Saving Money on Your Cell Phone Bill

There are few things worse than opening your cell phone bill at the end of the month and realizing that you’ll be forking out a lot more money than you expected. Cell phone companies like AT&T and Verizon make a huge portion of their profits from overage fees and hidden charges that are completely avoidable if you know how to play the game. If you’re trying to cut your monthly phone bill, here are a couple of tips that will make saving that much easier.

Think about other data options.

If part of your cell phone bill comes from you overusing your data plan, you may want to reevaluate what you have set up. Paying for unlimited data might be more expensive than what you have but it will certainly cost less than the charges you’ll receive when you use too much of it. Or consider switching to a low cost mobile broadband provider mobi-data where you can get international service for a fraction of the price of the regular providers. If you do a lot of traveling, this is certainly an option worth considering. Whatever your final decision is, you should certainly consider your current situation.

Avoid using your phone when there are other options.

If your calls are what’s giving you problems, consider switching to an option where you can make free phone calls. Skype allows you to talk to other users for free up to a certain amount which can be useful if you’re used to having long conversations on the phone, make the switch and save some money. If text messaging is what’s causing problems, there are apps that allow you to text other users as well. Assessing what’s causing the problem is going to help you make sure if doesn’t happen in the future.

Use the same plan as your family.

If you make a lot of phone calls to your friends or family, consider switching to the same service as those you call most. Most service providers offer free calling among users of the same service and then you’ll be able to use whatever minutes they give you for those outside your plan. The same thing goes for plans that offer free night and weekend minutes if that’s when you use the most of your calls. Take a look through your recent calls to see when you made the most phone calls and who they were to.

Don’t let your cell phone bill damper your mood at the end of the month. There are plenty of companies and plans out there that can help you save money if you’re willing to put in the effort to find them. Look online to compare different plans and be wary about introductory rates that can cause problems later on down the line when they raise the prices to higher than you had expected. And most importantly, read the fine print. Many offers sound good when you hear them advertised but there’s a lot more that has to be done that isn’t worth the time or money.