With a growing number of people switching from landlines to cell phones, or both, it is important to weigh the high costs of your telephone bills. 

With so many cell phone plans, it is very possible to relieve yourself of a landline and extra bills.  If you opt not to have a cell phone plan and remain with a landline service, it is important to consider the various types of plans.

Landline Phone Services

It is important to review your phone bills for the previous three months to see what local, local toll, long distance, and international calls you normally make. Call several phone companies, including wireless companies, to find an inexpensive calling plan that meets your needs.

If you make very few toll or long distance calls, avoid calling plans with monthly fees or minimums. If your current plan involves options you do not use, readjust your plan and rid yourself of additional fees for services you don’t use or need. Each option you drop could save you $40 or more each year.

For international calls, it may be cheaper just to use international calling cards. Compare per minute rates and surcharges for different prepaid phone cards and calling card plans to find the one that saves you the most money. Generally, the more minutes you buy on calling cards, the more you will save on per minute rates (such as you will save a lot of money when you buy 1,000 minute international calling card versus buying a 200 minute international calling card). 

If you have a long-distance calling plan with your landline service, dial your long distance calls directly. Using an operator to place the call can cost you up to $10 extra.

Wireless Phone Services

If you use a wireless phone, make sure your wireless calling plan covers the calls you typically make. It is common now for most services to include national rates/plans, allowing for free long distance calls.  It is crucial to understand your wireless plan with its promotions, peak calling periods, area coverage and roaming, and long distance requirements to avoid paying too much.

Cell phones services typically offer free nights and weekends calling plans. This allows you to save a lot of money if you have the ability to choose when you make calls. As well, there are plans that allow specific amount of minutes and plans that may be free calls if you have specified numbers to call/receive calls.  With so many options for cell phones, the prices are becoming more affordable for everyone with low monthly rates and with the ability to pick and choose tons of options that best suit you and your calling needs/desires.

It is important with any phone plan to compare prices and plans and pick the one(s) that best suit you and your needs. Be careful of plans that require two-year contracts or of plans that aren’t guaranteed to stay the same. As well, be careful with the type of cell phone you buy – most plans offer promotions for specific cell phones, allowing them to either be free or for under $50.  If you need to buy a phone, make sure you compare prices again and buy a phone that is useful to you. Do not buy a Blackberry for $350 if you only need a basic Motorola or Nokia for $70, or can buy a used cell phone or use an old one from a family member or friend. 

If you do opt for a cell phone plan, for whatever type of calling need, you may be better off with wireless phones than with landlines included at all. It may save you tons of money to rid yourself of landline services in the new era of cell phones.