Money Saving Tips: cell phone - billeater.com

Hidden Charges Crammed Into Your Phone Bill

Tim Iandoli — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0000

The charges themselves appear innocently on your phone bill as something vaguely described, such as "$1.99 service fee." Insidious fees like this are typically small in dollar amounts but appear on your bill month after month, adding up to big dollars. Some are brazen, appearing as $19.99 for “ringtones” or some other service.Read the rest...

iPad2 or Not To? Is it Worth the High Price Tag?

Tim Iandoli — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Many consumers have seen a recent flood of advertisements for Tablets, such as Apple’s iPad2 and the Motorola Xoom. The question is “Are they worth the price tag that comes with them?” A consumer will pay for quality and functionality, but what they may not understand is the possible benefits these tablets can have even over the portable laptop or convenient smartphone.Read the rest...

How Safe Is Your Cell Phone?

Cheryl Johnson — Tue, 10 May 2011 05:00:00 +0000

People from all ages are now using cell phones in their daily lives. Cell phones can now perform many of the same functions as a computer. Therefore, criminals are starting to find ways to hack into a cell phone, just as they would a computer. You can now talk, text message, compose and receive e-mail, get on Facebook, or even access your financial records. While cell phones are amazing technological devices, they can also be vulnerable to criminals.Read the rest...

Is it Smart to Pay by Smartphone?

Jessica Bosari — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Smartphones have made life easier for people in a number of ways. Thanks to a number of apps, people can stay up to date on most aspects of their lives. This includes reading news, watching movies, playing games, and banking. One of the neatest functions of a smartphone is the ability to use it to make payments. There are a number of ways to make payments using your mobile phone. However, are these methods safe? Here is a look at several payment methods along with any safety issues you should be concerned about.Read the rest...

When Will T-Mobile Get The iPhone

Jessica Bosari — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:57:16 +0000

Recently, AT&T announced a deal that it was buying T-Mobile, a rival cell phone carrier. The deal is in the early stages of the approval process, but it is reported to be worth $39 billion. Currently, T-Mobile has about 34 million customers. AT&T, with around 95 million customers, has about three times as many. Together, that will put close to 130 million customers under the new company. AT&T would be the largest cellular phone company in the United States. However, existing T-Mobile customers have a couple of things on their minds. First, what will happen to their current rates? Second, when will they have access to the iPhone, the most popular smartphone on the market?Read the rest...

Cell Phone Insurance - Do You Really Need It?

Heather Hollingsworth — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:02:33 +0000

There is no doubt that cell phones have become an integral part of most people's daily lives. The phones in use today do far more than just place and receive calls. Many of them are small hand-held computers that contain important contact information for friends and family as well as fun games, reading material, and financial tools. Cell phones are used to post and read comments on social networking sites as well as keep track of business email from anywhere. For the first time, smart phone sales have actually outpaced computer sales.Read the rest...

The Ultimate Smart Phone Buying Guide: The Cheapest Places to Get the Best Phones

Jessica Bosari — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:55:40 +0000

With the emergence of Amazon Wireless, your smart phone shopping options have opened up exponentially. You can save $100 or more buying through Amazon instead of your service carrier’s website. Here is a breakdown of the top-rated phones and notes on where you can get the best deal on each phone.Read the rest...

Didn't Get that High-Tech Gadget in Your Stocking? It's not too Late!

Heather Hollingsworth — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:47:13 +0000

The list of new technology gadgets was excellent this Christmas season. From gaming systems to digital cameras to iPads, the best gifts this year came in smaller packages. With such a long list of possibilities, Santa probably had a tough time filling out everyone's technology toy list. The good news is that many retailers are offering those high-demand gadgets at incredible prices now that the Christmas shopping season has ended. Santa might wish he had waited to take advantage of some of the technology deals that are available online and in person at electronics stores through the end of December and well into January.Read the rest...

No Contract Cell Phones: Comparing Plans from Straight Talk, Metro PCS, Cricket and Boost Mobile (Part II)

dlawwill — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:11:08 +0000

This post continues our review of No Contract Phone Plans, See Part 1 for a comparison of Straight Talk and Metro PCS.

When shopping for a new phone, it’s important to weigh all of the positives and negatives of each phone plan. Boost Mobile and Cricket are fairly well-known names in prepaid phone services. Both services offer low-cost, prepaid phone plans.

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No Contract Cell Phones: Comparing Plans from Straight Talk, Metro PCS, Cricket and Boost Mobile (Part I)

dlawwill — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:37:46 +0000

Prepaid phone plans are more popular than ever as people realize that they don’t have to be hassled or tied down by contract-only phone plans. While prepaid phones haven’t traditionally been as good as contract phones, competitive companies like Boost and Straight Talk are changing the game. Some of the most popular prepaid phone plans in the U.S. include Straight Talk, Metro PCS, and Boost Mobile. Let's take a look at how these phone plans compare.

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A look at the Big Four…Where Can You Get the Cheapest Cell Phone Plan?

Jessica Bosari — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:56:45 +0000

The four major cell phone providers in the U.S. offer vastly different performance and pricing, depending on where you live and the type of phone you choose. Getting the most from your cell phone is an important money-saving strategy, so it’s good to take a look back every now and then to see how plans have changed. For this comparison, we’ll look at basic calling plans, unlimited calling, data only and unlimited phone plus unlimited data. These four pricing points should help you in your decision. We've also thrown in pricing on smaller carriers for good measure.Read the rest...

