Cheap Trick Thursday: cell phone savings
All right! Here are some good ways to cut the spending when you use your cell phone to reach out and touch someone.
--- Analyze your bill. If you're paying for too many minutes, if you make most of your calls during the day, if you're calling someone all the time who does not use the same provider ... maybe you should change things up. Want an automated way to analyze your cell phone patterns? Try billshrink.com, which we told you about before.
the catch? You have to give up your cell phone password to play.
--- Block text spam. New York Times tech blogger David Pogue compiled this list of ways to stop text message spam, much of it generated on the Internet. You'll want to stop this waste of your valuable cents, whether you're on a limited text plan or if you pay by the message.
the catch? Not every provider makes it easy to block the numbers.
--- Cut down on the extra fees. Forget the fun ring tones and extra insurance, and don't call directory assistance. Instead call Goog411, by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411, to answer your questions, and it will connect you to your number. You can also try TellMe, another free directory assistance service, by dialing 1-800-555-TELL (you have to download the program onto a mobile phone)(updated: you can download it as a mobile application on some phones). That one offers more information, including news, stock quotes and even directions. One commenter at Lifehacker called it "Poor Man's GPS."
the catch: TellMe is only available on certain mobile phones. Goog411 doesn't have the best voice recognition.
--- Visual voicemail for any phone. I was so surprised when a friend mentioned she got charged 10 cents for every voice mail she listens to. There are two Visual Voicemail programs --- a feature already enjoyed by iPhone lovers --- that allow you to see who has called you before you dial in: Google's GrandCentral for phones that play mp3s, and and YouMail, for people with smart phones.
the catch? Check to make sure you don't also get charged to forward calls, however.
--- Ask about discounts. Commenter airhead mentioned she benefits from a sibling's educator discount. Ask and you shall receive, whether it be an employer discount or discount for being a longtime customer. You won't know if there's something out there unless you ask.
the catch: You might have to extend your contract if you agree to a discount.
--- Consider all-encompassing plans carefully. To avoid overage fees, diggy recommended the Sprint Simply Everything plan, which costs $100 a month for unlimited texting, data and calls.
the catch? According to Consumer Reports, however, most users could make do with some of the standard plans offered by cell phone companies.
As always, we're always eager to hear how you shave a few cents off your cell phone spending ... feel free to share below.
Comments
To really save money while calling directory assistance, you should try 1-800-411-save which is a free directory assistance service handled by live operators........they're a little easier to deal with than some machine.
Posted by: James | June 19, 2008 8:37 AM