Are you tired of paying expensive cell phone bills every month? The average cell phone bill costs $73 per month, totaling $876 per year. But cutting your cell phone costs and expenses can be tricky with so many carriers and plan options to choose from.
This article will provide 12 EASY-to-implement tips to lower your cell phone bill and put hundreds of dollars back in your pocket every year. With a few simple changes, you can achieve significant savings on your wireless service.
Review Your Data Usage and Plan Needs
The first step to lowering your cell phone bill is to examine your current cell phone plans and usage and evaluate if your plan actually matches your needs. Look at previous monthly bills to determine:
- How many minutes, texts, and data do you typically use?
- Which plan features you don’t really need?
- Areas where you are overpaying for unused services.
This usage review will reveal opportunities to downgrade or switch to cheaper plans that align with your actual requirements. Don’t pay for unlimited services if you only use a fraction of them.
Use Wi-Fi Whenever Possible
When you connect to Wi-Fi, your phone uses Wi-Fi networks to make calls, send texts, and access the internet instead of relying on your cellular plan’s minutes and data.
Enable the Wi-Fi calling feature on your phone to route calls and texts over Wi-Fi automatically when available. Turn off cellular data when connected to Wi-Fi so your phone doesn’t use it unnecessarily. Using Wi-Fi prevents racking up costly mobile data overage fees too.
Explore Family or Group Plans
Many carriers offer discounted rates when you add more lines to your account. The more lines on your plan, the lower the per-line monthly charge. Check if you can join a family member or friend’s existing group plan to benefit from the multiline pricing.
You can also create a new family plan to take advantage of these savings. Adding just one more person can make a significant dent in your monthly bill. Four lines is typically the sweet spot for maximum discounts.
Drop Cell Phone Insurance
Phone insurance costs a monthly fee but you may rarely need it. If you have a robust protective case, are generally careful with your phone, and have proper backups, then self-insuring can make more financial sense.
Evaluate if you really need to pay for phone insurance every month. Those fees add up. Instead, put aside the money you would spend on premiums so you can self-fund any repairs or replacements if needed.
Enroll in Autopay and Paperless Billing
Most carriers offer discounts for signing up for autopay, where your monthly phone bill is automatically paid via credit card or bank account withdrawal. This saves you time while lowering your monthly cell phone bill a bit.
You can also reduce your bill by a few dollars each month by opting for paperless billing.
Check for Additional Discounts
Don’t leave savings opportunities on the table. Ask your carrier for any special discounts you may qualify for:
- Student, teacher or corporate discounts
- Senior citizen or veteran discounts
- Bundles including internet or cable services
- Loyalty programs for long-term customers
Every dollar of discount helps lower your overall cell phone bill.
Avoid Financing New Phones
Phone installment plans allow spreading out the cost of new devices over 12, 24 or even 36 months. However, this sticks you with higher monthly service bills long after you’ve paid off the actual value of your new phone.
Avoid financing options and their extra fees. Either buy phones outright or opt for cheaper, gently used devices. You’ll save significantly over time by not carrying a phone loan baked into your plan.
Downgrade Your Plan
If you are overpaying for unlimited data plans you don’t fully utilize, downgrading to a cheaper plan can potentially chop your cell phone bill in half. Most people can get by just fine with a few GB of data versus unlimited data they never use up.
Crunch the numbers to determine an appropriate data allowance based on your actual monthly usage. Downgrading to a more affordable limited plan can help you save money every month.
Use Prepaid Plans
Beyond cheaper limited data plans, prepaid options offer another path to lower bills compared to pricier postpaid plans. Prepaid plans:
- Have lower monthly rates in general.
- Don’t require long-term contracts.
- Allow greater control over costs by paying upfront.
Many major carriers have prepaid plans available, either directly from cell phone company or through a subsidiary brand. While prepaid plans have some limitations compared to postpaid, the cost savings often outweigh the drawbacks for most people.
Switch Carriers
Don’t hesitate to shop around outside your current wireless carrier. Lesser-known low-cost carriers piggyback on the major networks and offer significant savings.
Just double check they have solid coverage in your area first. Switching carriers can often slim your cell phone bill down by $20-40 per month.
Apply for Free Government Phone Service
The Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides consumers with discounts on their cell phone and internet service for those qualifying through certain government assistance programs or through their income levels.
Over 40% of U.S. households are eligible for the ACP program!
This valuable benefit is available in every state with participating wireless carriers, like EASY Wireless.
Get a Free Cell Phone Service with EASY Wireless
EASY Wireless offers FREE monthly wireless service including Unlimited Talk, Text, and Data for qualifying customers. This free service and unlimited plan is available through Lifeline discounts and the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Apply Online
Applying for FREE Cell Phone Service is EASY. Just enter your email and zip code to see what FREE offer is available in your area.
Start Saving Today!
Start Saving Today!
Apply at One of Our Stores or Mobile Units
Come in to one of our stores or visit a mobile unit and one of our customer service experts will help you enroll. You could leave the same day with a FREE Smartphone and FREE Cell Service.
As an extra bonus when you sign up for ACP or Lifeline and ACP combo benefits service, you’ll be automatically enrolled in our EASY Rewards Program.
Earn Rewards to Upgrade Your Phone for Free
The EASY Rewards program allows customers to earn money back towards free cell phones, phone upgrades and accessories. You’ll automatically receive monetary rewards upon hitting service milestones:
- $10 reward after 30 days
- $10 reward after 90 days
- $25 reward after 180 days
- $50 reward after 365 days
These rewards can be used to get a free smartphone upgrade or accessories like chargers and cases. EASY Rewards help you save on future cell phone expenses.
Start Reducing Your Monthly Bill Today
Lowering your cell phone bill provides instant savings every month you can allocate towards other financial goals. Put these easy wireless cost-cutting tips into action to achieve major savings.
