You might want to ditch the checking account you opened in high school

Consumers are creatures of habit -- and that laziness has a cost.

It's not unusual for people to procrastinate financial actions until the last possible moment. And once a decision is made, many people are likely to stick with that choice -- even for decades -- as better deals pass them by.

Of course, shopping around for staple services such as insurance, a wireless plan and a checking account takes research and negotiation and sometimes requires you to start over. But the payoff could be hundreds of dollars in savings and access to new perks. Here are some things you might want to shop around for now.

Checking accounts

Change banks? Who has time when the checking account you've had since high school gets the job done? Well, some people might be missing out on higher interest rates by not looking at small banks and credit unions, which are more likely to offer rewards checking accounts. For instance, of the 56 rewards checking accounts surveyed by Bankrate.com earlier this year, 20 paid at least 2 percent in interest on balances for people who use their debit cards a certain number of times each month, receive online statements and meet other requirements. (That compares with the national average of 0.09 percent paid by savings accounts, according to Bankrate.com.)

In some cases, people may qualify for new perks as they earn more money and their financial habits change, says Shannon Johnson, manager of consumer deposit products and payments for SunTrust Bank. For example, some banks will waive ATM fees or offer higher interest rates on savings for people with higher balances at the bank, she says. Instead of spreading their funds across several banks, some people might qualify for these benefits by holding multiple accounts at the same bank, such as a retirement account and a savings account.

Car insurance

The average driver has used the same car insurance company for 12 years, according to a survey done by Princeton Survey Research Associates International for insuranceQuotes.com. Inertia might be costing them: Consumers who changed insurance companies after browsing insuranceQuotes.com said they saved $200 a year on average -- or $2,400 after 12 years.

Some people stick with the same insurance company because they're confused about when they are allowed to switch, says Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst for insuranceQuotes.com. For example, some people who prepay for six months of coverage don't realize they can request a refund if they decide to change insurers before the six months are up, Adams says.

Other times, people stick with their plans because they've bundled their car insurance with other coverage such as home insurance or renter's insurance. Still, it might also pay to shop insurance companies even if your current carrier just hiked your rates after an accident, Adams says, since other insurers might not penalize your mistake in the same way.

Wireless providers

As my colleague Brian Fung reported, wireless providers such as Verizon and AT&T are moving away from the traditional pricing model of subsidizing smartphones and locking people into two-year contracts. For consumers, that means having to pay more for a phone -- an iPhone that usually costs you $199 might now cost you $650 -- either upfront or over time. But it also means that they have more freedom to change carriers when a better deal comes along. Consumer Reports compared different plans from major phone providers and found that some families could save up to $1,000 a year by switching plans.

Some providers offer packages for data that are less expensive when shared with others as part of a family plan. Others will offer smaller data packages for people who don't need to use as much of it. Some consumers can take their phones with them from one provider to the next, so instead of getting an upgrade as soon as you qualify through your current wireless provider, see if you can find a discounted phone online and start comparing plans.