This is Part 2 of a two-part series on how to trim your home office monthly expenses. To read this article from the beginning, see Part 1.
Even though people may realize that they’re not getting the most out of their cell phone plan they stick with it because they don’t want to pay the high fees associated with cancelling their current plan. It is actually possible to avoid these fees.
Check to see if your current cell phone company has changed the terms of your plan recently. Although providers are required by law to notify you when this happens, sometimes they
find a way to slip that information past you. If your provider has changed the contract terms, you are not obligated to pay cancellation charges.
Another way to avoid paying early termination fees is to transfer your contract to another party. If you know someone who is looking to purchase the same contract that you currently have, just call the customer service department of your cell phone company and they will talk you through the transfer process.
Since most of us are not lucky enough to know somebody willing to take over our cell phone plan, there are online services such as TradeMyCellular.com that will help you find another party free of charge. By browsing their listings, you may even be able to find a good deal on a plan that you’d like to purchase.
Wireless internet fees are another problem that can plague home offices. These types of fees come from a multitude of sources. You may be paying a standard monthly charge for wireless connectivity because that’s the only type of Internet access you can get in your local area. On top of that, if you travel a lot, you may be getting nickel and dimed to death by hotel and airport fees.
If you have a PDA, Blackberry, or iPhone, you could be using those devices for internet access. This works great for some people, but I actually like to see what I’m typing and I’m not too fond of keyboards that are small enough to fit in my pocket. It is possible to get the best of both worlds, though, if you tether these devices to your computer. This will allow you to connect to the Internet on your computer using the wireless option of your handheld device.
If you are a PDA or Blackberry users, check out AT&T’s tethering plans. They do have additional monthly charges, but those charges may be less than what you’re paying now.