Q: I have been on my parents' cell phone plan the last few years but am moving away from home soon and need to get an individual plan. What should I consider when choosing a plan?

A: The following considerations will help you determine what kind of plan and options best meet your needs and budget. Communicate your needs clearly with the cell phone carrier you choose and read all terms and conditions of your contract thoroughly before committing.

- Coverage - what carriers serve your home area? Make sure your plan covers the areas in which you're most likely to use your phone.
- Geographical Area of Use - there are local, regional, and national plans. If you choose a limited area plan, be aware of costly long distance and roaming charges for calling outside your designated area.
- General Usage - will you use your phone all the time or just for emergencies? What about business, travel, and family use?
- Frequency of Use - how many minutes will you use each month? If you will use your cell just for emergencies, you may be able to get away with a pre-paid plan.
- Minutes - plans consist of anytime, weekend & evening, peak, and non- peak minutes. If your cell phone will be your primary phone, you may want a plan with a bulk of anytime minutes, unless you can conveniently avoid using your phone during peak times (daytime and early evening).
- Contracts - when you select a carrier, they may require a 1 or 2 year contract with restrictions on changing your plan; canceling your plan will likely come with a considerable termination fee.
- Extras - while many plans come with features like call waiting and caller ID, expect to pay more for extras such as text and picture messaging; if you're going to text, it's best to include it in your plan up front rather than incur expensive per use charges.
- Taxes & Fees - activation fees and monthly taxes are not figured into your monthly plan so account for these separately.

Helpful Resource: letstalk.com - allows you to search for plans and specials by zip code