Nearly everyone looks for ways to keep your phone bill down. Since almost everyone has a cell phone, it is quite likely that most people are spending more then they should to maintain that phone. If you were to look at your bill it is likely that you could look at it right now and immediately find charges for services that you do not even use. The consulting industry uses a term, scope creep, that means a project slowly grows out of control. For most consumers this is what happens with their bill. Over time we add services in the form of extra lines, minutes, or data and our bill creeps up to a higher and higher amount until it is eventually out of control. If you want to get your bill back under control you should consider some or all of the following tips.

Ways To Keep Your Phone Bill Down

Watch your minutes - One of the biggest expenses for any cell phone owner is going over your minutes. If you consistently go over your minutes it is probably worth investing in a plan that gives your more from the beginning. There are also some free tools available that will let you know what your usage is and warn you if you are close to reaching your limit.

Consider a prepaid phone - If you do not use your phone a lot and do not want to shell out the money every month to maintain it you might consider a prepaid cell service. These services allow you to pay for only what you use and can be significantly cheaper then a traditional phone with equal service from a legitimate carrier.

Get rid of the insurance - Unless you have a very expensive phone and are particularly hard on them insurance is usually not worth the investment. It can cost about $200 which is not a great investment on a phone that is typically less then $500.

Look for discounts - Most carriers have ways to keep your phone bill down through employee discount programs. In some cases you might be entitled to a discount through the company you work for, or in cases of small businesses through their suppliers. You may wind up saving upwards of 20% on your bill.

Avoid buying ring-tones - Yes, they are cute and can make the ring of your phone a bit less jarring, but they are quite simply a cost that can be eliminated.

Double check your bill - There are online services that will evaluate your bill for a small fee. They can then tell you how to save money. Typically the reports can show consumers how to save hundreds of dollars each year based on their actual usage.

Swap SIM cards - If you break a phone prior to the expiration of your contract you might have to pay a steep price for a new one. But, if you have other phones under the same account you can instead replace an older one, getting a lower price on the new phone, and simply swap out the SIM card from the broken phone.

Negotiate - When your contract expires you can negotiate to get a better deal. Since plans are typically cheaper as time goes on it is likely you can do better then your previous contract. Just make sure you get the same or better services.

Reconsider unlimited plans - Unless you have a texting addicted teen under your account odds are you do not really need an unlimited plan. While most of us like having them because they relieve us from worry about overages we probably don’t need them. Look at your actual usage to determine what your actual needs.

Combine you and your spouses plans – If you are living together and are not sharing a cell phone plan you are probably wasting money. Combine into one account and you will easily save lots of cash each month.

Do not cancel a contract - If you want to switch carriers mid contract it will cost you a lot of money. Instead look to one of the online services that link up people like you with people who are looking for a cell contract. That way you help someone else and get out of costly fees.

Finding ways to keep your phone bill down is a great way to cut household expenses. You can then use that extra money for more fun things like going on holiday or to pay off other bills.

This article was written by William Eve, a regular personal finance writer for Home Loan Finder, a 100% free mortgage comparison and application service. Visit the Home Loan Finder website for more great ways to save money and the most competitive investment loans and first home buyer loans on the market.