Easy Services for Cutting Your Cell Phone Bill

If your cell phone bill is consistently higher than you think it should be, some online tools can help you analyze and reduce it. First of all, check out CNET's quick guide to your cell phone bill, which explains the mysterious fees and surcharges you might notice. Then check out some online services: BillShrink says that 80% of people overpay for cell phone service--use the site to compare your usage patterns with available cell phone plans (you can use it for other bills, like cable, too). The service is free, but for a more customized report, check out Validas, which starts at $5 for one use and analyzes your actual cell phone bill. And if you're satisfied with your current plan but want to make sure not to exceed your call time, check out OverMyMinutes--it automatically checks how many minutes you've used and sends you an e-mail or text message if you're about to exceed them. For the slightly more tech-savvy, Doughroller notes that Mozilla Firefox "has extensions for all of the major US cell service providers, showing you exactly how much time you have left on your cell phone for the month." These services should help you avoid surprises when your bill arrives.

Got any cool tips for cutting your cell phone bill? Leave them in the comments!