3 Surprising Ways to Save on Wireless Bills

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If you've found yourself gasping for air after opening your wireless cell phone bill lately, take a deep breath — there may be discounts you aren't taking advantage of. (See also: Part-Time Jobs With Serious Discounts)

1. Join Your Employer Discount Program

Take advantage of employer discount programs simply by contacting your wireless carrier's website (or visit their store) and submitting your work address to find out if you are eligible to receive offers and discounts. Once the email address is validated, and you qualify for the discount, you'll start saving on access charges, and in some cases, receive discounts on accessories too.

If you are self-employed, or your current employer doesn't qualify, you can always piggyback onto a spouse's plan. And the same discounts are available to students. If you attend a university, simply submit your student email address to your provider for validation. (See also: List of Student Discounts)

Check discount programs for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

2. Make Wi-Fi Calls

Keep track of, and cut data usage with free apps. Jon Lal of BeFrugal recommends the iTunes Wi-Fi Finder app to locate nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, and use a Wi-Fi connection to browse online instead of your data plan whenever possible. (For Android, consider WiFi Finder.) "This will help you get by on a much smaller data plan that costs less." Andrea Eldridge, CEO and co-founder of Nerds on Call agrees. "If you're not hooked up to WiFi, those minutes can add up fast. Try to make sure you're always connected to WiFi, and turn off apps that switch to the phone network when WiFi is unavailable." (See also: How to Get Free or Cheap Internet Access)

3. Get a "Family" Plan

Two lines (or more) are cheaper with family plans; wireless providers charge more, per person, for individual plans. This works even if your family members aren't living under one roof — or aren't related at all. As long as one person takes responsibility for the account, a group of friends can start a family plan, too.

The Last Word

Even if you don't take advantage of one of these money-saving techniques, check in from time to time with your current provider to inquire about unadvertised packages that may be a better fit for you based on your usage plan. And be sure to sign up for free alerts from your provider, just to be on the safe side, so that you are aware when you are reaching your data limit and don't have any overages.

How do you save on your cell phone plan?

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Guest's picture
National Payday

Using wifi to make calls will save you considerably over the course of a year! And also, avoiding plans with a long contract period is a big way to save. There are more and more good companies that let you pay as you go -- and you don't have to have an old-gen phone to take advantage!

Guest's picture

I tried using a wi-fi phone service once to set up an additional phone line, and while it was a good idea in theory, the connection needs to be very solid to avoid cutting out and static.

I do, however, use wi-fi rather than 3G almost ALL the time. The only time I actively use 3G is when I need driving directions/GPS or when I'm in a hurry and need to quickly check something online. I never go over my data limit!

Guest's picture
Blair

Great tips--Nice reminder of the best deals are sometimes right under our nose!