5 EASY WAYS TO CUT YOUR MOBILE / CELL PHONE BILL BY 75%!

1.  Use VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).  Skype, MagicJack and other companies provide reliable software to make it easy to talk via the web.   Computer to computer talk,  even video chat, is free.  But most importantly,  computer to mobile phone or land line is very cheap.  This by the far the best way to cut down the phone bill and not have to be watching your phone plan minutes drain away!  Most people don't realize that VOIP companies offer personalized phone numbers, voice mail and all the other services that mobile and landline phone companies offer and that you can telephone any phone in the world for about 2 cents per minute.  If your computer doesn't have a built in microphone and webcam you'll need to buy these.  But they are very inexpensive, last indefinitely and  are plug 'n play devices.  Try to get into the habit of using VOIP whenever you are at your computer.  This doesn't just mean when you are at your desk.  If your mobile phone has built in WiFi,  or if you have a tablet, laptop or netbook, you can use VOIP wherever and whenever you can access the web.

2.  Use a discount mobile phone provider   Get rid of your big corporation, gold plated, mobile phone contract/plan.  The big companies like Rogers and Telus,  and no doubt the big ones in the USA as well,  have become fabulously rich in the last decade by tapping into the exploding mobile phone market.   They  have long contracts, expensive phones and insidious add ons that pad your bill.  Like the $8.00 per month system access fee and $1.75 911 auto dialing.   These things can be avoided largely by using a small company like Koodo or Solo Mobile. When you don't pay for these services you avoid paying the taxes on them as well.  These things add up to thousands of dollars over the years and it is absolutely money down the drain. 

3. Don't sign a contract.  Try as best you can to avoid signing a long contract in order to get a new phone.  Buy a phone privately, better still ask around your friends and family to find a good used phone.  Many people get new phones for fun or when they change providers and have perfectly good phones in their drawers that can be activated.  Get one unlocked or use a company that offers hardware without a contract.  Mobile phone contracts are expensive...in the $20.00 per month range.....to cancel if your circumstances change.   Contracts make it difficult to change your rate plan from time to time.   Without a contract, you can minimize your plan to save money if necessary or if your phone needs change suddenly.  Contracts can sometimes be a good deal if you sign during a promo and maintain a low monthly bill for a long time.  But since government legislation has made phone number portability law, there's really no need to sign a long contract to protect your phone number or control rising prices.  Check a website like Wireless Wave to help compare mobile phone plans

4. Keep your business time chat to a minimum and use text.    Text messaging and off peak call times are usually flat rate with mobile phone companies.   Sending a text message instead of a voice message will allow you to sign up for a mobile phone plan with less business time minutes included.  Using a plan with minimal business time minutes, flat rate text messaging and evenings and weekends will cut the price of your mobile phone by up to HALF!

5. Use a program to track your minute usage to make sure you don't exceed your monthly flat rate minutes during business hours.  Okay, the first four ways are where the big savings are realized.  Now it's time count the small change.  If you exceed the flate rate minutes in your mobile phone plan you incur $0.25 per minute charges at least.  This adds up to dollars in just a few minutes and hundreds of dollars over the year.  Some phones and phone companies track this usage for you and notify you if you exceed your limit.  So tweak your mobile phone habits and plan and save thousands of dollars over a full service, big company service provider and feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that you're not paying for that multi million dollar hippopotamus commercial anymore!