How to lower your cellphone bills

CINCINNATI - Check your cellphone bill lately? What used to cost $50 a month went to $80 and now $100 or more for many people.  And rising data rates mean its going even higher.

But there are some simply ways to save.

More than half of all cellphone users now have a smartphone, and a smartphone's monthly sticker shock.

Kathy England of Cincinnati says she spends "a couple hundred a month. It's very expensive."

Tim Heltner says he has it even worse.

"I have three cellphones, myself and my two children, and it's probably $300 a month," Heltner said.

But Heltner and many others may be able to cut those bills.

What You Can Do

Verizon Wireless's Laura Merritt says start by checking to see if you are paying for more minutes than you need.

"After looking at two or three months of bills, you can see if you are really paying more for a plan that has more voice minutes than you are using," Merritt said. "What we are finding is people are still talking, but maybe not as much as they used to."

So the simplest change for most people that will lower their bills: Trim voice minutes and save.

Save on Data and Family Plans

But that is just one way to lower your monthly cellphone bill.  Some other tricks will cut your data plan and, if you have kids, can substantially lower your family shared plans.

For the full report, tune in to 9 News at 6 p.m. on Tuesday as we show you four easy ways to lower your cellphone bills.

___________________

Don't Waste Your Money is a registered trademark of the EW Scripps Co.

"Like" John Matarese on Facebook

Follow John on twitter