No matter what your status, you want a cell phone, you should have a cell phone, and it will be without a doubt worthwhile to get a cell phone.

No matter what your status, you want a cell phone, you should have a cell phone, and it will be without a doubt worthwhile to get a cell phone. If your parent or significant other is nagging you to check in every 37 seconds, wouldn't it come in handy? (Especially if you had caller ID?) If you're cruising the local freeway on your way to a football game and you forgot to fill the gas tank, wouldn't it come in handy? Or maybe you blow a tire and you happen to be with friends who would rather walk the rest of the way than help you bust out the spare, what are you going to do? Ask to use the phone at the creepy house by the side of the road? Maybe you need to call in 'sick' because your late night turned into an early breakfast.

Regardless of the circumstances, in this day and age it is not only inherently practical to have a cell phone, but it is becoming increasingly economical thanks to competing companies such as Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile (formerly Voicestream), Sprint, AT&T, and Cingular. All of these companies are continuously offering special deals, attempting to win over new and converting consumers. What a consumer needs to know, however, is what deals are actually going to benefit them, and what unadvertised opportunities exist.

If you're living with several roommates in an apartment, you could, of course, pay for the regular phone line and get away with your typical home phone service for $25 to $30 bucks total, and then split the bill. You can get an answering machine to catch your messages while you're gone and you'll probably be okay. However, for under $30 dollars a month, you could go for a cell phone. If every roommate has a cell phone, you can call to see if you need to pick up milk, ask whether the bills got paid, or find out when your roommates are coming home so you know how long you have to play your Justin Timberlake CD. If any of this applies to you, it's very beneficial for you and the people you call most often to use the same cell service provider (using a mobile-to-mobile plan). No matter how little you think you may use a cell phone, you're not wasting those "anytime minutes" on those pointless "how're you doing?" calls. This will really save money in the end, as calls will undoubtedly surface.

Another cell phone trend is to provide generous amounts of night and weekend minutes. Whether you receive 2000, 4000, or unlimited night and weekend minutes, this is the least of the cell consumer's concern.

Anytime minutes are what makes a good cell phone plan. The more you get for your money, the less you'll have to worry at the end of every billing period. If you use a cell phone as your primary phone, 300 anytime minutes is sufficient only if you have a mobile-to-mobile plan. If you have frequent business calls, more anytime minutes are definitely a must.

If you're absolutely strapped for cash, can't afford huge cell phone bills each month, and certainly can't afford to upgrade your cell phone service, here are a few cell phone use tips:

1. Corporate plans: Many large companies or organizations, Hewlett-Packard for one, have corporate cell phone plans that give you deals no local store could match. Sometimes these deals will save you up to 20 percent on your rate each month. You may be able to find these deals with other institutions such as a credit union, where you don't have to be employed with a company to receive the deal. You may need to have an account with the credit union, but if you get free checking anyway, who cares?
    
2. Dropped calls: If a call cuts out early when neither party ended the call, complain to your cell phone service provider and tell them what happened. The more it happens, the more anytime minutes they will reimburse, even if the call you were making wasn't using anytime minutes.
    
3. Voicemail: When you receive a voicemail without having received the actual call, don't use your cell phone to check the voicemail. Check voicemail using a land line so you don't use air time.

If you can't find a good corporate cell phone deal, check online for Internet specials and make sure you ask about student discounts or any other possible discounts you can think of. Also, watch for good high-priced deals. You may be able to sign up for an expensive plan, get a great deal on a high quality phone, then downgrade your service plan the next day to a much cheaper monthly plan. Companies usually don't charge a penalty for downgrading, but you may have to restart your contract period. Since you will have had your plan only for a day or so, it's no big deal. Always pay attention though, as you are entering into a contract with the company and you are responsible for whatever you agree to. You need to know all of the details, good and bad, of the plan you choose

Editor's Note:

Last month it cost me an extra $100 additional charges because I went over my anytime minutes. Be careful with your minutes.