Tips to Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill

Cell phone plans can appear to be practical and affordable--forty to fifty dollars a month--and then the bill arrives with extra charges for texting, downloading and browsing. Not to mention the overage fees you may rack up for exceeding your allotted number of minutes. Before you know it, your monthly bill can double. If this describes you, consider the following tips to reduce your cell costs.

Do You Need to Use Your Cell as Often as You Do?

One way to save money is to consider using your cell for emergencies only instead of using it as an extension of your landline (which you may rarely use). Reconsider using your cell while driving the car. Not only can this save your minutes, it might also save your life. Research has shown that talking and driving (this includes hands-free) can be worse than driving while drunk. Not to mention that driving and talking (or texting) is illegal in some states. By not talking and driving, you may save money and avoid potential accidents.

Can You Talk During Your Unlimited Hours?

Do you make calls to your mom or your best friend in the middle of the day? If so, cutting back on mid-day conversations might save you some money. Most cell phone plans offer unlimited usage set for certain hours (usually evenings) and/or days (usually weekends). Try to use the phone during your unlimited times so these minutes don't count against your monthly total.

Assess Your Cell Usage Realistically

If it's impossible for you to keep your minutes (or your texting) below what your current plan allows, consider upgrading to a plan that provides the number of minutes and amount of texting you actually use. You might find that the more expensive plan is actually less costly than your last bill. On the other hand, it may not be a bad idea to cut out texting and other features altogether. If you must text, check out some-low cost texting options, especially if you have extra charges because you don't have texting in your current plan. If you need more texts, it's common sense to pay $20 more per month for unlimited texting than $120 in overage fees.

Stay Connected

Most cell phone plans allow you to talk or text other plan members for free or for a significantly reduced rate. So, ask your friends and family about the plans they use. It might be beneficial to switch and it is definitely worth looking into.

Teenagers Love Using the Cell

If you have a teen with a cell, it's a whole different ballgame because he or she probably uses every feature, from web browsing and downloading games and music to talking and texting. These charges can really add up, fast. One way to reduce your expense is to ask your teen to contribute to the cost of the features he or she insists on having.

Changing Your Behavior

Using a cell can be a necessity or an indulgence, but it can also get out-of-hand. Do you really need to speak to your husband to tell him what you bought at the grocery store? If you truly want to cut back on your cell phone bill, you may need some discipline and a change of attitude. Start by asking yourself whether talking on your cell phone is the most productive use of your time. Then, find areas where you can change your cell phone behavior and get rid of unnecessary costs. You may be surprised at how quickly these savings add up.