For most of us, our cell phone bill is a major monthly expense. Whether you use one of the major cell phone service providers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon, or use another provider, you can most likely lower your cell phone bill with just a bit of work.
Here are a few ideas for reducing your cell phone bill.
Switch to a no-contract plan. If you are not already on a no-contract or contract-free cell phone plan, you should consider switching to such a plan. Without a contract, you will no longer get a subsidized price on the latest cell phone every two years and will have to purchase a phone at full price upfront. That extra upfront cost will be more than offset by the savings on your monthly bill over the two years of a typical contract.
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Keep your phone longer. Once you are on a no-contract plan, and your phone purchase is no longer bundled in your monthly cell phone bill, you can save further by hanging on to your phone for longer than two years. The longer you keep your phone, the more you save. For example, try keeping your phone for three or four years instead of two years. This is easier to do nowadays, as the development of new cell phone features and capabilities is not as dramatic and quick as it used to be.
Use Wi-Fi whenever possible. Wherever you go, take full advantage of available Wi-Fi to save data usage. You can not only send messages, but also send audio and video calls over Wi-Fi by using popular apps such as WhatsApp and FaceTime.
Limit background data. Email and other apps that run silently in the background can use a surprising amount of data. Turn off such data usage in your settings menu and get used to only checking email when you are on Wi-Fi. You can even get more sophisticated by looking at background data usage by individual app and turning it off for the apps for which you do not need it.
Study your data usage. Once you have established the habit of using Wi-Fi whenever possible, take a look at actual cell phone data usage in the settings screen of your phone and in your monthly cell phone bill. Once you had a good understanding of your data usage habits, make sure that your cell phone plan best corresponds to your data needs. For example, if you love watching Netflix and YouTube and are constantly paying data overages, consider switching to an unlimited data plan to save on those charges. Conversely, if you use minimal data, consider switching to the lowest tier data plan to save on your monthly bill.
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Sign up for automated payments and paperless billing. If are not already on automatic payments and paperless billing, consider signing up for them. Not only do you save time and hassle, but you will often score a small discount on your monthly bill.
Be careful when making international calls. If you have friends and family overseas or call outside the country often, you probably know that international calls can get costly. First, use Wi-Fi calling whenever possible. Second, make sure that you are signed up for the most appropriate international calling plan with your carrier.
Consider family share plans. If you live with one or more family members, you will likely save by switching to a family share plan. Sharing data allowance is less of an issue if you are using Wi-Fi whenever possible and have chosen your data allowance carefully. In many cases, you will save $15 to $25 per month versus a similar individual plan.
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Look to prepaid carriers. Prepaid carriers such as Boost Mobile, MetroPCS, Cricket and Ting generally save you even more. However, prepaid carriers usually require you to purchase your phone for full price upfront. Assuming you keep the phone for at least two years, the savings from a prepaid plan, in most cases, will more than make up for the initial cost of the phone. The longer you keep and use your phone on a prepaid plan, the more you will save.
Skip the insurance. Cell phone insurance is a major profit center for the cell phone service providers but very costly for consumers. Given that insurance often costs around $11 a month, the costs add up quickly. They can reach $132 a year or $264 over two years. You are better off paying for the occasional repairs out of pocket. For example, a new screen typically costs around $79 dollars. And turn on the Find My Phone feature or similar tool to make sure that you do not lose your phone.
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10 Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill in 2018 originally appeared on usnews.com
