Top 5 Ways To Save Money On Your Cell Phone

Cell phones are a part of essential everyday life for most people, but they come with a cost - the cost of the phones, the plans, apps you want to download, and more. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can save money on your cell phone. Here are just a few ideas.

1.) Buy your next cell phone cheap:

Getting a new phone can be an expensive process. If you're getting a contract phone, don't go for the newest and biggest right away. You can get some great phones for under $50 with a new contract - sometimes even free. If you can't take advantage of that offer, do some research on good budget phones, or buy a used or refurbished phone for significantly less. This helps eliminate the huge upfront cost of a new phone.

2.) Ask about an employee discount:

Many businesses will have deals with the major cell phone companies that offer discounts to their employees. The catch? They're not always advertised. If you're looking to save money on your phone bill, contact your business's HR department and ask if they offer an employee discount for your particular carrier. Are you a student who's not working full-time? Ask your college. Many of the larger colleges partner with the cell phone providers as well to provide discounts. Sometimes to get these discounts, all you have to do is ask.

3.) Use free texting apps:

If you're on a plan that charges you for texting, you can cut that expense out of your budget by using a free app to do the exact same thing. Textfree and Heywire are two examples, but there are plenty more. It's a little bit more work, but by cutting texting charges out of your plan, you can save a significant amount on each month's phone bill. Most free texting apps even let you send picture messages, so you can still send everyone the photos you're taking.

4.) Use a family plan:

You don't have to be related to someone by blood to include them on your family plan, so take advantage of that. Include your roommates, your neighbors, or close friends. As long as they're reliable to pay their portion of the bill on time, you can all save some serious money on your phone plans. Select one person to be responsible for paying the bill, and they can collect everybody else's share.

5.) Get rid of the cell phone extras:

You may not even realize all the paid extras you have on your bill. Take a moment to look over your bill carefully and notice any extra charges. Mobile insurance, ringtone subscriptions, monthly games, GPS navigation, and roadside assistance are just a few of the features you may be paying extra for, even if you're not using them. Trim costs by trimming the extras. Bear in mind that you may have to call your cell phone provider to take them off your account.

You don't have to pay an arm and a leg to enjoy all the joys of owning and using a cell phone. Just follow these tips and you'll start seeing the difference!

Author Bio:

David Johnson writes about smartphone reviews and deals. He is a frequent contributor to a number of online coupon blogs. To start saving money on your next cell phone click here and use promo codes from at&t, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile.