Some people pay their phone bills each month without putting thought into how they can save money.  Here are some things to ponder if you want to work on reducing phone expenses.

Do you really need a landline?

If you have a cell phone and a land line at home, ask if you really need both.  Getting rid of your home phone service can save you up to $50 every month.

Explore landline options

Can you get a discount by bundling a landline with your cable or internet service? If you have high-speed internet in your home, look at web-based calling options. Can you use web-based services like Skype or Google Hangouts instead of a landline? Or you can look at services like Magic Jack or Vonage. These services let you use a land line phone to make calls. But they don’t require a land line connection.

Always consider the costs of new services and compare to the cost of your old land line.

Study your cell phone service

There are ways to cut back on cell phones as well. Some companies offer discounts on family plans. You will usually have a base price, with lines added at $10 per line. It’s not always easy to choose the right cell phone plan. There are many options for minutes, texting and other services. Paying for too many minutes will add to the cost of your monthly cell phone bill, but that isn’t as expensive as exceeding your allowable minutes. Track your minutes for a couple of months, just as you would track expenses on a budget.  Then see if you can adjust your bill accordingly. Understanding your texting habits can also uncover opportunities to lower your cell phone bill. Many plans charge about 10 cents per text, offer packages of 100 texts, or offer unlimited texts at a cheaper per text rate. If you don’t text often, you may be better off without a texting package.

 

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