Cell phones can be expensive these days: there is not always room for them in the budget. Cell phones extend your brain and wallet but can be important in your budget. Many people can do without a landline phone but not a cell phone. It may appear that cell phones are an unnecessary expense that could better be used elsewhere in your budget. But there are things (at least 5) you can do to make your monthly cell phone bill not as expensive.
First, stop paying for a contract plan – switch to a no-contract plan. You should not use your cell phone provider to finance your phone. When you leave the contract, remember you will not get a shiny new cell phone every couple of years. When deciding on a cell phone plan, the company offers unnecessary (in most cases) insurance.
Second, keep your phone longer. If you do not have a contract to renew your phone will no longer be bundled in your cell phone bill. When this is the case, you can save yourself money by keeping your phone longer than the typical two-year contract. If you care for your phone, you can keep it for three or four years and not have to return it for a new one under your contract. One way to care for your phone is to buy a sturdy case for your phone.
Third, limit the programs running on your phone. Instead of letting these programs run, go into the settings menu and turn off the apps you do not need. Or, tell the phone not to start them when you are using your phone. These “background” programs use much data and can “run up” your phone bill.
Fourth, you can cut costs on your cell phone by studying your data usage. You can find this information in the setting screen of your phone or by looking at your monthly cell phone bill. When you understand your data usage, make sure you have the best plan for your data needs. If you have a habit of watching YouTube or Netflix and always pay data overages, consider switching to unlimited data.
Fifth, consider a pre-paid cell phone plan. Many carriers have such plans and offer these plans as a choice over the traditional two-year plan. Prepaid plans can reduce your monthly bill, with the savings dependent upon phone usage. You have to buy the phone at full price in the beginning, but prepaid plans are a good choice if you can afford the phone.
Cutting back your cell phone bill puts more money in your pocket monthly. The tips above are not comprehensive and other ways to save money on your cell phone bill are available. You just need to figure out what you need and do not need and go from there.
