Cell phones have quickly become a standard expense these days. Many users, like myself, have ditched land line phones and are solely using cell phones for all their telephone needs. Prices and plans have changed drastically over the years as technology and available services have improved. Most companies lock customers in with 2 year minimum contracts and expensive cancellation programs. We won’t even get into customer service or the actual quality of service of cell companies. That’s for another blog, focusing more on ranting and raving (of which I have plenty of content for).

So what do you do when you can’t afford to cancel your phone but don’t want to keep paying high monthly costs? Well, you call customer service of course! But first grab copies of your cell phone bills and current phone plan, which should be listed somewhere on your bill. Most companies keep your bills online for at least a year, so download or print at least the past 3 months, if not more. Also pull up their current phone plans from the site. Once you have that, follow these tips and words of wisdom:

• One, two, three, four: Start counting up your minutes used month over month and compare that to your allowance. How close are you to the limit? Review the current plans by your provider. Do they offer lower minute packages closer to your average usage? You should think about changing plans. Are you going over on your minutes? If you are paying over what the next plan is you definitely want to upgrade. Just make sure that this wasn’t a one time overcharge.
• Brb k? l8r: Do you text? Does your plan even offer text? If so this is a way to save some money. Texting has become increasingly popular and the cell phone companies know it. They consistently change pricing plans on text and messaging. If you are going over on your text messages, look into unlimited plans that can end up costing less that your current plan. If you get unlimited service and only send 3 texts a month, you are paying too much. Find a smaller text package or don’t pay at all. Paying $.25 for 3 messages is better than $10 for unlimited plans.
• Say no to Geico: I’ve had a cell phones for over 10 years and I have never had to replace a phone because of defect. Sure, insurance makes us feel warm and fuzzy and the cell companies will rush right out and make you whole again. Only a few problems with this. Most companies only offer refurbished models, so there is no telling what new problems will be met. The other problem is a deductible which with the monthly cost of your insurance, could exceed the value of your replacement phone. You may be better off saving the difference and if your phone kicks the bucket, then pick up one from eBay or craigslist. Friends are also a good source for backup phones.
• With six you get eggroll: group discounts are also a way to save money. Most big corporations and companies have specific carriers they work with and get employee discounts. Another way to save is by getting family plans. Make sure that you and yours are on one phone plan. Individual plans will bleed you dry.

Hopefully you’ll fall under one of these areas and find ways to trim down your cell phone bill. If you are nearing the end of your contract, check out billshrink. It’s really simple – input your usage and costs (you already have that from working above) and you’ll get a custom output of available plans with possible savings.

So, does all this really work? Like I said, I’ve never purchased insurance and the saved money pays for a new phone in 2 years when my contracts end. Just the other day I was able to switch my wife from 50 text/pix messages a month (unlimited same carrier txts)  to 250 total txt/pix for the same price. She was pushing the limits every month and at $.40 a text it could get ugly pretty fast when you have a teenage sibling. Last year we dropped our 1400 minute plan to 700 minutes, resulting in over $300 saved a year. I also get a discount through my employer which nets me 20% off a month.

Of course, if you only use your cell for emergency uses, you can look into the pay as you go phones. Most of them have expiring minutes, but the overall cost can be lower than a normal phone plan.

What other ways do you save on your cell phone bills?