Cheap Cell Phone Service: What Does That Mean?
Especially during these times, we are all looking for cheap. Cheap food, clothing, cars, and even cheap cell phone service. One thing you do not want with a cell phone or cell phone plan is cheap by the sense of the word definition as: of inferior quality or worth, as it is defined by Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. While you want to get a good value on cell phone service, inferior cell phone service could be quite upsetting. If you do not have a high quality network to back you up, you may not pay much for your service, but it might only work well for a few square miles. You need to find a low-cost plan that is reliable.
When pricing a cell phone plan, factor in the number of minutes you need per month. 450 minutes of talk time is just shy of an eight hour work day (7.5 hours). Do you talk on the phone more than seven and a half hours a month during daytime or peak airtime hours? Are the conversations with people on your same cell phone service? If so, you may have unlimited minutes for calls between other customers of that service provider. You may also have unlimited minutes to anyone at night and on weekends. Think about when, why and where you need to use your cell phone throughout the course of a month. If you use more minutes, choose a more expensive plan which will give you more minutes and keep your overall monthly bill cheaper than paying high overage charges on the wrong plan.
The other factors in keeping your monthly cell phone bill low is to determine which additional features you might be using. It is best to have an allowance or subscription for messaging, Internet, navigation or music services. Any of these types of services you use will be at an additional cost, just like dessert or a pay-per-view movie. You may be able to bundle services with your minute allowance and your costs will be cheaper each month. Although a cell phone may be a necessity in most of our lives, the add-ons do drive up the cost of the bill. The key is to evaluate your usage needs and cell phone service plan to make sure you are not paying for something you do not need or want.
Consider a share plan if your family has multiple cell phone numbers. You will get more minutes than a single line plan for a slightly higher price than a single line for the first two lines. Third, fourth and fifth lines are as low as $9.99 a month and are great options for children. Check with your service provider to see if activation fees or contracts can be waived.
Most providers have unadvertised plans for the asking. They want to keep your business and may be able to set you up with very limited minutes for as little as $20.00 a month. These plans are not for those who want to use the phone a lot, and any messaging or additional features will not be included. If you change to one of these unadvertised service plans, track your usage very closely. Many of the plans offer allowances of less than an hour and are not intended for daily use. These plans may even include some additional off-peak minutes or free long distance. You want to get the most for your money on anything you buy.
If you are a current cell phone service subscriber, review your current plan. If you are paying for a service you do not use remove and block it. There is usually not a charge to block additional services such as text/picture messaging, Internet, ringtone downloads or voice mail. When and if you choose to unblock the features, this too can be done at no cost. Before you unblock any services, discuss how you will use the service with your provider so you can get the cheapest cost based on your usage requirements. Do not add an unlimited text package for $20.00 a month if you are only going to text a limited amount, and do not pay for a text bundle if you only send and receive 20 messages per month.
Most providers offer multiple ways to manage and monitor your service, and it is important that you do this at least until you know your plan works for you. You are ultimately responsible for how the phone is used which can impact your bill in a very expensive way.