15 Useful Techniques to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill!

Let me guess, you’re trying to find out how to lower your cell phone bill because the cost is outrageous, am I right?

I feel you…

Would you believe that my mobile phone bill used to average over $250 every month! (talk about a massive budget item!)

Because of that, searching for ways to lower my cell phone bill became a hobby of mine, and the first question I asked was “Why is my cell phone bill so high?”

There are a few different reasons phone bills are so expensive,

• High taxes and communications surcharges,
• Companies finding creative ways to charge fees (activation fees, early termination fees, roaming fees, overage charges…etc.)
• The sheer number of mobile phones in the market is increasing, which increases the total demand for data.
• The amount of data we use as individuals has increased due to apps and streaming services.
• Even limited competition plays a part.

The good news is that there are quite a few ways to lower your mobile phone bill as well!

If you’re fed up paying an arm and a leg for your overpriced cell phone plan, then try out these 15 hacks to lower your monthly cell phone bill!

1) Review Your Phone Bill

The best way to lower your phone bill with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint is to know what you’re paying for.

But the thing is, when your mobile phone bill shows up in your inbox, it’s tempting to just look at the final amount due, heave a sigh of frustration, and pay it.

But taking the time to look at the details of what’s on your bill could surprise you.

Next time your bill arrives, go through every item listed and make sure it’s something that you really need.

If you find something that you don’t agree with or don’t know what it is, contact your wireless carrier and make sure it’s something that you have to or want to pay for.

If not, cut it quick!

2) Sign up For Autopay

You can save 5 or 10 bucks by signing up with autopay with your wireless carrier. Just make sure they withdraw the money on a date that’s convenient for you and your budget!

It’s not a whole lot, but it’s something. So why not?

3) Get rid of Unlimited Data Plans And Use Wi-Fi Wherever Possible

With unlimited data plans, you don’t have to worry about your minutes or whether you’ll run out of data in the middle of a YouTube video.

But the fact is, most of us don’t use nearly as much data as we think we do. And most places we spend our time have Wi-Fi, which makes unlimited data plans completely unnecessary.

You can save money by switching plans or carriers and using Wi-Fi whenever you can.

In fact, we did this by switching to Mint Mobile, and saved over $230 a month on our cell phone bill!!

With Mint Mobile you’ll get unlimited talk, text, and 3GB for only $15 a month! And with Wi-Fi available in most places, 3GB will go faaaaar!

Caution: Be careful about using your sensitive data over public networks.

4) Avoid Contracts/Don’t Lease Your Phone

Remember the days when you could upgrade to a new phone for “free” if you agreed to lock yourself into a 2-year phone plan?

Well, that 2-year contract is dead, but the big phone companies have revived it under a different name…the phone lease or payment plan.

Now, instead of getting a “free” phone in exchange for joining their 2-year plan, you have to buy the phone from them (or lease it, in Sprint’s case). But don’t worry, you’ll be able to pay for it…over the course of 2 years!

The end result is that you’re still basically locked into a 2-year contract with your wireless carrier. What’s more, you’ve got the cost of the phone added to your bill.

And you won’t be able to get out of the contract or switch carriers until you pay off the phone!

Do yourself a favor and save some money by buying slightly used, unlocked phones.

5) Don’t Catch Upgrade Fever

Apple released its first iPhone in 2007. From then until 2019 there have been nineteen different versions released! And for sure there are more on the way!

Since few people have the cash to pay for a new iPhone outright, most of us enter a payment plan and add the cost of the phone to our monthly bill.

You can lower your cell phone bill by keeping your “old” phone for as long as possible and avoiding these additional purchase costs.

6) Check Out Prepaid Phone Plans to Save Money

You can drastically reduce your cell phone bill by switching to a prepaid phone plan.

With prepaid cell phone plans, you’re not locked into a contract, there are no surprise charges and there are no punishing fees for leaving the plan.

Nope. You have control over how much data you want to pay for. And you have the freedom to use it without fear of going over.

Our favorite prepaid carrier is Mint Mobile! They offer:

• Unlimited talk and text
• 3GB, 8GB and 12GB per month data plans
• Free international calls to Mexico and Canada
• Super low rates to over 160 countries

All for as low as $15 per month!

Sign up with Mint Mobile through our link and get free shipping for a limited time!

