Ways to Reduce Family Mobile Phone Costs

With the pending merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, the Cell Phone market is facing some uncertainties. In a brief review, AT&T has typically been a leader in package cost while T-Mobile has offered more economical plans. On the other hand, T-Mobile has ranked higher in Customer Service where AT&T has been known for hidden charges and weak network. So, if you're an AT&T or T-Mobile Customer or simply out shopping for a new smart phone, what can all of this mean? Expect to see higher rates in the long run, no matter what the case. So, if you're a family that relies on cell phones – like most of us - what can you do to reduce costs?

• Know What Features You Really Want or Need from a Mobile Phone. Walking into a cell phone store and aimlessly browsing is dangerous. The sales person will always show you to the more expensive (higher commissioned) products that would be cool or would be nice to have, but is it really necessary? How much are you really going to surf the net on your cell phone? Are you really going to check your email from your phone? Ask someone who has these features to see how small this information comes across and you might reconsider the value of this feature.
• Don't Let Your Kids Weigh Your Mobile Phone Purchase Decision. Parents just want to make their children happy, and kids are all about the latest and greatest technologies, but they're likely not the one paying the bills! The benefits for your children to have a phone is for their security and ease in family communications. As long as they have a phone with Text Messaging and Talk capabilities, that's really all they need unless they have a job and will contribute to the features and equipment they want to have. This also adds to the value they place on the equipment and they take better care of it.
• Check your Employer or Clubs to see if they have Corporate Discounts with Mobile Phone Carriers. As a benefit extension, Mobile companies have negotiated "corporate discounts" that can benefit not only the company and the phones it supplies specific employees, but it may have the opportunity to extend this benefit to its employees and their families. Typically this benefit saves 15-20% on your overall bill; but in some cases this can be up near 35%
• Buy Your Mobile Phone Equipment Online. You'll find many online resources selling quality cell phone equipment – both new and refurbished. Before you hit "Buy Now" make sure it's compatible for your Service Provider. You'll also have to manage transferring the data yourself, but it you're technically inclined, you'll likely come out ahead.

This is a competitive market even without the AT&T / T-Mobile merger, so always continue to shop for opportunities. Just be aware of your contract expiration and how much it will cost to "buy out" if you bail early. You'd be surprised what a Mobile Phone carrier might offer to get your business!