Category: Long Distance

By Kavita

The Internet has made things quite comfortable and convenient for all of us. How else would we enjoy the freedom of shopping online from the comfort of our bedrooms or get a glimpse of the entire world sitting in our living rooms? With passing time, people are eager to get more and more things done from home. Paying phone bills is definitely one of those things.

But not everyone who wants to pay their phone bills online knows how to get this done. Here in this post, we will discuss in detail two processes involved in paying phone bills online. The first one deals with the procedure of paying phone bills via your bank account and the other one deals with paying them via your phone service provider.

Click here to compare phone plans, including flat rate unlimited long distance plans

If you are interested in comparing cell phone plans, you can review our cell phone packages as well

Setting up an auto-payment facility via your bank account

Your bank account can be set up to automate payments to your phone company or any other utility company. Most of the banks offer a service known as online bill pay service. This service will help with making payments at your behest to the company of your choice. You will need to enter the details of the phone company, its address, the bill amount, bill number, your account number, and other similar details. The bank will do the rest.

It will transfer the amount that you have instructed by electronic transfer if the phone company is using the same bank network as your bank. If it uses a different bank, then your bank will arrange to send a check for the specified amount to the phone company.

It always helps to be doubly sure when you issue standing instructions like these to your bank. First, make sure that your payee (your phone company) has put in specific guidelines pertaining to this online payment facility. The usual problem is that the check that is printed is done by the online bill pay service. But most of the phone companies will provide a different address that is dedicated for receiving such checks.

(How can I pay my phone bill online — this article was posted in response to a user’s question on our website)

Setting up auto-payment via your phone company

You can arrange for auto payment of your monthly phone bills via your phone company. For this you will need to provide the phone company with a voided check and one or two forms, together with written authorization for deducting payments from your bank account. This process is commonly known as ACH debit.

The benefit with this method is that once you complete the requisites and formalities for this procedure, you do not have to worry about sending a check each month to your phone company. The bill amount for each corresponding month will be automatically debited without any intervention from you or your bank.

It is highly recommended that you set up an automated online payment system for your phone bills, because you do not have to keep the payment date in mind and there is no risk of incurring a late payment charge in case you forget the due date.

Click here to compare phone plans, including flat rate unlimited long distance plans

If you are interested in comparing cell phone plans, you can review our cell phone packages as well

By Kavita

Most of us have our own monthly budgets in place. Any disturbance in a single item on this budget can often make everything go haywire. Those who have made and planned their monthly budgets each month will agree how volatile the phone bills can get sometimes. Often it jeopardizes the entire monthly budget, forcing people to adjust the excess amount spent on phone bills by cutting back on something else.

No wonder everyone welcomes the idea of having effective phone bill reduction strategies in place. Let us take a look at some of the commonly used strategies that have been proven to show results.

Click here to compare phone plans, including flat rate unlimited long distance plans

If you are interested in comparing cell phone plans, you can review our cell phone packages as well

Take a look at your average usage

Every home has a different pattern of usage when it comes to phones. Some folks have a lot of relatives who stay out of state or sometimes even out of the country (in case of immigrants), while others are lucky enough to have their near and dear ones residing close by in the neighborhood or at least within the same state.

Some people have a lot of calls to be made during the day, while others may have to make calls during the evenings or maybe at night. Some people have a huge share of their contacts using cell phones, while others may have contacts with home phones.

All these factors can have a huge impact on the monthly phone bill and if any effective strategy has to be discovered for a particular family, then it has to begin with their phone usage pattern.

A look at your phone bills for the last six months can provide a fair idea of your pattern and based on that you should talk to your phone company. Most of the phone companies have a variety of packages, meant to accommodate the various needs of their users. Let the company executives find a package that is most economical for your usage pattern.

Ask for a better deal

Sometimes you may find that you are already using a plan that is best suited to your usage pattern. In such a case, make it very clear to your phone company that you are looking around for a better deal and will not hesitate to dump them if you find another company with better rates. This is a strategy that works most of the time, because no company wants to let go of its existing subscribers.

Consider streamlining your usage

If your usage pattern indicates that you have been making too many calls in a “costlier time zone,” then you should consider streamlining your usage. See if you can shift some of the calls into a time when the calls are priced comparatively lower. You may also want to cut back on some of the unnecessary calls. If you speak for longer durations when you call your folks, you can try and time your calls on days that offer subsidized rates like national holidays.

Mostly a combination of disciplined phone usage and request for better priced deals should work in your favor and get your phone bills much reduced.

Go VoIP

These days, a number of phone companies have launched alternate versions that include unlimited calling — local, long distance, and even international. These packages are much cheaper than traditional phone lines, primarily because the calls are routed via the Internet. VoIP is often considered an extremely low cost alternative to traditional phones.

Click here to compare phone plans, including flat rate unlimited long distance plans

If you are interested in comparing cell phone plans, you can review our cell phone packages as well

Choices only make your decision-making process tougher; the more choices you have the harder it becomes to make the right selection. I can say it with so much conviction because it was very recently that I got a first-hand experience. To be honest I really did not expect that the toughest question to answer (only second to the chicken or egg question) would be “which is the best cell phone to buy?” Yet, there are so many choices out there and so many features that one cannot help but get confused. I finally managed to choose and so here are my tips:

Which is the best cell phone to buy for a girl?

