
How We Make Money
Referral Partnerships: Some providers pay us a commission when you sign up through us. Like a travel agent—you don't pay extra.
What this means:
- ✅ You never pay us anything
- ✅ Providers compete to offer you the best deal
- ✅ We stay in business without selling your data
What this doesn't mean:
- ❌ We don't hide better options for commission
- ❌ We don't prioritize paid partners in results
- ❌ We don't spam you with "sponsored" deals
Our promise: If the best option doesn't pay us, we still show it first.
The Team
What We're Building Toward
Now:
- Help Americans find better deals on 17 home service categories
- Make comparison shopping as easy as entering your address
Next Year:
- Expand to more service categories
- Add bill tracking and automatic renegotiation
The Dream:
- A world where overpaying for essential services is impossible
- Where fair rates are the default, not the exception
Thank You
If you're reading this, thank you for giving us a chance.
Building a company is hard. Building trust is harder. Every person who lets us help them save money is a gift.
Get In Touch:
- Email: hello@monthlymate.com
- Twitter/X: @monthlymate
We read everything. Seriously.
Here's to paying less for the boring stuff, so you have more for the good stuff.
— Oliver