SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Having a cell phone nowadays is an essential part of life. It's what we use to communicate with others and stay in the know, but new data shows many of us are paying a lot more than we should be.
I put that theory to the test by talking to San Diego residents about their cell phone costs. The responses varied widely, with some paying as little as $30 for shared family plans while others spent $70 or more for individual lines.
Right now, the cost for a single cell phone line is between $70 and $100 per month. For two lines, it will cost you $120 to $140 per month. For those who have a family plan with four lines, the average cost per month is $160 to $200. The cost is based on the type of carrier, plan, usage, and the number of lines.
WhistleOut is a website that looks at cell phone and internet plans. Their recent study shows households that use one of the major cell phone carriers are spending $2,200 more a year on their cell service compared to others who use smaller companies.
Experts say a big reason for the extra spending is many people aren't aware of what they actually need and are overpaying for unused services.
Ammy Archer, a spokesperson for WhistleOut, said, "We found that most people have unlimited plans, but also don't use all of the data on their plans. But, part of that is a lot of people don't know how to check their data."
Data shows cell phone users use an average of 24 gigabytes of mobile data per billing cycle. Unlimited data customers use an average of three times that amount. So if you aren't using that much, you don't need to sign up for unlimited data services, which would drop your monthly payment.
Also, Archer said many customers choose to only look at big-name cell phone companies instead of shopping around for cheaper, smaller options, like mobile virtual network operators.
"Those are smaller carriers that operate on the same networks as larger carriers. So think of it as shopping store brand versus name brand," Archer said.
WhistleOut looked at the price for a single-line phone plan. Their data shows most customers are spending more than $50 per month for something similar. AT&T will cost you about $80 per month. Verizon will cost you $79 per month. T-Mobile's average is $68 per month, with mobile virtual network operators costing about $44 per month.
Customers I talked to say they tend to stick with the bigger companies because they don't want to do additional research.
"Time is gold, you know. I don't care if they want to pay more, just give me the service, give me the service," one customer said.
But there are other ways you can get discounts on your bill. Check for annual plans — locking in your rate and plan could mean a lower bill overall. If you have a number of phone lines, ask for multi-line discounts. And check for bundle services. Save by bundling your internet and wireless services.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
