You pay how much for your cell phone?

Had to laugh...

We rely so much on cell phones now, and we pay the price.  Literally.  Is anyone else shocked by how much they are spending on their cell phone bill?  Or, am I alone in this?  I knew how much we were spending monthly, but just thinking about how much that added up yearly, really surprised me.  

And so began my quest to find a way to lower our cell phone bill, without going completely without one.

• Keep track of your minutes!  This may be obvious to some, but I have personally heard horror stories and I have been known to go over in minutes before we changed our plan.  You can try out Over My Minutes, a free service that will alert you through an email or text message that you are close to going over your minutes.  
• Does your cell phone company offer a discount when you call another in-network number?  Some companies now offer free minutes when calling in-network numbers, or have a "family/friend plan" where you can pick a certain amount of numbers that you can call for free.
• If you only use your phone occasionally, you may want to consider going prepaid.  Prepaid can be a great idea for someone who does not use their phone very often.
• Make sure you are realistic about how much you talk and text.  You want to make sure that you have enough minutes in your plan for how often you talk, while you also do not want to be paying for minutes that you are not going to use.
• With the price per text extremely high, you may want to consider going unlimited if the price is right.
• Depending on your company and the amount of minutes you have, you can look into a plan where you will receive roll over minutes.
• Don't be afraid to ask for a better deal.  You are the customer, and you can always ask for a better deal.  The worst they can do is say no.

Happy talking!  (And, hopefully saving!)