Save money on mobile costs

Roughly 70% of U.S. adults have smartphones and many of those have had the same plan for more than 2 years. If you are looking to change you plan in hopes of saving some money, you have quite a bit to learn. Plans have changed significantly and big competitors have surfaced on the scene. Nearly every service is offering free talk and text with the focus solely on data. Here are some tips that can help you save money on mobile costs.

Know your needs

Before you can accurately compare the plans, you have to understand just what you need or you risk overspending on an unnecessary plan. With talk and text free with most plans, your needs could be better defined as data needs. You know what your current data plan is, but don’t think you have to get the same. Examine your usage from recent bills, because chances are you are using quite a bit less than you think.

Understand unlimited data

Having unlimited data is a rather pricey option, and for most users it is excessive, given the abundance of free Wi-Fi. However, for those who require data on the go, you need to investigate what ‘unlimited’ means on each plan. Many providers have been known to throttle unlimited users to discourage use. For those who are able to bounce between Wi-Fi for their data fix, this should not be a concern.

Know all the options

There are many more players in the field than there used to be. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile are still the big dogs, but many smaller service providers are piggybacking on their systems at a fraction of the costs. Services like Ting allow you to create your own plan from scratch and only pay what you use. Even Google has joined the mobile game offering Project FI, which has the added benefit of being used internationally with no extra cost.

Be wary of add-on plans

Adding monthly cellular services to your plan for other devices can add up fast. Many plans charge a service fee of $15 to $30 per device on top of the data the new device uses. Family plans are available with and without contracts from many carriers with a number of discounts. Some even offer you the chance to choose whether you want to share data or provide an allotment based on each member’s usage habits.