How to lower your cell phone bill: Tips & tricks to save on your wireless service 

If there’s one thing we all need nowadays, it’s reliable wireless service. And if there’s one thing we all want nowadays, it’s to save money. A cell phone is a critical utility that can end up costing you a lot more than you’d like to spend each month. However, there are some steps you can take to change how much you pay for wireless. This article will walk you through how to lower your cell phone bill, whether it’s by making minor tweaks to your usage or making sweeping changes to your service altogether. The only thing we won’t cover is how to make more room in your wallet (although that hotel key card from your weekend trip in 2021 can probably go).

Review your current plan and data usage

Many people are paying for wireless plans with more data than they need or features they don’t use. Check your current usage to see how much data you need each month and compare it to what you’re actually getting. If you’re paying for unlimited data but only using 3-5GB per month, lowering the data amount on your plan could be a quick and easy way to lower your bill. This is also why we recommend using a wireless carrier with flexible mobile data options, so you only end up paying for the data you intend to use.

Update your home address

With everything going paperless lately, it’s easy to forget to change your address on stuff when you move. But did you know this could affect your bill each month? Some taxes and fees are based on your wireless service address, so it’s important to keep it up to date to avoid overpaying.

Use Wi-Fi whenever possible

When you’re accessing the internet over Wi-Fi, you aren’t using your cellular data. This means keeping your phone connected to Wi-Fi at home, at the office, and anywhere else you can find a secure network will help you cut back on your mobile data usage (so you can lower that plan of yours). It’s especially handy to avoid charges while roaming, too.

Look out for phone plan discounts

Government employees, students, teachers, first responders and active & retired service members may all qualify for discounts on their wireless service. Even if none of those labels apply to you, the company you work for might have a partnership with your wireless carrier that qualifies you for a discount. You can usually call your carrier’s customer service number and ask, or stop by one of their stores (if your wireless carrier has those).

Consider if you really need phone insurance (at least right now)

Many carriers offer some form of insurance for your phone, and it’s easy to understand why some consider it a necessity. But you might be paying for insurance you’ll never use. Depending on the age of your phone and your current deductible, it may cost less just to buy a new phone when the time comes, instead of filing an insurance claim. Perhaps you’ve never damaged a phone because you just aren’t that clumsy (congrats, must be nice). You may not need full protection when a decent case and screen protector will serve you just fine. And when you do eventually upgrade to a new phone, you can always add phone insurance at that time to protect your investment.  

Hold off on upgrading your phone

We completely understand that “time to upgrade” feeling that hits every time the newer version of your phone comes out—but phones are designed to last for a while. The new features are enticing, but if you can hold out for another year or two, you can save hundreds of dollars by forgoing more monthly payments on a new phone. Then when you really, truly need an upgrade, an even better version will be available (and you’ll wonder what you ever saw in the one that came out last year). Or… you can get yourself a pre-owned or refurbished phone and save even more.

Look into family plans

Speaking of family plans, if you’re paying for more than one phone line, it may behoove you to combine them under one account. Whether it’s your spouse, your kid, or your weird roommate that uses words like “behoove,” if you’re both on the same carrier, joining your lines together on a family plan could save you both quite a bit overtime without sacrificing service. Here at Mint, our family plans start with just two people, and we let you mix & match individual plans so everyone gets the data they need—no sharing, no overages.

Look into removing services you might not need

Insurance might not be the only add-on to your wireless plan that you don’t need. A lot of carriers offer bundle “deals” with streaming services, online shopping profiles, etc that may seem like a bargain when you first sign up, but if you’re not really using those extras at all, consider dropping them or moving to a plan that only offers wireless service to save some more.

Lower your cell phone bill by switching to Mint Mobile

Let’s be honest, you can do everything in this blog, but some carriers are still going to charge you way too much for wireless service. So maybe it’s time to switch to a carrier that provides premium wireless on the nation’s largest 5G network for $15/month. You know, a carrier with flexible data plan options and no extra add-ons you didn’t ask for. A carrier like Mint Mobile, of course.

If you’re still locked in a contract, it may take a bit of math to determine whether it’s worth paying any early termination fees to bail now. Whenever you’re ready, we can confidently say that switching to a wireless carrier that charges significantly less than the one you’re currently on is one of the easiest ways to lower your monthly phone bill. See for yourself why Mint Mobile has the best phone plans for people looking to lower their monthly bills with our savings calculator.