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3 Tips To Lower Your Cell Phone Bill

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The new era of cheap, omnipresent, and fast Internet is here to stay. The days of poor and scarce data flow are to remain in the past. His highness – Wi-Fi – is open and free of charge almost anywhere you can think of. Being always connected with friends and family and up-to-date with any news is the new reality of the 21st century.

Yet, the question of why are your phone bills so high prevails. Now that you don’t need so much mobile Internet, why do you pay the same amount as ten years ago? The thing is that nowadays you have so many additional services and apps at disposal for a specific cost. The less you pay attention to small fees, the higher your bill will become.

The good news is that there are alternatives to save several hundreds of dollars a year. We encourage you to consider out hints that’ll cut your phone bill by up to 50%. Applying any of our saving tricks will help you pay lower wireless service bills and dedicate the money to more important things.

What Is The Average Cell Phone Bill?

In-depth studies have found that the average cell phone owner pays approximately $75 per month. Amazingly, this means that you spend nearly $1,000 for one year on your phone bill only. You can survive an entire month in the USA with $1,000. If we calculate how much you’ll pay over 30 years, numbers will undoubtedly strike you. Plus, you’ll probably purchase a total of 22 smartphones in your entire life.

Indeed, $27,000 is a considerable amount to spend on calls, text, and data usage for 30 years. Imagine the sum you’ll be paying the next three decades if you were a four-member family. You wouldn’t like to be spending a whole fortune on phone bills, right?

If we want to go further in the future, technology experts claim that we’ll be paying even higher bills. For instance, in 10 years, we’ll be spending around $13,000 and in 20 years over $25,000 on phone bills per year. Like it or not, this is a new reality, and it doesn’t include the inflation rate. In short, lowering a few dollars now can make an enormous difference in the long-run.

Why Is Your Cell Phone Bill So High?

The insurance can be a non-essential add-up. Did you know that you’ll pay as much as $264 for two-year insurance? This is because major mobile providers charge almost $11 a month for coverage, and this indeed increases your bill. We suggest you use free cell phone insurance by paying cell phone bills using a credit card.

Another useful idea is to pay for occasional repairs out of pocket and ignore any insurance you may be offered. For instance, a new screen usually costs around $80. Use the Find My Phone option to make sure you don’t lose your mobile pal. Plus, try using your current phone for a bit longer than usual. Even better, keep it as long as it works properly.

Not being thoughtful with international travel and calls is another reason why your phone bill is continually rising. International calls and data usage can be extremely pricey, indeed. When possible, switch to WiFi calls and texts and avoid using cellular data. If you travel abroad often, maybe it’s high time you sign up for the most suitable international plan with your provider. Setting a plan coordinated with your travel schedule can be a smart idea.

Reducing Your Current Cell Phone Bill

Our estimates show that if you manage to lower your monthly bill from $80 to $40 per month, you’ve done a great job. So, that’s what we’re aiming for. In a word, you’ll save approximately $5,000 in 10 years by just decreasing your wireless service bill. Expensive smartphones and cases can be an additional cost, as well. Consider buying a used cell phone online instead.

Often, cutting down on expenses seems like it’s taking forever. If you’re fed up of paying a small fortune each month for several phone calls, you have every right to be. Set our three tips from below into motion to start paying less for almost the same services.

Use WiFi To Battle Wireless Carriers

A smart way to decrease your phone bill is to use the available and wide-spread WiFi as often as possible. Today, the boosted numbers of WiFi hotspots and devices are threatening the major mobile carriers. Even mobile carriers themselves divert cellular traffic to available WiFi spots to save money and battle network congestion.

Most of the places around now offer free WiFi, and this helps you save on the cellular data you’re currently using. Except for activities such as hiking, driving, or boating, there’s no need to exploit the data on your mobile phone. You may also need to use cellular data in some instances of emergency, but that’s a minor cost compared to constant and uninterrupted use.

The expansion of WiFi access urges us to take advantage of it whenever we can. This means you can send messages as well as do audio and video calls by using well-known apps such as WhatsApp and Viber. In short, use free WiFi to save data usage to the greatest extent possible.

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Tips To Lower Cell Phone Bills

Surrounded by zillion mobile providers and even more plans, finding the best one for you is a daunting job. Luckily, there are proven tricks to lower your cell phone bill without having to consider all available options on the market. Believe us, some options are there only to confuse you.

If you’re still with us, that means you’re entirely focused on cutting phone bill expenses. Our experts have done the overwhelming task of selecting the most useful ideas, so make sure to keep reading.

