With the rising costs of gas and rent, many individuals want to find ways to cut their cost of living. One of the fastest ways to do so is to cut their monthly cellphone bill. Cell phone users can adopt one of the following five methods to save money and cut their overall bill.
Call For Free:
Users who make frequent phone calls abroad do not have to pay for it. There are many apps that let people call their family and friends for free. Skype, Viber and Textfree allow the user to call anyone they want who also has the app. Skype is great for long distance phone calls and only requires the user to have some kind of Internet connection to place a call. Likewise, the texting services Heywire and Textfree let cellphone users send text messages and pictures at no cost.
Switch to a Plan:
When someone purchases their first phone, choosing a package can be difficult. Since they do not know the amount they will use, they purchase a phone plan that does not match their interests. Users who send a constant stream of text messages should consider getting an unlimited texting package. Since each text costs as much as $.10, a user who sends thousands of texts a month is racking up an unnecessary bill. Data usage packages can also lower the costs for someone who spends a lot of time online. If the user never uses their phone, they may be better off with a minimal package or with switching to a prepaid phone.
Consider Prepaid:
Less than 20 percent of Americans use prepaid cellphones according to the Entrepreneur magazine. This low number is surprising since many prepaid phones cost less money. Plans include data packages, unlimited texting or just a daily fee if they are used. For light or moderate phone users, a prepaid plan can save them money. It is also a great option for people who are terrible at budgeting because it lets them pay as they go.
Track Phone Usage:
Even if the phone plan is the right one for them, some people will still go over their minutes or texts. Users can prevent overage fees by tracking their minutes and data usage. Many phone companies make their money from overage fees rather than the actual phone plans. By preventing these costs, users can save more money on their monthly bill.
Ask for A Better Deal:
This method of lowering phone bills works surprisingly well. The four major cellphone companies are interlocked in a cutthroat competition for customers. For phone users, this means that they can be extremely amenable to offering discounts, free phones or reductions on a phone bill. Users can call their cellphone company or visit a retail office. They may have to haggle or threaten leaving their contract, but most cellphone providers will be willing to give customers a discount to keep their patronage.
Cellphone bills are not set in stone. Any user who is not under a contract has the ability to negotiate their future bill, use a different provider or switch to a prepaid phone. With so much flexibility, it is in the company’s best interest to give their client a deal that will make them stay.
