: How to Avoid going over on your Cell Phone Minutes
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(536 Words)
Does your cell phone bill read like a horror novel? If you go over your cell phone minutes, then it just might. Many plans across different carriers have steep per minute charges after the included minutes. It may behoove you to do all you can to stay within your minutes, and these strategies may be helpful.
Keep careful track of the minutes you spend
Oftentimes people go over their minutes without having the slightest idea that they are doing so. One very long phone call can push you over. You will want to keep track of these. Fortunately, many cell phone companies make this easy for you to do. They may list the minutes used on your account on their website. You can also usually call to get an estimate of this. It is especially important to do this if you have a family plan. Sometimes one family member can ruin it for everyone. Every person should be responsible for monitoring his or her own minutes (unless one person wants to do it all). Also, you can “budget” the minutes and give every person a limit so that it is fair.
Switch to a different plan if you do not have enough minutes
Sometimes you might be able to switch to a plan with higher minutes even in the middle of the month if you think you are going to go over. Make sure to talk to the customer service representative about what this means for your plan and contract and how easy it is to switch. You might even want to find this out when you are first considering plans because it might make a difference in what you get. Some people choose plans with features like rollover minutes.
Make an effort to speak during unlimited times
A lot of cell phones have times that you have unlimited minutes. This is usually during the night and weekends. You can try to make your phone calls during those times. You can also sometimes pay a little extra to extend these times (i.e. have the nights start at 6pm instead of 8pm). This might save you money in the long run if you talk a lot during those times. Also, you should know the cell phone company’s policy on what happens if you are on the phone during a change from “on time” to “unlimited time.” Some companies will automatically change the type of time it is but some will keep it at what it was when the call originated. For instance, if you started during a peak time but you are now at night and in an unlimited time, you might need to hang up and call back for it to count as anytime minutes.
See which plans are more conducive to giving you the most talk time
Some plans have unlimited talk time to a certain number of people, which might let you avoid going over your minutes. There are also some plans that help you avoid it altogether because they are completely unlimited.
For the sake of your finances, you might want to strongly consider staying within your cell phone minute allotment. With the above strategies, you may be able to accomplish this goal.
Updated On: 09/10/2010 Published On: 09/10/2010 Article ViewerClose
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MONEY MATTERS PROJECT 20100901 – 20100930
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