High Cell Phone Bills: How to Cut Costs & Keep Talking

I live by my cell phone.

I would die for my cell phone.

Well, maybe not that far.

What I am trying to get at is that, like millions, a cell phone is an essential tool in my every day life. On more than one occasion, I have forgotten that I only had 700 minutes and have stayed on the phone for more than my allotted time. As a result, I would end up with a nearly $150 cell phone bill that did not suppose to go over $70. It was $80 down the drain but I have learned my lesson.

If high cell phone costs are leaving dents in your bank account, then these tips may alleviate you from wireless woes.

Think realistically about potential minutes used.

Consumers tend to look more at the cost of the plan instead of what minutes are available in the proposed plan.

For example, the consumer signs up for the Nation 450 Plan with Cingular. The talker uses all 450 minutes plus an additional 100 minutes. 100 minutes may not seem like a lot but it is when each additional minute is .45/minute. Not only does the customer have to pay his normal $39.99 (plus taxes and surcharges) but now an additional $45 for his overage. The bill is now $100.00! For a lesser price, the talker could have gotten a 1350 minute plan for only $80.

Don't fall for the luxuries.

Back in the day, mobile phones were just that... phones. Fast forward to present day and they also include cameras, video cameras, MP3 players, FM radio and of course, internet access. These features are all neat and dandy but to utilize them to their full advantage, it costs more money that you must pay on a monthly basis.

If you eliminate the $20 fee each month for unlimited internet access and picture mail, in a year, you would have saved $240. Enough to purchase that nice camera or MP3 player you wanted.

Go old school: Get a landline phone.

Maybe it is just me but I hate to use my cell phone while I am at home. I primarily use my cell phone while I am out. When I am at home, kicking back in my humble abode, I use my home phone. Why use my expensive cellular minutes for local calls when I can make unlimited local calls from my landline?

Bellsouth's monthly home phone plan is $32 a month including any calling feature I would need (i.e. caller ID, call waiting) and unlimited calling within my local calling area.

If you must make a long distance call, there are several carriers out there that have great rates. You just have to do the research.

Show me the discount!

Who doesn't like discounts? Whether it is through some type of promotion or by clipping a few grocery coupons, I love to save money. Why not save money on your wireless bill each month?

If you work for a major corporation or belong to a national recognized association, you could be missing out on an opportunity to save some serious moolah! Because of the company I work for, I receive a 12% discount. It might not sound like a lot but let's do the math.

My monthly plan is about $70. With my discount, I only pay about $62 a month. That's about a $100 a year I get to keep in my purse.

It never hurts to call your company's customer care center to find out what discounts are available to you.

Opt for pre-paid

If you are only using an average of about 200 minutes a month, why are you paying nearly $50 for your cellular service? Pre-paid companies were getting a bad rep for a while but the phones available and plan rates have improved and sometimes tend to outshine their steep competition.

Virgin mobile provides a pre-paid plan for 200 minutes for only $24.99. That's half of what you were paying before. And for an added bonus, you are not tied to any binding contract.

Re-adjust plans according to how much you travel

You mean, I can travel anywhere in the US and still be able to use my phone.

Most consumers are hypnotized by the nationwide plans but do not realize they are being hood-winked. Unless you are an avid traveler, either business or personal, most can get away with just a regional plan, which means more minutes and for a lesser cost.

Alltel's National Freedom 900 minute plan includes unlimited mobile to mobile, unlimited nights and weekends and their new plan, My Circle for $59.99 a month. On the other hand, their Greater Freedom plan also includes these features but you get 1200. That's 300 more minutes a month for the same price!

Follow the leader

Most carriers include a mobile to mobile plan, which allows users to call other customers of the same company as much as they want without using their plan minutes.

If the majority of your family and close friends have Verizon, why go with Cingular? By also going with Verizon (unless it is a coverage issue), you can call them as much as you want, without the fear of talking over your minutes and having to endure overage charges.

Consider a family plan

My husband had Alltel and I had Verizon. In wireless bills alone, we were spending approximately $200 a month. Now we have Sprint.

Since we were calling each other the most, a family plan with unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling was perfect for us. Now our bill is about $70 a month after my discount. That's nearly $1600 saved that we can set aside for our child's college fund.

Oh, gotta go! Someone's calling.