How to Save Money on Cell Phone Bills?

There’s no doubt that it can help to save on your cell phone bill. However, how do you go about doing this? In our guide below, we will outline some of our best tips about how to save money on cell phone bills.

You can Save on Your Cell Phone Bill If You…

The first step to slashing your phone bill is to consider all the factors that contribute to it. Your bill can vary depending on the carrier you use, your plan, your usage, and any extras on your bill. You may also want to consider any discounts that you previously had or discounts that you could take advantage of.

1. Look Over Your Plan

An easy way how to save money on cell phone bills is to switch to a plan the better fits your usage and budget. For example, if you don’t need extra minutes or don’t text a lot, you won’t need an unlimited calling and texting plan. Or, if you find that you don’t use data, get rid of your data package.

Instead of trying to manually count up all your minutes, use online tools to help you better analyze your cell phone bill. These online tools include Citizens Utility Board, BillShrink.com, and FixMyCellBill.com to help gather insights about your bill. Additionally, these sites will let you see your current phone habits, such as how much you text, call, or use data and compare it to your current plan. This way, you can better determine which plan you should switch to save the most money.

2. Ask for a More Affordable Plan

If you’re a part of Verizon, AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile, that can be an excellent thing for a budget-friendly shopper, such as yourself. As long as you can threaten and haggle to the sales rep on the other line of your phone, you can drastically lower your cell phone bill. This is because most major cell phone carriers can’t afford to lose customers.

Most companies are willing to renegotiate the terms of your plan, as long as you stay a customer. Plus, cell phone plans are constantly changing, so it’s not a loss to you or the provider. For example, if you have a pricey plan, it might be replaced by something even cheaper in a week weeks or months.

3. Find Out What’s in Your Area

Unless you travel a lot, it’s important to consider what kind of providers are in your area. If you don’t like your current cell phone provider, we suggest you ask your friends or family what they use.

4. Consider Switching to a Prepaid Plan

Although fewer than 20 percent of Americans use prepaid phones, they can save you a load of cash, compared to traditional cell phone contracts. This makes them a great way how to save money on cell phone bills. However, do keep in mind that not every prepaid plan is the same. Some prepaid phone providers charge a daily fee, some charge based on minutes of use. However, you’re a light cell phone user; you can save a lot of cash on a prepaid plan versus a provider such as Verizon or T-Mobile.

Just like any other plan, you should also be sure to read the fine print before you sign the agreement. Generally, most prepaid plans have a set expiration date, but some use strange fees in the hopes of costing their users more in the long run.

5. Block Out Third-Party Charges

If you don’t want to be charged for games or apps for your cell phone, you should consider blocking third-party charges. This will also help prevent strange companies from adding fraud charges to your monthly bills, which is a technique called cramming. However, you should be regularly looking over your bill every month, carefully examining every charge. This way, you won’t be “accidentally” charged for extra services from third-parties.

Recommended read: How to Save Money on Electric Bill

6. Make a Family Plan

A fast and easy way how to save money on cell phone bills if you have other family members who have a cell phone plan from the same provider is to make a family plan that everyone can join. Not only is it cheaper, but it also makes it easier to pay every month.

However, if your family doesn’t want to go in on it, you can ask your roommates or even coworkers to create a family plan amongst yourselves. Most companies are more than willing to blur the lines of a “family” if it means creating new plans.

7. Get Rid of Extra Charges

There are a lot of extras you can add on to your cell phone plan that, at the time, might have seemed like a good idea. This includes visual voicemail, roadside assistance, games, ringtones, insurance, and more. However, these increase your monthly bill. To cut down your bill, stick to the basics.

8. Take Advantage of Discounts

A lot of large companies partner with cell phone service providers to offer their employees cheaper phone plans. A lot of medium and small business do the same, but they do not advertise the price cuts as much. Discounts for students are also often unadvertised. In these cases, you must seek out the deal on your own.

Talk to the human resources department to ask about discounts provided by your company. You could end up cutting your bill by 10 to 30 percent if you do. If the discount is through a different carrier, consider switching as it may be able to save you money. If you are a student, contact your carrier and ask if they offer a discount. You may be required to provide your school email address to prove that you are currently enrolled.

9. Pay Attention to The Small Things

No matter what provider you have, small things play a big role in how to save money on cell phone bills. For example, your company may knock a few bucks off your bill if you enroll in paperless billing or use the auto-pay feature. Though it may not seem like a lot, the savings can really add up. Plus, every little bit counts when you are trying to save. Call your carrier or check online to see if you can find any small ways you can trim your bill.

10. Rely on Your Landline

Another way to slash your cell phone bill is by using it less. When making local calls, use your landline. Local calls are free on your landline, but not on your cell phone. By doing so, you can use fewer minutes on your cell phone plan and find a plan better suited to your needs.

You should also consider only using your cell phone for emergencies. Your cell phone can still call 9-1-1 even if it is not connected to a service plan. You can keep your phone with you only for emergency situations without needing to pay a monthly bill. You will, of course, want to double check that cellular 9-1-1 service is available in your area, first.

Conclusion

Most people overspend on their monthly cell phone bill, paying for data, minutes, and extras that they never use. However, there are steps you can take when learning how to save money on cell phone bills. By cutting out services you don’t need and being open to switching providers, you can cut down your monthly expenses. Do you have any questions, thoughts, or advice about saving on your phone bill? Let us know in the comments below!