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Save money by looking at all your phone bills together.  Are you duplicating services between your local, long distance and wireless services? Find out if you qualify for low cost phone service. Try some of these cost cutting suggestions:

Cut back on unneeded extras. Were you excited about caller ID two years ago when you signed up for it, but never actually bought a phone with caller ID capabilities?  Did you once think call waiting was the wave of the future, whereas now you simply find it annoying?  If your phone bill is out of control, it may be time to cut back—and the best way to start is to quit paying for services you do not use.

Consider Un-"bundling" and going with fewer options.  Remember that if you only use a few features, find out whether it is cheaper to purchase the features separately rather than opting for a more expensive bundled service with many unnecessary extras. Ask your phone company about the lowest price plan they offer, and then ask how much extra the additional features you want would cost. Common features such as voice mail and caller ID can add more than $5 each to your monthly phone bill, and, in some states, the cost of additional features has increased substantially over time.

Periodically take a moment to comparison shop.  Just because you got the best deal a year ago when you signed up for your local service doesn't mean that it's the best deal now.  At least once a year it's a good idea to do some comparison shopping to ensure that you are still getting the best deal for your local phone service.

Find out if you are eligible for reduced price phone service.  Lower income consumers, consumers served by several government programs, including Medicaid and food stamps, and consumer living on Tribal Lands and rural areas are eligible to receive discounts on phone hook-ups and monthly phone fees under the Federal Lifeline and Link-up programs.  Many states offer additional discounts.  Check www.lifelinesupport.org for more eligibility information.
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