One of the recurring expenses that many people see each month is the cell phone bill. Smart phones are almost becoming a necessity these days, and that means, for many, cell phone bills are rising.
With data plans, apps to buy and the phones themselves (there are $2000 phones now?!), owning a cell phone can get pricey.
Do You Really Need a Smart Phone?
The first question to ask yourself is whether or not you really need the such a fancy phone. Why are you getting the smart phone? Figure out whether you really need the expenses that come with a smart phone.
I wanted a phone that would be easier to text on, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend on a smart phone. So, instead, when my old phone died, I bought a phone with a slide out keyboard. It does the job I need it to do, and it is much cheaper than a smart phone.
Evaluate your needs; you might be able to save more if you go with a less expensive phone.
Check for Overages
One of the biggest expenses can be overages. You are charged when you go over on minutes, and when you go over on data usage. If you play a lot of games on your phone — even if they are free to download — you might be exceeding your data plan limits. Look at your habits. In some cases, it might be worth it to upgrade to a plan with unlimited data, talk and text, instead of repeatedly paying higher rates for overages.
Consider a Family Plan
In some cases, you can save if you have multiple family members on the same plan. Run the numbers and see what is likely to benefit you the most. You might find that, individually, you, your spouse and your kids are spending a lot more than you would if you combined plans.
Look Into Prepaid
Another option is to go the prepaid route. My friend has a $50 unlimited talk and text plan, since he uses his cell phone a great deal. I, however, rarely use my cell phone. I rarely use more than 20 or 30 minutes a month. It’s really just for my family to be able to get a hold of me if I’m not at the computer, or for my son’s school to contact me in an emergency. As a result, I have a prepaid plan that works out to costing us between $5 and $7 a month.
This works well for me because I don’t use the phone much. My phone cost less than $30. You might find that prepaid works well for you, too. However, realize that prepaid doesn’t work as well when you use your phone a great deal. The per-minute cost can get high if you use a lot of minutes.
Bottom Line
There are ways for you to reduce your cell phone costs, but know that a smart phone is going to cost more no matter what. You can still do your best to reduce your bill as much as possible though. Like we always say, you just need to look for savings as they are everywhere.
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I need a new one altogether.