Having a cell is a necessity in today’s world, but paying an expensive phone bill is not. If you’re paying too much for your phone, these 12 ways to lower your cell phone bill can help put that high cost behind you! Each tip is designed to help you save money on your cell phone bill without stress or hard work!
If you’re like me, your cell rarely leaves your side. With my husband gone on the truck most of the time, it’s my lifeline to him. I literally sleep with it next to my head praying I don’t receive that phone call.
When I’m on the go, I use it for everything from drafting blog posts to Pinterest and more.
But just because I need the cell as much as I do, does not mean I need to overpay for it; and neither do you.
What is the Average Cell Phone Bill Per Month?
Believe it or not, JD Power says that the average US cell phone bill per line is around $70.00. Depending on the company and plan you have, that bill could be as much as $144 per month, per line for average Americans.
Excuse me for a moment while I have a heart attack because there is zero reason to be paying that much for your monthly bill.
If you’re paying that much money for your phone, please ask yourself why. Finding ways to lower your cell phone bill is not as difficult as you may think.
It can actually be quite easy if you want me to be truthful about it.
How Can I Lower My Monthly Phone Bill?
The simplest way to lower your monthly phone bill is to take a look at your useage and account as a whole. Doing one item on this list will lower your bill, however, by looking at the larger picture, you’re more likely to save a lot more each month.
Don’t get me wrong; any savings is a good sathing, but larger savings will always be better.
Switch Phone Companies
The first step you should take when you’re trying to lower your cellphone bill is to look for a better deal on the cell phone plans you’re paying for.
There are so many cell phone carriers these days that chances are very good that you’ll be able to find a much cheaper option by moving to a different cell phone company. This may mean avoiding the major carriers, but even the smaller carriers can still give you the coverage you need as most o f them run off of Verizon, T-Mobile AT&T or Sprint towers.
What Phone Companies Are Affordable?
As I said, one of the simplest ways to lower your monthly cell phone bill is to move to a smaller company. There are several that all offer great plan options for far less than the bigger companies.
A few great options are:
Use Less Data
Are you paying for an unlimited data plan? If so, take a hard look at your data usage whether you really need cell phone service that includes it.
We all need some form of data, but if you’re not utilizing wi-fi when it’s available or you’re at home, you’re very likely wasting money on data when you don’t need to be. This is especially true if you play a lot of cell phone games or use your phone to stream often, but when you use wi-fi as often as possible, you reduce the data plan you need to pay for.
If you don’t have access to wi-fi, you can still reduce your data to save. Be mindful of when you’re using it and setting limits on yourself will allow you to lower your data plan. It won’t be fun, but it will save you money.
Negotiate Your Bill
A lot of people don’t even realize that this is an option, but negotiating your bill is possible. In fact, it’s possible with most of your bills and not only your cell phone. This won’t work for all companies, but for most, you can at least reduce fees and other charges every so often.
It’s still worth a shot to try and negotiate your bill even if you’re not certain your phone company will do so. If you use a prepaid cell phone plan, you’re less likely to be able to do this, but it’s still worth trying.
How Can I Negotiate a Lower Phone Bill?
The simplest way to do this is to call your phone company and make them work to keep you as a customer. If you are prepared to switch companies, you may find that your current phone company will give you lower rates to keep you as a customer and keep you from going to their competitor.
Just be sure that you’re actually ready to switch if you call their bluff and they won’t work with you.
Don’t Buy Your Phone from the Phone Company
Probably the largest cost that a consumer has related to their phone is the actual cost of their device itself. These days a brand new phone will run you thousands of dollars if you are not careful.
Phone companies want you to believe that you absolutely must buy your phone through them, but the truth is that you don’t. As long as your phone is unlocked, you can use it with any carrier.
Instead of paying full price from your carrier, check places such as Amazon or Ebay for deals. Chances are good, you’ll be able to find a better price to help yourself save some money.
Does Paying Off Your Phone Lower Your Bill?
If you’re currently buying your phone through your phone company on payments then yes, paying off your phone will lower your bill. Before you do so, however, you’ll need to make sure that there is no early payment penalty for doing so.
Switching to a Prepaid phone
These days, there’s really no reason to not have a cell phone and since landlines have fallen by the wayside, they are pretty much a necessity if you want to keep in contact with your frineds and family, have a job and so on.
However, like I mentioned earlier, there is no reason to pay hundreds per month for your phone anymore. Prepaid plans are far cheaper and available to everyone. Whereas a major carrier may charge over $100/mo per line on a contract, a prepaid plan can often be had for as little as $25/mo.
Look for Discounts
Your groceries and restaurants are not the only place you can find a discount. Often, you can get them on your cell phone and other bills as well.
These discounts can include those for employees, first responders discounts, veterans, active duty military and so on. If you qualify for them, they can save you a significant amount of money on your cell phone bill.
Wait for a Sale
Just like everything else, cell phone plans and phones themselves go on sale at different times of the year. If you need to switch plans or get a new phone, these are the perfect times to do so. You’ll save significantly over buying when the sales are not happening.
Go Digital
Another quick and easy way to get a discount on your phone plan is to go digital. This means to sign up for paperless statements, To reduce paper waste, most companies offer a small percent discount to encourage customers to receive their bills by email. If you’re looking to lower your cell phone bill, this small percentage can be well worth it.
Use Autopay
Another discount a lot of companies will offer to everyone is a small discount for automatic payments. If you don’t have a credit card, some companies will allow you to use your checking account instead.
While I do recommend you take any discounts available, I do not recommend doing this particular one unless your budget is solid. If you’re struggling to pay ends meet, having auto pay on your debit card can often result in an overdraft which will cost you more in the long run.
Use an Older Device
Are you someone who runs right out and upgrades to the newest iPhone the minute it is avaialble? Stop it. You’re costing yourself a very large unnecessary amount of money.
The truth is that phoens do not change much from generation to generation and if you’re buying a new one before the old one needs replaced, you’re wasting money.
Instead, use your current device for at least two years to make it worth the hundreds or thousands of dollars you paid for it.
Split a Family Plan
If you have friends or family that uses the same carrier you do, consider checking into family plans that you can all join. These plans are often cheaper per line than a single line plan.
Once you find the right amount of people who are willing to go in with you, divide the total amount of the bill by the number of lines and have each person pay their share.
Change Your Phone Insurance
Cell phone insurance is important to have, but if your device is two or more years old, there is really no reason to have the highest and best plan. Lowering your coverage to a plan that meets the age of your phone will save you money.
To be honest, you only really need a plan that covers your screen, your phone taking a bath and other accidents that would otherwise destroy your phone.
Keep Your Address Current
This is one that I only recently realized. We all; know that we pay taxes and other fees to our state or locality when we pay our phone bills, but did you realize those fees and taxes are based on the billing address on the credit or debit card that you’re paying your bill with?
For instance, we carry Verizon service and both of our debit cards had an Illinois billing address from when I traveled fulltime on the truck with my husband. Now, however, I am back in the Dallas area and that is the primary area where my phone is used most of the time.
Until I updated my billing address on my bank account, I was paying Illinois fees and taxes on my bill which I don’t think I need to say are considerably higher than what we pay here in Texas.
There are other reasons to keep your banking info updated, but saving money on those taxes and fees is a great one if you’re looking to save money on your phone.
Like anything, lowering your cell phone bill is a bit of work, but it is one-hundred percent worth it. Since it is a bill that you pay every month, the work involved in saving will continue to save you money month after month.
