Cell phone use is rising with the introduction of text messaging, music, photo, and Internet capabilities. If you have kids and they all have cell phones, the bill can get high pretty quickly. Here are a few tips for lowering that cell phone bill to a manageable level.
The common misconception with cellular phones is that incoming calls are free. Most people only make that mistake once. With a cellular phone, your plan minutes are used for both outgoing and incoming phone calls.
Knowing the details of your phone plan will help to lower the bill. If you have a separate plan for you and the kids, consider a family share plan. Examining a recent bill will reveal who makes the most calls and texts and at what times. With this knowledge, tailoring a plan that everyone can adhere to will be easier.
Eliminating text messaging for the kids is a good move. If you have Internet capability on your computer, encourage them to send an email. The price of Internet access is by the month, not by the email like text messaging. Frequent texts to friends every day add up.
Consider changing your service provider. Cingular offers rollover minute plans depending on the amount of anytime minutes you require. Any unused minutes are added to next month’ minute total.
Switching services can also be helpful if the majority of your contacts use another plan. Calls within network come under a different category of minute usage. This will save your anytime minutes for family members who are out of state and out of network.
Eliminating unwanted services will reduce your cell phone bill. If you have a computer at home, Internet access on your cell phone is not a necessity. Check to see that only the basic services you need are what you are being charged for every month.
When contacts are local, a pay-as-you-go plan is great. For kids, giving them a monthly limit for texts and calls will keep them to a budget on the cell phone. When the minutes expire, their phone is idle until the next month. Check the coverage area when deciding which provider to use.
Use the contact feature on your phone. Calling information to get a phone number will add up. It is much easier to use a phone book. Cellular phones have the capability of recording vital information about your contacts including addresses and phone numbers. Using this feature negates the need for 411.
Cell phones are handy tools. But, you don’t want to go into debt because the entire family has one. Evaluating your plan options on a regular basis will keep the bill low and the family happy.
Grab your Guide to Family Budgeting Step-by-step guide to help you establish a workable budget.
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