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Money Mondays

Save on your Cell Bill

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Track Your Talk Time

Going over your minutes?! Then, keep track of them. Sign up with overmyminutes.com, (a free service) and you’ll receive an e-mail or text message to let you know when you’re about to run out of minutes.

Use the Same Plan as Friends and Family

Many cell phone service providers offer free in-network calls. So, get all of your most-called people on one plan, and save.

Don’t Use Your Cell Phone for Toll-free Calls

Toll-free calls aren’t free when you make them from a cell phone; so save your 1-800 calls for times when you access to a landline, unless you have minutes to spare.

Don’t Use 4-1-1

Dial 4-1-1 from a cell phone, and it could cost you $1 or more. Fortunately, you can skip the charge and still get the information that you need by calling 1-800-GOOG-411, a free 4-1-1 service provided by Google.

Another free 4-1-1 number to try:
1-800-free411

Bundle Services

Move all of your services – cell phone, cable/ satellite, Internet and home phone to one provider, and save again.

Go Prepaid

If you only use your cell phone for occasional calls, a prepaid plan may be the cheapest service option for you. Shop around, and you could spend as little as $20 every three months.

  • The Prepaid Cell Phone Plan Chooser

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Pick a Plan that Matches Your Talk Times

Do you make a lot of calls in the early evenings? On the weekends? Mid-day? Examine your phone habits; then, pick a plan that best matches them.

Switch to Unlimited Texting

Text messages can cost as much as 10-cents a piece (or more) to send and receive. If you do a lot of text messaging, a plan with unlimited text messages is a great option.

Ditch the Extras

Phone replacement insurance, road side assistance, ringtone downloads, games, video streaming, e-mail, web surfing capability – there are lots of cell phone extras to choose from, but in the end they all do the same thing: add to your monthly cell bill. Stick to the basics, and you’ll receive a more basic bill.
(not if you have an iPhone or Blackberry, I am definitively guilty of all charges)

Be Realistic About Your Phone Use

When choosing a phone plan, people generally do one of two things: choose too small of a plan or choose too big of a plan. Be realistic about how often you’ll use your phone, and you’ll avoid paying more than you need to for service.

Pick a Plan with Rollover Minutes

If you’ve determined that a minute-based plan is best for you, choose one that allows you to rollover unused minutes from month to month. After all, you’ve paid for those minutes, so you should get to keep them.

Only Use Your Phone for Emergencies

Did you know that you can use a cell phone to dial 9-1-1, even when it’s not connected to a service plan? It’s true. Just make sure cellular 9-1-1 service is available in your area, and you can keep a cell phone on hand for emergencies without having to foot a monthly bill. (Good to know)

Rely on Your Landline More

Local calls on a landline? Free. Local calls on a cell phone? Not so free. Try to make more of your local calls from your home phone, and you’ll spend less for your phone time.

Ask for a Better Deal

One thing you can be sure of: Your service provider doesn’t want to lose you to the competition. So, ask for a better deal, and you’ll probably get it.

*For more information visit: Frugal Living

*Money Mondays*

One reply on “Save on your Cell Bill”

I would recommend 1-800-411-SAVE which is a free direcotry assistance service done by real people and not mchines. The Google service is only done by machines, if you want faster service I would recommend talking to a live person. 1-800-411-SAVE will also connect your call for free.

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