What can you do to reduce a cell phone bill?

Most of us are pretty excited about our new cell phones and use it initially without any thought as to how much it will cost us. This can become a problem not just for new cell phone owners but also for people who have had their cell phones for some time. We see our huge monthly cell phone bills and wonder what we did to get such a fat bill. And then enters the thought that we should be doing something to cut down our bill. Well, here are some ideas:

• Most of us are in the category of the eight in ten wireless customers overpaying on our plans. For a free check to find out how much you can save on your plan, go to http://www.fixmycellbill.com by a company called Validas. For $5, Validas provides your personalized cell bill adjustment report that is emailed to your wireless provider in industry specific format so you can actually implement Validas's cash saving changes. If Validas can save you more than $5 on your bill, this obviously provides a very cost effective solution. The average Validas user currently saves 22 percent, or $484 annually, off their cell bill.
  

• Make use of SMS: The facility of Short Message Service (SMS) is available with most cell phones. Through SMS you can send to and receive messages from other cell phones. Cell phone companies usually charge a very small fee for each message and at times you can even get SMS facility for free. So the next time you want to talk to somebody who has a cell phone, then instead of making a call from your cell phone, you can choose to message them. SMS will be a whole lot cheaper than making a call.

• Use your hidden pager: If your cell phone has caller ID then it is as good as having a numeric pager. When you receive a call on your cell phone and you are somewhere with access to a landline, do not take the call. Check the calling number on your cell phone and call that number back on a landline. You can even inform friends and relatives that if you refuse to take their call, they can expect you to call them back.

• Utilize �Cost Control�: The Cost Control function can beep you at the end of every minute, keep track of your unused minutes by adding up your total used minutes, and can also alert you if you are roaming. It helps you to manage your minutes better so that you can avoid going over your monthly quota. So find out if your cell phone has this function and use it.
  

• Don't pay for directory assistance. Some cell phone plans may have a few complimentary 411 calls per month, but most will charge around two dollars per 411 call. While traveling or in an unknown environment where you need numbers or addresses, this can add up to quite a lot of extra charges per month. As an alternative, use free directory assistance services like 1-800-free411, or you can try to plan ahead of time to get numbers and addresses online before you go.

• Determine your calling behavior: Be aware of your calling habits. See if you make more calls at night or over the weekends. If you do then maybe you can get some kind of unlimited night/weekend plan. Also, if you have a flat rate national coverage plan and you don�t travel year round, then you can choose to switch to a cheaper local plan while in your home city.

Try these ideas and see a reduced cell phone bill next month!

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First answer by Anonymous. Last edit by Dylan72986. Contributor trust: 3 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 146 [recommend question].