Smart Borrower Center
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Nowadays, it seems like nearly everyone has a cell phone. And while they can be an annoyance in movie theaters, restaurants, and doctor’s offices, cell phones can be a great convenience, allowing you to reach your job and family from almost anywhere. There are now all kinds of cell phone plans and options, so shop around and find what is best for your needs and budget.
Consider your usage needs
If you want a cell phone just for safety purposes, you might want to look into a plan that has pre-paid minutes, or a low number of monthly minutes. You don’t want to end up wasting money on airtime you don’t use.
Consider your location and travel time
If you rarely leave your city, you might be able to find a cell phone plan that allows you to make and receive unlimited phone calls as long as you stay in a certain area. Or if you travel within a few states close to the one in which you live, you can usually sign up for a plan that lets you use your service with no roaming fees as long as you are within your region. If you travel all over the nation, you may also be able to find a plan that does not charge you extra for making or receiving calls from anywhere in the country. There are even international calling plans available if you travel all over the world or have friends and family in foreign countries. The key to finding the best deal is to determine what you need and comparison shop for a cell phone plan that best suits you. Remember, if you rarely leave your state or region, but you sign up for a national cell phone plan, you will probably be paying extra for features that you do not use.
Consider cell phone plan features
Do you need internet access on your phone? o you want to send text messages to your friends, family and coworkers? Do you want to be able to send pictures from your phone to other people? Do you want a special ringtone that you have to download? If you answered yes to these questions, you should be prepared to pay extra for these features. You should also ask yourself if these features are essential to your communications, or if you would be wasting money on them. If these features are something you decide you should definitely be able to access, see if you can find them included in a cell phone plan, rather than having to pay extra each time you use them.
Consider the freebies and the extras
Many cell phone companies will give you a certain phone for free when you sign a contract for a cell phone plan. This can end up saving you a substantial amount of money and the phones are usually attractive and reliable. You will also have to decide about cell phone insurance. While insurance can add an extra cost to your cell phone plan, if you are accident prone and tend to lose or damage things, it can save you the price of buying a new phone outside of your cell phone plan contract.
Published on June 19, 2006