1. Shop Around And Switch To Less Expensive Carrier

The golden rule when trying to cut the phone cost is to do thorough research. Take your time and ask about popular deals around. Pay attention to online reviews. Avoid lousy carriers that fall behind with promotions and new deals.

Never underestimate the benefit of paying for a new phone outright. Phone payment plans burden your phone bill for at least two years. If you are looking for a new iPhone, you’ll be probably paying an extra $30 every month. Instead, sell your old phone online, add some extra cash and pay for the new one in full.

Promotions are an excellent way to lower monthly costs. If you’re not in a rush, wait for limited-time promotions because their benefits are permanent and stay even after the promotion comes to an end. Or explore new plans with your current provider. Try tracking your data usage and match it with a plan that includes fixed data amounts that suit your needs.

Mobile Virtual Network Operators Are Your Friend

Give secret carriers a deep thought. These are the so-called MVNOs or mobile virtual network operators that operate on other carrier’s networks. They don’t own the infrastructure of the wireless network over which their customers are serviced. MVNOS such as Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile offer cheaper plans. We’ve summarized the best alternatives for our readers only:

  • Republic Wireless offers unlimited talk and text for as much as $15 per month. One GB of data will cost you an additional $5. The provider gives a yearly prepay option for $250 per annum. This means you’ll pay $20.83 per month versus $25 if you go with the regular offer and buy 2GB extra each month.
  • Mint Mobile’s offer includes 3GB of mobile data with unlimited talk and text for only $15 per month. Pay attention that you have to pay three months in advance or $45 in total. The same plan will cost you up to $25 after the first quarter.
  • Tello Mobile is what we saved for the end as the best offer on the market for the time being. Packages start at $39 and cover unlimited talk, text, and mobile data. Calls to Mexico, Canada, and China are also included.

Consider changing the service provider as a last resort if every other attempt to cut the phone bill fails. The chances are that you’ll probably find better prices at some of the smaller, less-known providers such as Verizon-powered Visible or T-Mobile’s Metro.

Such providers exploit the cellular towers of prominent mobile operators to provide you with top-rated services. The good news is that you only pay a fraction of the cost.

2. Negotiate

Let’s say you go to a store for a new cell phone ready to pay the sticker price. Well, this is not the wisest approach. Your best shot is to go and talk to the store manager to check whether you can get some kind of discount. You can also knock a few bucks off the price by waiving the activation or upgrade fees.

The truth is that if you’re a regular client of theirs, most likely you’ll be rewarded by a loyalty discount. That brings at least 5% of the price back to your pocket. Therefore, it’s best to shop at the same store to take advantage of your loyalty to it.

Another fabulous hint is to locate a decent offer from a competitor. Then, call your current provider to try and reach the same price. If you’re good at bargaining, you can get a pretty low price by explaining what benefits the competitor offers. Finally, you can’t lose anything by just asking. You can only save some cash.

Our final hint is to try and call your mobile carrier and demand a better price. Make it clear that if they don’t want to lower the cost, you’re ready to cancel their services and switch to another carrier. At this point, customer retention will know that you’re aware of the other offers on the market. So, if they want to keep you as a client, they’ll have to settle with you.

Don’t get disappointed if your negotiating attempts fail. Not all mobile carriers are ready to negotiate and lose profit. Move on to the following proven ways to save that we’ve prepared for our readers only. There’s no doubt that you’ll find the right strategy to lower your phone bill if you stay with us.

3. Sign-Up For Services That Get You Discounts

Join a family plan that offers multi-line discounts. Generally, they are cheaper per line rather than buying the service on your own. Providers such as Metro and Cricket offer four family lines with unlimited cell phone service for only $100 a month. The only disadvantage of family plans is that splitting from it or switching to another carrier can be complicated.

Make sure you check if you qualify for an exclusive discount. Top-notch providers grant special deals for military members, teachers, and senior citizens. Such deductions can reach up to 25%, and that’s a great relief on a monthly level.

Service members, government employees, and students can also qualify for a phone plan discount. If you want to know more about such offers, the best way is to call the targeted carriers or visit their stores. Take into account that you’ll have to prove your status to keep the account active.

Last but not least, you can earn a discount via your employer. Corporate discounts will save you up to 15% for the wireless service each month. Most reputable private companies partner up with carriers and enable their staff to make use of discounted wireless services. Even if you quit the company, the discount will still apply.