The first thing you need to note here is that majority of the cell phones perform almost the same functions, but not all of them can be suitable for young girls/teens. If you are a young girl, you really need your cell phone to be pretty and in one of those girly shades (actually I was going to say pink, but then I really hate to be classified a stereotype, so …)

You will also need to have a plan that facilitates unlimited conversations with friends and don’t forget the social media apps, please! Ah, yes, and the accessories that go with the phone. Isn’t it fun to match cell phone covers with favorite dresses.

At DontSpendMore.com, we have plenty of cell phone plans for both girls and boys.

Which is the best cell phone to buy for boys?

Sir, are you looking for a rugged-looking cell phone. Nah, lots of games would work, isn’t it? Apps, GPS, data access … coffee-maker (oh, that was a stretch).

At DontSpendMore.com, we have plenty of cell phone plans for both girls and boys.

Practical tips

The best cell phone to buy is the one that suits your personal whims, fancies, budget, and requirements.  That was the point I was trying to make all this while.

But in case you need a quick checklist of points to refer before buying your next cell phone, here it is:

• Price range of cell phone and your budget
• Features in a cell phone that you simply cannot live without
• Features in a cell phone that you do not want
• Any free bonuses products that a particular cell phone company is offering to boost sales like a memory card, mobile accessories, and others
• Unlimited calling, data, text
• Cell phones having the latest / most updated software
• Compatibility of the gadget at international locations

These points are the basic criteria on which you should compare different cell phone plans. Good luck shopping. Click here to review and compare the latest cell phone plans.

We have become accustomed to comparing and shopping online, and cell phones are no exception to this trend. In just a few seconds, one can perform a comparison of the best cell phone offers.

Cell phone offers comparison: Three reasons you should do it online

FREE! Does anything ever get better than free? First, at DontSpendMore.com, you can review and select from a comparison of the top cell phone offers in the market. From free phones to a free month, we have the best of the best at your disposal.

Second, a suite of benefits that will make the process of comparing cell phone offers a breeze. Convenience, side-by-side comparison, expert reviews, and lots of choices. Why would anyone take the trouble of visiting physical locations when you can do so in just a few clicks.

Third, it is easier and practical to keep in touch with the latest cell phone offers by looking out for them online. Cell phone technologies change so rapidly, you can get instant e-mail notifications and alerts if you want to.

The process of comparing cell phone offers online

Take stock of the basic features that most cell phone companies are offering. How else would you know what to look for while comparing between the offers? This may seem redundant for seasoned cell phone users, but this article is meant to help every kind of cell phone user, and that includes the first time user, who has just decided to own a cell phone but has no clue about how and where to start.

The basic features include the charges that would applied for each of the features, such as making local, national and international calls, sending text messages, sending multimedia messages, making a video call, using the Internet on your mobile, uploading and downloading charges, voicemail, chat, apps, and a host of other benefits that are packages with almost every cell phone plan.

In addition to these, you also need to check out the free bonuses (if any) that are on the offer. Other interesting perks include discounted rates for; special discounts (like discounted movie tickets for using a certain cell phone service provider); unlimited calling; flat rate plans, and other similar benefits.

By the time you complete your cell phone offers comparison, you should have a pretty clear picture about the cell phone service provider you are going to use.

Due to rising utility prices, there is a lot of focus on savings. Whether it is water, Internet or any other expenditure, slashing bills is always high on priority. Long distance phone calls are often very expensive and you can reduce these bills dramatically by taking small steps. Both landline and mobile rates can be reduced by a little bit of planning.

Remove added services

Focus on analyzing your billing statement. Never toss your phone bills aside like a piece of paper; instead, read it carefully. Start by checking any added services that are a part of your total bill. Ask yourself how many times you have used these add-on services and if you feel you can do without them then it will save you some cash. You can get rid of them by simply calling your phone company and request a termination of such services which you don’t require.

Make long distance calls through cell phone only

Using cell phones for making long distance phone calls is much more economical than your landline. It doesn’t matter if you are calling your mother in San Francisco or your best friend in Boston, always use a cell phone and you will save lot of money.

Paperless billing statements

Many phone companies charge a small fee to their customers for paper billing statements. There is a cheaper and simpler way of checking bills if you ask your phone company to send all the statements electronically. It will also benefit the environment.

Use VoIP

These days, technology in mobiles and landline phones is such that you can call anyone using VoIP services. These services not only provide you a much cheaper alternative but some of these services enable you to call absolutely free of cost and in the process save you tons of money. Using VoIP applications you can call all over the world through the Internet. Some of these services also let you make a video call using a camera. But it requires a super-fast Internet connection.

Buy a phone card for long distance calls

If you rarely make a long distance phone call then it is better to purchase a prepaid telephone card for long distance calls. Also, ask your phone service to cut the option of long distance calls, when it’s done you will be able to receive a long distance calls only. One important thing to remember about calling cards is that, once used it has an expiry date. So try to use all the credit before it expires.

Trends

Today, more and more people are relying on mobile phones and eliminating the landline entirely. Both have their pros and cons. The only drawback of mobile phones (as the only source of calling) is its battery life. Most mobile phones batteries don’t last more than a day or two. So don’t forget to keep it charged, as you might need it in case of an emergency.