Because most people want to have a cell phone they can use for various purposes, it only makes sense that most people are also looking to get a phone that will work well for them without requiring for them to pay an arm and a leg each month. Luckily, if you’re willing to do a little research and a small amount of sacrificing, you can get a great phone and phone plan without spending a lot of money each month. To show you how, here are three tips for only paying for what you need with your cell phone.
Know Your Data Usage
While a lot of cell phone plans now offer unlimited data on their plans, many people don’t actually need to be paying for unlimited data because they don’t use that much. According to Kelsey Sheehy, a contributor to NerdWallet.com, most people in America use between 2GB and 5GB per month. This means that unless you’re using more data than this each month, you might as well just be paying for the amount of data you’re actually using. If you choose to pay for an unlimited data plan without knowing that you actually will consistently use this amount of data, you’re just wasting money.
What Do You Want Unlimited?
Depending on what cell phone services you use frequently during the month, you may not need to splurge for everything to be unlimited on your plan. As was mentioned above, almost everyone doesn’t necessarily need unlimited data. However, you may benefit from having unlimited talk or text. To help you see which plan will fit most closely with what you need to be unlimited, Bree Fowler, a contributor to Consumer Reports, shares a great graph for you to compare differing low-cost cell phone plans based on your specific needs for coverage.
Sign With A MVNO
If you have very limited needs when it comes to your cell phone or cell phone plan, Sascha Segan, a contributor to PCMag.com, writes that you may want to consider working with an MVNO, or a mobile virtual network operator. These carriers are smaller companies that can offer you more stripped-down cell phone plans but that work off the same coverage network as the bigger companies. This means you can still get great coverage without paying a lot of money if you’re willing to have less options of slightly more simple cell phone options.
If you’re wanting to find a great cell phone plan that won’t require you to pay a lot of money or jump through financial hoops each month, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find a plan that allows you to pay for only what you need.
