Sunday, October 10, 2010

“Save money on your cell phone bill”

“Save money on your cell phone bill”

Save money on your cell phone bill

Posted: 10 Oct 2010 03:21 AM PDT

Your cell phone is one possession that you might feel you couldn't live without. With 82 percent of Americans owning a cell phone, most people feel that this high-tech communication tool is a necessary part of their business and professional lives.

 However, your cell phone bill doesn't have to squeeze every dollar out of your monthly budget. Here are some ways to make your cell phone a more affordable part of your life.

 If you have more than one cell-phone provider for the mobile phones in your home, consolidate. Every cell phone carrier offers discounts on multiple lines. Plus, you get the added convenience of one monthly bill.

 Verizon has a "Friends & Family" plan that enables a person to have five phone numbers with other subscribers, who they can call with no limits. Currently, only Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile charge for unlimited in-network minutes, according to smartmoney.com. With other major carriers, this benefit is free.

  Examine your monthly cell phone bill closely. "As a parent, you have to keep up with your bills and know exactly what you're paying for," said Joe Bommarito, owner of Wireless Zone in Fenton. "If you're being charged for something, you're using it." But, he also encourages customers to check with their local Verizon provider if they have an unusual charge. "Sometimes Verizon will 'forgive' a certain charge if it's a 'one-time thing' that you weren't aware of. It's worth asking about," said Bommarito.

 Think about how often you plan to use your phone. With the lowest monthly plans for a single line starting at $39.99, that may be an added expense if you only plan to use the phone for an emergency.

 Choose a provider whose charges fit your lifestyle.  Some carriers offer free evening minutes, while others let you roll your unused minutes over to the following month — a great feature for people with inconsistent monthly usage.

 Check on texting plans, especially if there are teens in your house. Texting adds an additional $9.99 per month as an add-on to other Verizon plans, for example, but unlimited texting is available in Verizon's "Talk & Text" plan, which costs $99.99 per month, according to Wireless Zone in Fenton.

 Beware of "ala carte" texting charges if you or your family texts quite often. At 10 cents per text, these little messages can add up quickly. Most carriers charge for messages sent and received, according to smartmoney.com

 Keep your eye on special promotions and discounts. Cell phone carriers continually run specials and offer promotional codes for new service. You may also want to ask about triple play or quad-play services, for example, "bundling" your cable, internet and phone services, for substantial discounts, plus the convenience of one monthly bill.

 Trim the services you don't need. Things like Roadside Assistance and Equipment Protection (insurance) may sound like good ideas when you sign up for your plan, but think about what you really need, then "trim" the rest.

 Check on putting your home phone number on your cell phone plan and save that monthly landline charge. "A lot of people don't realize that they can keep their home phone number as part of their cell-phone plan and can save even more money by not paying the additional cost of an answering machine," said Joe Bommarito of Wireless Zone. "You can have all the convenience of keeping your home phone number if you travel back and forth between two residences. Voice mail will take care of any messages."

 Check out billshrink.com. This free web site lets you enter in some information about your cell phone usage and compares this against other offerings in the market. You'll get a personalized list of what other cell phone plans would fit your needs — and an estimate of how much you would save annually by switching, according to smartmoney.

 Rethink expensive data plans. If e-mail and surfing the net are not a necessity, consider saving a bundle by skipping these expensive options. You may have to have a data plan if you purchase a smartphone, according to Consumer Reports.

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of tctimes.com.

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