Are you getting the most out of your cell phone plan or are you paying too much for services you don’t use? Next time your contract is up for renewal think of the different add-ons to your contract that aren’t necessary or those that you rarely use. These include:

• Cell phone minutes
• Text messaging
• Internet/data service
• Games and ringtones

If your cell phone company allows you to check your bills online, you can keep track of how many minutes you’re using. Adjust your anytime minutes to a little bit more of what you normally use each month to allow for months that you go over. Cingular has rollover minutes that allow customers to transfer their unused minutes to the next month. Most carriers have in-network or a family and friends plan where you can talk to people with the same carrier or the people you talk to most frequent without using up your planned minutes.

An average cost per text is about $0.10. When I first found out I was able to text from my phone, I ran up the cell phone bill. Sometimes it’s wiser if you sign up for unlimited texting if you’re a text fiend. It saves you from having to pay for every single text you send and receive. I can use up to 2,000 text messages a month. You bet I have unlimited text messages!

Other unnecessary upgrades for cell phone plans include internet or data service, games, pictures, and ringtones. Games and ringtones can cost around $2. When my brother first got his cell phone, he downloaded as many games and background pictures as he can, not knowing the price for each. My parents weren’t thrilled when they saw the bill for that month. Internet and data service is important for people who need to be connected to their jobs24/7. But for people who use internet on their phone to beat boredom, it may be unnecessary.

You can save money on your cell phone bill by evaluating those services you don’t need and customizing your cell phone plan around it.