How to Keep Your Cell Phone Bills under Control

Once a luxury, cell phones are now something that most of us feel that we can't live without. They enable us to communicate with others any time, from anywhere that we can get a cellular signal. They come in handy during emergencies, and some users have even ditched their landlines in favor of cell phones.

Cell phone plans are much less expensive than they once were. But the charges for things such as extra minutes, special features and roaming can really add up. If you're not careful, you could end up with a bill in the hundreds or thousands of dollars.

* Choose the right plan. In general, the more you pay for your plan, the better the per-minute price works out. But if you're not using anywhere near as many minutes as you are allowed each month, you might be better off with a cheaper plan. And those who rarely use their phones often do better with prepaid plans. Check your usage periodically, and see if you could save money by switching plans.

* If more than one person in your household uses a cell phone, take a look at family plans. These plans allow you to share minutes among two or more phones, and you only pay a flat plan rate plus a reasonable amount per line each month. Just remember to monitor your kids' usage carefully if they have phones on the plan.

* Get rid of extras that you don't use. There's no sense in paying for voice mail, call forwarding and picture messaging if you never use them. If you're not sure what extras you have, it's time to take a close look at your bill.

* Avoid overages as much as possible. If you consistently send more text messages than your plan allows, for example, you could be paying a lot more than you should be. A bundle that includes more text messages for a flat rate could save you a heap of cash.

* Steer clear of roaming charges. Roaming minutes can run your bill up in short order. Consider turning your phone off when you're outside of your home network. If that's not an option, check prices on regional or nationwide plans.

* Take advantage of free talk time. A plan with rollover minutes will allow you to keep the minutes you don't use each month for when you will use them. And many plans include free nights and weekends, which can translate into lots of free calls if you take advantage of them.

Cell phones offer us a great deal of convenience and security. And if we are careful about how we use them and what features we're paying for, they won't send us into financial ruin. These money saving strategies can make the difference between a monstrous cell phone bill and a manageable one.