Bonus Step – Sign Up For Autopay

Signing up for autopay is another helpful method to spend less on your cell phone bill.  The most popular mobile carriers offer autopay discounts, and you can make real use of them. Below, we list the discounts for your convenience only:

  • T- Mobile – If you use their autopay option, you’ll pay $5 less on your monthly bill per one line.
  • Verizon – Save unbelievable $10 every month by opting for the autopay and paperless billing. This applies on eligible plans only.
  • Sprint – Save $5 by signing up for the autopay option on your line.
  • Cricket – Get ready to cut $5 from your monthly bill on eligible plans if you decide to go with the autopay variant.

So, for example, if you’re a four-member family, you would save from $20 to 40 on your monthly phone bills by choosing autopay. We never underestimate savings, even if they seem minimal. If you save $5 per month, that’s $60 you wouldn’t have otherwise by the end of the year. Plus, if you manage to save $5 a month on 10 different things, that’s $50 extra in your pocket.

Anyway, before you switch to automatic payments, consider your capacity to cover the costs. You wouldn’t like to handle overdraft fees from such payments since you didn’t plan well in advance. Also, pay attention if credit cards are accepted for autopay, or you should link your debit card instead.

Final Thoughts

If your budget screams for a lower cell phone bill, you have every reason to seek a saving strategy. Whether you’ll alter your monthly plan or you’ll cancel unessential extras, this means more money on hand. Don’t just complain about ever-growing bills and jump into action instead.

So, there you go. We’ve said it all, but you need to invest some effort to get things done. Don’t just wait for the phone bill to decrease as time goes by. If you’re willing to go with a milder phone bill, consider our tips and give them a substantial thought.

Do these tips sound good and you want some other ideas on how to save cash every month? Sign up for out ProMoneySavings Newsletter and get fresh money-saving tips right into your inbox!

FAQs

How can I decrease my cell phone bill?

First of all, gadget payments increase your monthly bill a great deal. That’s why we suggest you buy mobile devices in cash. We also encourage you to inspect the offers of other mobile carriers and choose a mobile plan that suits your needs wisely. Waive any insurance and extra expenses you might be subject to and avoid using mobile data whenever possible. Lastly, use any discounts or limited-time promos you may be offered.

Why is my cell phone bill so high?

You probably haven’t thought of limiting your data usage in the background. To avoid this, set up data overage alerts and keep track of your limitations. Once you activate the alert, you’ll receive automatic warnings from your provider when you hit 80% of the planned monthly expense. Further on, scan your monthly bills to make sure you’re not paying for anything extra that you don’t need. Providers charge you for enhanced voicemail and roadside assistance if you haven’t considered canceling these services.

How can I lower my Verizon cell phone bill?

If your provider is Verizon, we give you several tips to decrease your monthly cost with them. Choose the autopay option. Remove any cell phone insurance you might have selected previously. Continue reducing the cost by skipping phone upgrades. Finally, add lines to the phone package of yours or consider switching to a prepaid cell phone plan.

Will my cell phone bill go down after two years?

Recent surveys and studies have shown that prices will only increase in the long-run. Particularly if we take into account the inflation rate of 2.15% per year and the cumulative inflation of about 5.06%. That means that if you’re paying $75 per month in 2020, you’ll be probably paying $79 with the same plan in 2022. The only way your phone bill can go down is after you pay your phone off.

What is the average cell phone bill per month?

Taking many providers and users into consideration, it has been found that the average phone bill cost is about 75$ per month. Don’t get surprised if you throw $1,000 down the drain every year on talk and text only. Some users may be paying more since they aren’t aware of the options at disposal. Anyways, don’t get deceived by the general impression that this exorbitant cost is standard. Be savvy, and put our excellent saving hints into practice.

Can you negotiate cell phone prices?

To be honest, this is a great strategy, to begin with. Once you’ve located some smartphone models, it’s time to prepare a negotiating plan. Check the offers and prices at several mobile carriers and independent stores. Then, go to your cellular carrier and explain any better deals you’ve noticed on the market. Mobile carriers are very serious about their clients, and they’ll do everything to keep you on board.


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    Emily

    4 thoughts on “3 Tips To Lower Your Cell Phone Bill

    1. Bill Joe says:

      Wow, I never thought there were so many ways you could save on your phone bill each month… Why nobody pointed out these tricks to me before? Cheers guys

    2. Sandra says:

      I’m definitely trying these tips out, starting from next month. I am having a rough time at the moment…this should give me a head start to lower my cell phone bill, at least I hope so

    3. Alexander says:

      This is nice, but some aspects don’t work out in some cases. Anyways, most of the hints to lower a cell phone bill can be used in practice. I tried most of them in the past, I’m good for now

    4. Victoria Charcoal says:

      Good job, really. I have been trying to decrease my cell phone bill for quite some time. I guess I wasn’t self-disciplined enough, now is the time to give saving a go one again

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