Compare Cell Phone Plans at a Glance

[Valerie S. Johnson]

By Valerie S. Johnson

There is a dizzying array of cell phone plans available. To make it even more confusing, the offers change constantly. How do you cut through the static to find the best plan?

First, assess your needs. How many monthly minutes do you want? Check your bills or call your current provider and ask how many minutes you used for each of the past three months. That should give you some idea of whether the plan you currently have is suitable. If you’re constantly using more than your allotted minutes and paying huge overage charges, you’ve got two choices: upgrade to a plan with more minutes or cut back on your talk time.

There are so many other variables to consider, such as local or national coverage, individual or family plans, rollover minutes, in-network calls, favorite callers, text messaging, walkie-talkie capability, night and weekend hours, service provider, and, of course, the monthly fees (keep in mind that taxes are always extra and add a lot to your final bill).

One of the best ways to compare apples to apples for cell phone plans is to use one of the online tools available at www.letstalk.com or www.e-wisdom.com. You start by providing your zip code, and then choose your desired features. You can easily compare the results side by side to make a more informed choice.

Too many decisions? You could just live without a cell phone ...