We’ve all experienced shock at seeing a high cell phone bill, and the prospect of facing permanently high phone bills is daunting to many people; after all, phone conversations are an essential part of personal and business life. Rather than giving up your phone or keeping it turned off, there are some smart options that you can utilize to keep your bill low, while allowing your to retain all of the advantages that led you to use a cell phone in the first place:
Carefully Evaluate Whether Your Existing Plan is Cost Effective
Even if you’re locked into a contract with a certain provider, most of the time you can switch between various calling plans. In particular, if you have many more minutes than you need, consider moving to a lower cost plan. If you have multiple family members on the account, then you might want to look at a family plan that will provide volume discounts. For many people, a disproportionate percentage of their call time is linked to just a few people: try to coordinate cell phone providers with those you call most, as that will often all free in-network calling.
Schedule Longer Conversations in Advance
Although spontaneous conversations occur all the time, if you can anticipate longer conversations and schedule them for nights and weekends, you’re bound to save on valuable peak time minutes; check when your night minutes kick in, as it varies from plan to plan.
Resist the Temptation to Purchase Add-on Features
Most people are constantly bombarded with advertisements for upgrades on their cell phones, from ring tones to software packages. Make sure you read the fine print on these plans, as they’ll likely to continue to bill you well after the initial purchase.
Find An Affordable Text Messaging Plan
Rather than incurring an expensive per diem text messaging charge, you can often purchase a text messaging plan that will save your quite a bit when all costs are factored in. Many cell phone providers offer plans which can accommodate your level of use.
Use Alternative Methods of Communication
Having a cell phone can be convenient, but also consider utilizing inexpensive methods of communication such as Skype when you’re at your computer – that way, you can cut down on your costs while maintaining a high level of available for business clients, friends and family.
This post was written by Elise Degrass. Elise is a new freelance writer. She spends most of her day writing and reviewing cell phones. She appreciates your feedback at [email protected].