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Home > Blogs > Here's the Deal > Archives > 2010 > February > 06 > Entry
8 tips to cut cell phone costs
ShopSmart; magazine, which is published by the same folks as Consumer Reports, put together eight money-saving tips for all of us cell phone users.
They will be featured, along with other handy cost-cutting tips, in the March 2010 edition of the magazine.
Here are their ways to save on cell phone use:
1. Go easy on the minutes. Do a little cost-benefit analysis on your bills and figure out how many voice minutes you’ve used in the past six months and how many minutes were left over. You might save with a plan that has fewer included minutes, provided it offers the same free talk-time benefits.
2. Maximize family-plan calling. Got a multiline family plan? Call your spouse and kids on the family-plan cell phone instead of their landline home or work phones.
3. Use freebies to the max. If your carrier offers unlimited free minutes to designated calling-list phone numbers, register your most-called numbers but be sure to make the most of this money-saving feature by limiting your list to landlines and cell numbers outside your network.
4. Bundle up those texts. The cost of text messaging adds up quickly if you’re paying à la carte at 15 to 20 cents a pop. If you’re a busy texter, think about a package of 200 to 1,500 messages per month for $5 to $15.
5. Don’t be afraid to complain. If you’re on the hook for an unusually gigantic bill, call customer service before you fork over hundreds of dollars in extra fees. Your carrier might cut you a break.
6. Get a data plan. E-mailing, Web surfing, and other types of data can really chew up your budget if you pay per megabyte. An “all inclusive” plan with unlimited Web and messaging on a smart phone should cost $10 to $60 per month.
7. Shop around or hire someone to do it for you. You can “hire” a service like those at www.billshrink.com (free) or www.myvalidas.com (at least $5) to sift through the major plans for you, factoring in your usage and other data, then recommend available phones with various plans and costs.
8. Avoid big termination fees. Make sure that you’re going to be happy with your cell plan because early termination fees can run as high as $350 per phone line. If you do choose to switch to a new carrier, be sure to give the phone and service a good test drive during the 15- to 30-day trial period, when you can quit and move your number to another carrier without penalty.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Helpful information, Savings
Comments
By Prepay
February 6, 2010 8:59 AM | Link to this
Check out prepaid plans. We used to use Verizon but we can afford to pay ahead and save the money. Straighttalk uses Verizon network and is $30/month for 1000 minutes and 1000 text. No smartphones are available with the network. No hidden fees and additional taxes either.
By max
February 7, 2010 6:50 AM | Link to this
For an emergency only - I use tracfone - $7/month avg..unused minutes roll over….
By RBC
February 7, 2010 9:45 AM | Link to this
Another suggestion: Check to see if your employer offers a corporate discount through a particular wireless carrier, then sign up for service through that carrier. Corporate discounts can reduce your monthly service fee by as much as 25% (in come cases, even more). These discounts aren’t limited to giant corporations, either — I work for a small liberal-arts college and qualify for an 18% savings on wireless service through Sprint.
By RBC
February 7, 2010 9:46 AM | Link to this
Another suggestion: Check to see if your employer offers a corporate discount through a particular wireless carrier, then sign up for service through that carrier. Corporate discounts can reduce your monthly service fee by as much as 25% (in come cases, even more). These discounts aren’t limited to giant corporations, either — I work for a small liberal-arts college and qualify for an 18% savings on wireless service through Sprint.
By fortressdayton
February 7, 2010 11:14 AM | Link to this
Talk less. Don’t worry about having the latest all-in-one gadget. Stay connected less….and go read a book.
By Murry Katz
February 7, 2010 2:44 PM | Link to this
Good suggestions but you’re dealing with symptoms. How about a cure? I have Straight Talk on the Verizon network. Bought it at Walmart and it’s an amazing deal. The Samsung Finesse is a very cool smartphone and paying only $45 a month for unlimited everything is the best deal going! Why sign a contract to use a phone and pay more?
By Pre-paid the Way
February 7, 2010 9:15 PM | Link to this
I use Virgin Mobile pre-paid. It’s Sprint Network so it goes anywhere Sprint goes. $20 minimum every 3 months. Unused min carry over month to month. Prepaid cards are less at Walmart.
By Les Gart
February 8, 2010 10:55 AM | Link to this
Tried both BillShrink and MyValidas.com - the second is much better - didn’t try to make me change carriers - loved the service that told me what numbers we are calling most so we have an accurate friends and family list which allowed me to switch the family to a lower cost plan.
By tbill
February 8, 2010 11:29 AM | Link to this
Pay as you go T-Mobile! $100/yr for 1000 minutes. Talk less, people; use your computer for data. Nothing you have to say is worth $100/mo. on a Blackberry.
By early termination no more!
February 25, 2010 10:46 PM | Link to this
I once had to pay the $175 early termination fee and NEVER AGAIN!!!! So now I’m with a hassle free no-contract, prepaid service. Lukily nowadays there are so many choices depending on your usage. I find what works best for me is StraighTalk for only $45 for unlimited talking/texting. Highly recommend to anyone. Been with the phone for 4 months now and have not had one single dropped call!
By Buy Cialis
April 16, 2010 9:35 AM | Link to this
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By Sam Soong
April 29, 2010 9:34 PM | Link to this
Great article! I also saved money for my vacation by cutting my regular costs and my budget. I’ve been looking for ways to economize and when my cell contract was up, I got a Net10 phone. I pay 10¢ a minute and 3¢ for texts. It’s at terrific value and there’s no contract or overages. Highly recommended!
By seo lace
May 2, 2010 12:05 PM | Link to this
I can’t read your page in IE 9.8, just thoght I might let you know?