Money Saving Tip: Phone Service

Today it is hard to find someone who does not own a cell phone. I admit I was slow in joining and got my first cell phone in 2005. Home phone services are also getting more sophisticated with plenty of features. I have met several people who have scrapped their home phone altogether since both husband and wife (and sometimes kids) have their own cell phone. This is obviously a great way to cut $20-$40 per month from your expenses depending on how much your home phone bill is. I, personally, cant' get myself to get rid of my home phone - primarily for potential emergency situations when the power is out and cell phone towers are overloaded or not functioning. We've seen this happen during many catastrophes in the past. I also ensure to keep at least one phone in the house that is not cordless. This ensures that at least one phone will work even when the power is out.

Even keeping home phone service, you can still trim some costs each month. You can pay for the basic line, which is usually only about $10/month and use your cell service for all your long distance. If you are used to caller ID at home, you can sign up for call forwarding (usually cheaper than caller ID) and have all your calls forwarded to your cell phone.

Many people subscribe to Internet service and/or TV cable with their phone service. Most providers will bundle these at a lower rate so you should also look into what packages are available and what promotions you can utilize. Revisiting your service plan at the end of a promotional period also typically results in more savings.