It seems as though nowadays everyone owns a cell phone. In fact, most people can’t remember how they survived without one. As a result, there are an abundance of articles on how to save money on your cell phone bill. But what about the people who actually enjoy spending more than they should on their cell phone bills? Shouldn’t there be articles out there offering advice to those who want to waste money on their cell phones?
The discrimination ends now! For those of you who strive to spend more on your cell phones than you should, here is your guide to the best steps to take to ensure that you spend way too much on your cell phone bill! Simply utilize these 5 straightforward tips and you will be well on your way to wasting money on your cell phone bill and depleting your bank account!
Tip 1: Don’t Shop Around
There are at least 10 different cell phone service providers on the market. This means you have at least 10 different options you can choose from when deciding which cell phone company to go with. And with that many cell phone company options, you have hundreds of options for cell phone plans! But why shop around for the best plan? That takes time and energy! Instead, go to the store that is closest to your home and set up an account with them! Who cares if another company can give you a better deal? The whole goal here is to spend more than you should on your cell phone bill!
Tip 2: Get the Wrong Plan
Once you walk into your nearest cell phone store, don’t look at all the different plans they have in order to get the best plan for you. That would be stupid! Chances are you know how much you like to call or text people. And chances are you know whether or not the majority of the people you are in contact with have the same service provider as you. But why get a plan that best accommodates your texting and calling habits? If you know you spend hours upon hours on the phone, get a plan that limits your minutes so you have insane overage charges! If you don’t text a lot, pay for a plan that gives you unlimited texting! If the majority of your contacts have a cell phone service that you don’t have, pay for a plan that gives you free calling to anyone in your service provider’s network! Whatever you do, don’t get a plan that fits your communication habits.
Tip 3: Send Pointless Texts
If you are a fan of texting and have limited texts to send each month, waste your texts on stupid texts! What are stupid texts? They can consist of one word texts, asking a pointless question like “what’s up?” or texting someone who is just one room away. By wasting the limited amount of texts your plan allows for (which if you followed tip number 2 and you are an avid texter, your plan limits the amount of text you can send before you start getting insane overage charges), you will have to pay an arm and a leg in overage charges! And, if you are trying to waste money on your cell phone bill, you have accomplished your goal!
Tip 4: Buy Lots of Unnecessary Extras
Cell phones today are so cool! While the only add-ons you used to be able to add included ringtones, wallpaper, and games, now there is the amazing world of apps! So, in order to spend a ton of money on your cell phone bill, buy all of these awesome add-ons! Make sure you have a different ringtone and wallpaper for each of your contacts and buy every single game and app you can find even if you will never use them! There is no better way to waste your money!
Tip 5: Avoid Alternate Methods of Communication
It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, ALWAYS use your phone to communicate. If the person you are trying to talk to is on an online messaging service at the same time you are and you can communicate with them that way, don’t do it! Instead, send a text! Or, if you have a long message to give to someone, instead of sending it in an email, send it as a text! If you want to have a voice conversation with someone and they happen to be on an instant messaging service that allows for voice conversations, pick up the phone and call them instead! Why not waste texts and minutes and spend more money instead of trying to cut back on phone expenses?
By following these 5 tips, you will undoubtedly spend way more on your cell phone bill than you should. Who needs to try to save money when spending it can be way more easy and fun?
For those of you who want to save on your cell phone bill, do the exact opposite of the advice listed above and you will save money, guaranteed.
Have any tips on how to spend more than you should on your cell phone bill? Share them with us in the comments section!
This post has been brought to you by Ashley Jacobs who is a recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara and is currently the editor of Cash Flow Sherpas. If you are not familiar with Cash Flow Sherpas then head over and check them out. I will be contributing to their website once a month, so if I like it – you’ll love it 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
If you use the cell phone minimally, then take a look at prepaid cellphone plans like Tracfone. Of course if you use the cell phone a lot, prepaid plan is a good way to pay more because they cost more per minutes.
Great list, but just having a cell phone is paying a lot! I loathe the cell phone bill (so I started a media company and use it as a tax write off) LOL. Least there is some benefit received!
Now, if you want to upgrade your cell phone they charge you extra for the must have data plan. I’m sure their are hidden taxes and fees ( better scope my bill), too. Or if you have teenagers, you need the unlimated text plan for ultimate bill survival ( our friend received a $1,500 bill regarding his son’s texting ). But reps have been courteous to find a lower rate when I call and have saved me money here and there. Of course, it renews my contract for another 2 years and they benefit, again, in the end.
Jeff, Congrats on contributing to Sherpa.
Jeff, First off, that picture is awesome!!!
2nd off, yeah, what a racket those cell phone companies have…you really have to monitor your bill and usage. If you don’t pay attention, it’s so easy to get screwed with a huge fee for something silly like exceeding your minutes or number of text messages.
You forgot to mention (or I missed it) how silly it is for people to actually have a cell phone for those of us who don’t charge them or forget them at home! Half the time my battery is dead and I’m stuck having to wait to communicate (like the days before cell phones!)
@LittleHouse’s comment:
I have a cellphone that I forgot to charge because it kept dying EVERY DAY, and while I rarely used it (and I always tend to forget it at home and never pick up because it costs $0.85 as a long distance out of zone BS fee), I have never been happier to have one than today.
Our telephone in the hotel room ‘went down’ because it’s tied to the internet and without the phone I cannot reach BF and he cannot get calls or emails about a contract.
Yes, we can have a landline and pay for it (if we didn’t live in a hotel room) or use the payphone or rely on the internet… but if everything went down (like today) we’d be hooped.
As for cellphones, I find the voicemail and call display are my only two MUST HAVEs. I pay about $30/month, taxes included.
Hahahaha! You article is uniquely hilarious! Not only do you get the message across, you do it in a funy way that readers can remember it! One way to spend more on your cell phone bill is to not pay the bill for 2 consecutive months. This will make the cell phone company close your account. In order to re-open it you will have to pay your bill plus a re-opening fee! Yes, it happened to me when I left the US for 2 months and forgot to pay my bills.
I agree with you Matthew! You can also call friend across the country so an International rate will apply, don’t send messages just call them.
But if I don’t spend way more how else can I look so kewl as I sit at starbucks sipping on my $7 cup of coffee while browsing my iPad with 1 hand and talking to my friends on my iPhone on the other?
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