4 ways to save on your cell phone bill

We depend on our smart phones, but cringe when we get the monthly statement. Rest assured, there are a few simple steps you can take to lower the bill without sacrificing service.

1. Compare your plan with other carriers -- some websites like WireFly.com and MyRatePlan.com do this for you.

2. Make sure you are signed up for the right data plan, you don't want to overpay for services you're not using. If for some reason you're buying seven or eight gigabits of data and you're only using two or three, make sure to call the company and go down to a cheaper plan.

3. Conserve your data use by using Wifi and texting and calling apps.

4. While you're checking out your bill, see if you're paying for services you may not need, like a GPS service, enhanced voicemail and mobile insurance. By cutting these services out, you can save anywhere from a few bucks to a tens of dollars each month.

Cox Media Group