Telephone Bill Cost Review

Learn How to Lower your Phone Bill Costs

The basic steps in your phone bill cost review are;

Local telephone service
Long distance phone service
Cell phone bill

To start with your local phone service costs, the first question to be addressed is:

Do you really need an Unlimited Long Distance package?

During the last two years, many local telephone carriers have marketed unlimited long distance phone packages, combined with many local service features. And many folks have bought these unlimited local / long distance phone plans. But for most residential telephone consumers these days, these packages are not really the best deal, for a variety of reasons. You can use the table below to see just how attractive an unlimited long distance package combined with local service is for your particular needs.

The table below makes reference to "Additional Features" offered by your local telephone service provider. The "features" to which we are referring in the table below are any of the following;

• Caller ID
• Call Waiting
• Call Forwarding
• 3 Way Calling
• Repeat Dialing
• Call Blocking
• Call Return
• 900 / 976 Restriction
• Anonymous Call Rejection
• 30 Code Speed Dial

The "features" do NOT include either Voice Mail or DSL (High Speed Internet) - if you use either of these features, do NOT include them in your assessment when checking the table below.

The table includes rows that list different levels of monthly long distance phone calling, measured in minutes of usage.  Many folks aren't aware of how many minutes per month of long distance calling they do, and this information is usually tedious to obtain - by scrutinizing details of your phone bill. For your reference, the FCC has found that the average residential consumer uses LESS than 2 hr. (120 minutes) of long distance per month. This means that the GREAT MAJORITY of residential consumers will fall into the first row of the table below, for those folks with 200 minutes per month or less of long distance usage.

1. Find the row in the table which best describes your average long distance usage.
2. Follow that row across to the column with the appropriate number of features that you actually use, and would be willing to pay for, on your local telephone service.
3. With few exceptions, the word at the intersection of the appropriate row and column will be an accurate answer to the question "Is A Combined Local/Unlimited Long Distance Service Package Most Economical For Me?"
4. Please click on the appropriate answer below.

Start Here If Your "Answer" Above Is "No"

The answer for your needs above was "No" - you do NOT need an unlimited long distance phone package. If you do not currently subscribe to any sort of unlimited long distance plan, please click here to check your LOCAL phone service provider costs.

If you currently do have an unlimited long distance package, but the answer you obtained above was "No", you should plan to make some changes, in the following order (click on the links below to be taken to pages with the appropriate information);

Set up a new long distance phone service plan after performing a long distance comparison

Order additional LOCAL service features as needed

Cancel your unlimited long distance package

Before you cancel an unlimited long distance package, however, you need to decide on your other changes, so as not to lose your long distance service in the interim.

Start Here If Your "Answer" Above Is "Yes"

If the answer you obtained was "Yes", and you currently have an unlimited long distance package, you're all set! You do NOT need to make any changes either to your local or your long distance plans, and you should click here to proceed to the information about minimizing costs for your cellular phone service provider.

If the answer was "Yes", but you do NOT have an unlimited long distance package, you should inquire with your LOCAL service provider to see if they offer such a package. If they do, it will probably cut your costs compared to your current situation. If your LOCAL phone service provider does NOT offer such unlimited long distance packages, you should plan on the following two changes (click on the links below to be taken to pages with the appropriate information);

Check on your local phone service costs

Do a long distance comparison - minimize your long distance phone service costs