It’s a rare occurrence to find someone without a cell phone in today’s tech-obsessed society. Whether it’s a cell phone or basic phone, cell phones are mandatory to communicate and conduct business. With so many cell phone carriers offering thousands of cell phone plans, it’s not hard to end up with a pricey phone bill. Luckily, it’s equally easy to lower costs.
Switch to Prepaid Phones
Ditch the two-year contract and use a prepaid phone instead. A prepaid phone provider is a no-contract phone that accepts payment through a prepaid phone card, credit/debit card, or PayPal. It acts similar to a contract phone, but it doesn’t send a bill. Just select a plan, pay for a phone in full (or bring your own) and set up the device for use. You’ll receive a text or email notification when the due date is near. That’s it. You can bring your phone number and cancel anytime without a termination fee. It’s so popular that major carriers AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile offer prepaid services.
Another prepaid payment version, the pay-as-you-go plan, is still around. You will see it as “XX cents per minute” on the carrier’s website. Use a prepaid phone card, PayPal, or credit/debit card to add more money to the account when the balance is low. Two major carriers still have this option available.
Get a Family Plan
A family plan bundles two or more phone lines to the same bill. The savings begin when someone adds a second line to the family plan. The savings arrive when all parties split the cost. Carriers offer family plans if you see “add a second line for XX” or “add a third line for XX.” Choose the family plan with trusted family and friends as some may expect you to pay for the full amount instead of splitting the cost.
No Bill Installments for New Phones
There are two ways to pay for a new phone: full payment or monthly installments. For a contract phone, an upfront phone payment will cost more in the beginning, so monthly installments are visually appealing. However, the carrier will add the installment to the already expensive phone bill, costing you more money. The solution is to keep the old phone until it no longer works. Save some funds to contribute toward a new phone. Then, pay the full price for the phone upfront. Consider used phones or a new “older model” phone rather than the newest phone to hit the market.
Tweak Data Plans
There are three ways to tweak data plans to lower your cell phone bill. First, switch to a lower-priced data plan. This may mean switching your cell phone plan entirely. Second, rely on Wi-Fi more to view or download video, music, podcasts, email, apps, and social media. Only tap into data usage when no Wi-Fi is available. Third, check app usage on phones to see what apps are running in the background. Background apps drain data, so turn off unnecessary ones on each app’s data usage section or in the settings section.
Take Advantage of Discounts
Carriers urge customers to select autopay and paperless billing because it benefits them, but autopay and electronic billing benefit you too. You save money when you choose those options. Carriers offer limited-time promotional offers such as phone discounts and phone plan discounts. If it applies to your situation, the offer will temporarily save money on the phone bill.
Companies, memberships, and organizations may offer discounts toward your cell phone bill too. The same is true for government workers, students, teachers, first responders, and the military. Just show proof that you’re connected to the business program to earn and keep the discount. Some credit cards offer free cell phone insurance as long as you use your credit card to pay the bill each month.
It requires planning and execution on your end, but the cell phone bill’s amount will decrease. Don’t pay more than necessary and never pay for services you don’t use. Let this list be an outline toward maintaining the same great phone service at a lower price.