Never dread another monthly phone bill again!

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7) Turn Off The Background Data

If you have a limited data plan, you’re constantly checking to make sure you don’t go over your data budget. But did you know that your phone may have a bunch of apps running in the background that are constantly using data?

You can turn off this background data usage in your phone’s settings.

For iPhones, go to:

• “Settings”
• “General”
• “Background App Refresh” and simply turn it off.

For Android devices, go to:

• “Settings”
• “Data usage”
• Scroll down to see your apps, click into the ones you want to restrict, and select “Restrict app background data”

Related post: We Saved $2,700 With One Money Saving Technique.

8) Avoid Outrageous International Fees

You don’t have to pay out the wazoo for international calls. Instead, use text/call/video apps like WhatsApp and Skype to keep in touch with your out-of-country loved ones for free.

But of course, those apps only work if your family has internet available in their area. And if that’s not the case, the next best thing is to use a cheaper wireless carrier.

Mint Mobile not only has a $15 a month phone plan (which is outrageous by itself) but their rates for international calling are extremely cheap (or even free depending on the country!)

Start saving money on your international calls today by signing up with Mint Mobile!

Trust us, you’ll be glad you did!

9) Don’t Surpass Your Data Limit And Avoid Overage Charges

Data overage charges can jack up your phone bill quick! Keep a careful eye on your data usage in your phone’s settings to make sure you don’t go over.

Or better yet, avoid overage charges altogether by signing up with a prepaid phone plan.

10) Check Out Family Share Plans

Many wireless carriers will have one price for a single phone line, and a reduced price for each additional phone line added to the same account.

If you and a few of your family members are trying to figure out how to lower your cell phone bill, you all can join in on a family share plan and save a few bucks.

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11) Be Bold, Cut The Phone Insurance

Mobile phones are so expensive that only the very bold or very crazy would carry theirs without phone insurance, right?

Well…maybe. But the thing is, phone insurance may not be worth it.

If you pay $11 a month for phone insurance, that’s $132 a year. And most phone repairs cost less than $100.

But if you’re so nervous about something happening to your phone that you feel the need to pay extra just in case something happens to it…well, maybe you bought the wrong phone.

One of the quickest ways to reduce your phone bill by cutting your phone insurance, buying a phone protector, and calling it a day.

12) Use Free Messengers Like WhatsApp

Use free messenger apps to send texts, images, and videos to your friends.

Since SMS text messages are sent through cell phone towers, each one may be chargeable (depending on your phone plan).

However, messenger apps like WhatsApp use Wi-Fi to communicate, so they don’t cost you any money.

And like we mentioned above, most places you’re likely to visit have Wi-Fi available, so you can use WhatsApp for free wherever you are.

13) Negotiate a Lower Mobile Phone Bill

Sometimes, just negotiating with your phone company (whether it’s Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T) about lowering your bill can work in your favor.

Let your current carrier know you want to reduce your bill and that you’re even thinking about switching to one of their competitors.

This will probably only work if you own your phone. (remember, you can’t leave if they still own your mobile phone)

Personally, my old wireless carrier, Sprint, tried to offer me a better deal when they found out I was switching to another cell phone company. But unfortunately for them, they couldn’t beat my new carrier…Mint Mobile.

Mint Mobile’s $15 a month phone plan is literally unbeatable. If you’re ready to save some serious coinage on your phone bill, sign up for Mint Mobile through our link here, and get free shipping for a limited time.

And if you’re not completely blown away, you can return it within 7 days for a full refund.

14) Take Advantage of Tax Deductions

If you’re a business owner who uses their phone to make business calls and/or check emails, you can deduct part (or all) of the cost of your cell phone plan as a business expense and save on taxes.

Talk to your accountant and see what they can do.

15) Take Advantage of Discounts

Every company has phones. Some even use cell phones and mobile hotspots.

If you work for a company that uses one of the wireless carriers, check to see if they have a discount agreement you can take advantage of.

You can also check to see if your carrier has discounts for military or students.

Wrap-up

While high monthly payments may leave you scratching your head and wondering just how to lower your cell phone bill, there are a number of things you can do!

Now it’s your turn! Are there any tips and tricks that we haven’t mentioned that have saved you money? Let us know in the comments below!

Share with us what you’ve done to reduce your phone bill.

Cheers!

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