Are you one of those people who just pays your cell phone bill without reading it? Chances are, this does not stop you from getting frustrated over how much you are paying each month. A simple review of the itemized charges on your cell phone bill, however, could reveal a variety of ways you could lower your bill instantly. In addition, many cell phone carriers offer discounted rates for certain plans and services.
Alternatively, you can opt for a less standard form of cell phone plan altogether and save even more.
The trick to evaluating your options for reducing your cell phone are to apply each one to your life and cell phone usage needs. A discount is only beneficial to you, for example, if it does not deprive you of a service or feature you need. Certainly, the first and foremost way to ensure you are paying as little as you can for the cell phone services you use is to compare those costs among competing cell phone carriers. Beyond those comparisons are ways to lower your cell phone bill regardless of which carrier you choose.
1. Choose Automatic Payments
When you set up automatic payments, your bill is automatically paid by a deduction from your linked bank account. Because automatic payments increase the reliability and consistency of payments, cell phone providers often offer discounts to incentivize setting them up. You can sometimes get $5 or $10 knocked off your cell phone bill each month you utilize automatic payments to pay it. Some service providers even provide this incentive per line, instead of per account basis. This means, if you have four lines on a single account, a $5 savings, for example, can turn into a $20 savings.
2. Increase Lines
It may seem odd that you can save money by adding lines of service rather than eliminating them. Nevertheless, many cell phone carriers offer discounted rates for additional lines. While the total cost of service is greater per number of lines, when you divide the cost by the number of lines, the cost per line actually goes down. Sharing a cell phone bill with family members or roommates can cut down your own cell phone costs considerably.
3. Change or Eliminate Added Services
There are a number of ways that cell phone carriers offer extra protections on their services at extra cost, including tech support, insurance and warranties. Generally, standard cell phone insurance covers most situations that might arise, including a damaged, lost or stolen device. It also costs the least compared to premium protection plans provided by your provider or a third-party agency. Moreover, the added services these premium plans provide more often than not never need to be used.
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By switching from a premium to a standard insurance plan, you can save several dollars per month. By eliminating cell phone insurance altogether, you could save between $80 and $180 annually. If you have an older phone, make sure the savings you make on replacement costs outweighs the amount you would pay without insurance to replace your phone. Be sure to factor your insurance premiums into this calculation as well.
4. Update Service Address
Where you live determines how much you are charged in taxes and other fees on your cell phone bill. Therefore, by changing where you live, you can change how much you pay in those charges. Certainly, you are not likely to move in order to pay less on your cell phone bill. It is also unlikely that you will factor this heavily in considering where to live if you wish to move. However, there are several ways in which you can legitimately change your service address listed with your cell phone carrier without actually moving.
Perhaps you have a family plan and a family member on the plan with you moves to another state. Then, you could change the address on the account to that person’s new address for a better rate that fits your family’s budget. If you attend school or work full-time in another location, then you could conceivably use that address instead. To update your service address, simply log into your cell phone service account online and edit your profile to reflect the change.
5. Change to a Prepaid Plan
Using a prepaid plan with your cell phone instead of a standard plan can save you a bundle on your bill. To use a prepaid plan, you typically have to pay in full for your phone up front rather than in monthly installments. If your current phone is compatible with the prepaid carrier, then you may be able to keep your own phone. Alternatively, you can purchase a phone compatible with the prepaid service used.
6. Use WiFi
Cut down on your data usage charges by using WiFi to connect to the internet whenever possible. Remember, your phone’s GPS and apps can use data as well. If you can manage your data usage to stay consistently below your plan’s monthly data limit, you can even consider downscaling your service to a lower plan that costs less money for an allowance of data closer to your actual use.
7. Forego Contracts
One of the ways cell phone companies hook you for steady payments is by locking you into a contract in order to get a particular deal on a phone you want to purchase. If you can find a no-contract version of the phone, then you are free of a commitment locking you into ongoing payments at a certain fixed rate. By freeing yourself of cell phone contracts, you can start and stop services to suit your changing needs and budget.
You can also change carriers and cancel service without extra fees or penalties. Whether you choose to buy a phone with a contract or not, however, always be willing to haggle with the vendor for the phones you buy. No sticker price is written in stone, and you may be able to start out your cell phone service paying less overall.
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