How to save money on your cell phone bill
Cell phone service really sticks in my craw, whatever that means. I thought I would never see the day when people would pay $100 a month for basic phone service. But, after taxes, fees, and charges for internet and especially overage, many pay that or more each month.
There is no need to pay that much for a cell phone.
The big companies like AT&T and Verizon want you to think they are the only game in town, well, they’re not. These businesses were built by spending BILLIONS of dollars to try to capture customers and lock them into two year plans. It’s a load of bull.
New comapanies like Boost and Virgin are taking it to the big guys now, and hopefully that will see some competition. Virgin offers $50 a month for UNLIMITED calling, so if you are a heavy user, you can save money for sure. Boost goes one step further and offers unlimited calling and internet, and text for the same $50, with no contract! Please check into these services as they will save you money.
Check out the new services as well that don’t require a contract. Flex pay from T-Mobile costs a little more to get started because of the price of the phone, but no contract is required and you pay in advance, so guess what, no overage. When your minutes run out, that’s it. Other companies don’t require a contract if you have the phone already also, but that is the best deal I have found.
Now, if you are locked into a contract take heart. You can put your plan on the lowest possible monthly rate, or break the contract and pay the $200 and still probably be ahead by using one of the other services. You might also ask about a suspension of service. Often the contract will not stop when the phone is suspended, but the bills will.
You can also find someone to take over your contract. Put an add on Craigslist and tell people you will give them a free phone if they take over the rest of the contract. Many people will jump, especially if you had a nice phone.
If you decide you really like the customer service of Verizon or AT&T (yeah right), then at least compare plans they have often. You might be paying for way too many minutes or on the wrong plan for your needs. Ask them to audit your usage for you, and believe it or not, sometimes they will save you money.
If you are a light user, consider prepaid. T-Mobile offers 1000 minutes for $100 and you have year to use them. How about that, eight bucks a month. Other prepaid phones offer lower up-front costs, but you get a scant number of minutes. That really is the best deal out there for prepaid.
Finally, get your discounts. Many people do not know that most cell phone ocmpanies offer discounts of approximately 15% to military personel and people who work for companies that have agreements with them. Check with your employer, or simply call the cell phone company to see if your company participates, and have them give you your discount. You might be surprised that you had a discount waiting you never knew about.