Cell Phone Bills – How To Save Money

Here are eight tips on how you can cut that cell phone bill significantly, no matter what carrier you are with:

1.  Know Your Minutes to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Get a look at your past six months of billing to see what your average minute usage has been.  Most cell phone users will find that they use only about half of what their contract allows.  Many carriers give free weekend, nighttime and mobile-to-mobile minutes that are not billable.  Many cell phone users could save money by changing to a plan with fewer minutes.

2.  Make Use of Family Plans to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Many of us with families are using a multiline family plan with our cell phone carriers.  If you are as well, make sure that when calling them, use the mobile-to-mobile free minutes.  Don’t call them at their home or work landlines. 

3.  Use Your Free Numbers to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Many of us tend to call the same few numbers all the time.  Many carriers offer free unlimited calling to 5 or 10 callers we designate.  Choose those 5 or 10 who are either not with your carrier or who have landlines only.  Save the mobile to mobile within the network for your free calls.

4.  Texting Plans Can Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Texting by cell phone has become more popular and buying a plan that rolls that into your contract makes budget sense.  Many people who buy packages of texting find they text much more than they expected and pay high fee charges.  Look for unlimited texting plans to avoid those extra costs.

5.  Customer Service Can Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Many first time cell phone users don’t realize how easy it is to exceed their contracted minutes, whether its voice or texting charges.  If you end up with a bill exceeding your monthly charges, call your carrier’s customer service.  Many carriers will retroactively change your plan and forgive the huge overage on your cell phone bill.  In most cases, it is best to contact the carrier by phone and get that human voice rather than trying to resolve it by the carrier’s Website.

6.  Roll Data into Your Plan to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  A data plan that charges you separately on your billing will no doubt cost you.  Data plans charge you on the amount of megabytes you use on a monthly basis.  With the increasing popularity of smart phones, one can never know what they will or will not be downloading.  Between email, Google searches and Facebook updates those costs could skyrocket.  Make sure that you get an unlimited Web and messaging included in your plan.

7.  Shop All the Carriers to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Check the Web for online services offered to cell phone users.  These services will analysis your cell phone usage patterns, and find you the best carriers, with the best plans to suit your needs.  If you currently have a cell phone carrier, it is worth the effort to us these online cell phone Websites to verify you and your family are not overpaying.

8.  Avoid Termination Fees to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill:  Many cell phone users want to move from one carrier to another, but don’t because of the hefty termination fees.  However, cell phone carriers now reduce termination fees based on the life of the contract.  The termination fee may still be hefty, but in the end, a cheaper contract with another carrier maybe the right move.  Call your carrier and discuss it with them.  They may find you a better cell phone rate if they think you will terminate with them.