Secret to lower bills ? Just ask.

billeater — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:48:33 +0000

You can save quite a bit just by making a few phone calls and asking. A KCRA reporter was able to lower her bills by $318/year. She was able to secure better rates from her cell phone provider, local newspaper delivery, internet service, as well as her cable television bill. See the details on KCRA's website. Bob Sullivan, from MSNBC, also noted some similar success with getting credit card interest rates lowered. In his article at msnbc.com, he notes one customer was able to shave 5 percent from his bill.Read the rest...

Reduce Your Cell Phone Bill Minutes With Wi-fi Calling

billeater — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:55:46 +0000

TMobile has introduced new cell phones that can use your home's wireless internet connection to make and receive calls. The technology is called UMA, or unlicensed mobile access. It does cost an extra $10 a month, but you might be surprised to know that they don't count those minutes against your plan. So, depending on how often you use your phone at home, you can move to a lower cost plan and save way more than the $10 charge.Read the rest...

Google's Nexus One Phone: Cheaper than the iPhone?

Jessica Bosari — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:13:26 +0000

Every time a new phone comes out, it’s time to evaluate your current situation and see if there is a cheaper option for your cell phone needs. If you are in the middle of a contract, of course you are better to wait until it runs out and look at what is available at that time. If you are not in a contract right now, you should look at the latest new phones and see if they may be cheaper.

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Save Money With The Right Family Cell Phone Plan

debbiedragon — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:46:53 +0000

In the past ten years the number of people using cell phones has grown from just a few to millions. Advances in technology have allowed cell phone users to not only have smaller phones that can literally go anywhere but also more affordable plans than their predecessors. With the number of phones, features and plans available it is not surprising that almost everyone from the very young to the very old carries a cell phone today.
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Save money on cell phone bills

Tyra — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:04:28 +0000

With the popularity of cells phones constantly on the rise, sometimes it almost seems as if they are a necessity, and some people have even diteched their land lines in favor of cell phones.

With the confusing contracts, costly extras to you in, and ridiculous roaming charges the price for communication can be through the roof. Like any other expense, the key to keeping the bill down is to learn about the fees you are paying and be strategic. Check out our list of 15 tips on saving money on cell phone bills. Read the rest...

Flat-rate cell phone plans

Tyra — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:50:10 +0000

By now most people have heard of the new wave of "UNLIMITED",or flat-rate, no contract cell phone services. The general benefit of these is that for a set price, you get to use the phone as much as you want, without worrying about "going over" your minutes for some ridiculous fee, another benefit is the fact that there is no contract. If you don't pay the bill the only consequence is that you don't have service.Read the rest...

Has your cell phone contract expired ? You could get a great deal.

billeater — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:51:08 +0000

Call your cell phone provider and see if your cell phone contract has expired. The recent rash of price drops for unlimited minutes means you could be paying less now...Read the rest...

Stuck in a bad cell phone contract ? Negotiate !

billeater — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:39:51 +0000

Just because your have another year left doesn't mean you can't lower your cell phone bill. Call your cell provider, but have the right information. Have your last 2-3 bills handy, so you know how many minutes you are using, as well as use of data or text messaging. You'll need that to research what other carriers are offering that matches your needs. And, do your homework on what they are offering new customers.Read the rest...

check your cell phone's voicemail from a landline

billeater — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:52:18 +0000

Did you know you can check your cell phone's voicemail from your home phone or another land line ? Just call your cell phone number, and when the voice mail picks up, press the star key (*). It will then prompt you for your password, and let you check your voice mail just like you are on the cell phone. If you spend a lot of time with voice mail, this could save you enough minutes to fit back in your plan.Read the rest...

compare pre-paid mobile cell phone plans before you buy

billeater — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:14:13 +0000

The market for pre-paid cell phones is very crowded, and the various companies that sell them are taking advantage of the confusion that creates.

For example, if you compare just on the cost per minute, you could end up making a mistake. Some providers charge an additional dollar per day over and above the per minute charge. With such a variety of carriers, like T-Mobile, ATT Go Phones, Net10, Tracfone, Virgin, etc, it's also even hard to tell who offers service in your area....Read the rest...

On the road ? Make calls with your computer instead of your cell phone

billeater — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:24:35 +0000

Many hotels now offer free wifi service, so you can skip using the expensive hotel phone, and also skip using your cell phone minutes. Especially when you are out of town, or out of the country, your cell phone provider can charge roaming minutes.

So, just buy an inexpensive headset with a microphone, and use one of the following services to make calls from your computer: Read the rest...

Don't Call 411 for directory information ... get 411 for free.

billeater — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:12:47 +0000

Calling 411 from either your home phone or cell phone will hit you with additional charges from your carrier.

Charges on wireless carriers for 411 calls range from $1.49 for Verizon, up to $1.75 for ATT wireless. And your home phone charges you as well. That's per call, so those charges add up very quickly.

But, you don't have to pay those fees. There are several free 411 services out there to choose from. A few more digits to dial, but why not put one of them into a speed dial button ? Here's a summary of three of the best free 411 services:Read the rest...