When my cell phone contract came up for renewal, I decided to ditch my old phone for one that had everything I could want: Touch screen, applications to keep track of pro sports teams (Blazers!), a decent browser… I'm worth it, right?

With a bit of research I found a phone my carrier had available that was a solid pick. So I bought it, along with a new service plan to support the extra features that made it so enticing.

My bill went from $40 to $75 a month, and at some point I decided to purchase a custom ringtone and a couple of songs.

After a few months, my checking account was getting fried. I didn’t budget for my phone to cost twice as much as it used to, and I knew I had to get that monthly cost down. If you find yourself in this situation, there are a few ways to bail yourself out:

1) Beg. Seriously. Call up your carrier and give them the whole sob story about how your dog died, your wife up and left, and your cell phone is too expensive. Don't embellish the truth, but there's no reason to leave anything out, either. Stay polite, and frame it in such a way that the'll know you want to continue giving them money every month… just not as much.
2) Cut back on some of the goodies. If you can go without those extra 300 minutes you don’t use and you don’t need to check your email from your phone, consider dropping these services. They can weigh down an otherwise healthy phone bill.
3) Stop buying stuff! I understand now that I didn’t need that wickedsick Jo Bros. ringtone--those one- to three-dollar charges can really add up.
4) Drop names. Many service providers provide discounts for employees of certain companies, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask. You can also type “employer discounts *carrier*” into your search engine for more results.
5) Crank the DeLorean to 88mph and go back to the… past. You did keep your old phone, right?  (If you didn't, you hopefully donated it to a worthy cause.) How about the box and all the accessories for your new one? Most service providers will allow you to drop back to your old plan - so long as you have a phone to accommodate it – and you can sell your new/old phone online, sometimes at a profit.

While I may have lost a few hundred bucks while overcome with new phone fever, I am thankful that it won't be sticking around for the next two years.

--Brandon

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