Trim the Fat from Telephone Bills

Basic telephone service shouldn’t cost a fortune, but yours might thanks to features you never use. Take a close look at your last three months of phone bills and ask yourself if you really need all the services you pay for.

Extra features like call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, and caller ID are wonderful, but each could cost and extra $40 to $85 a year. Decide which bells and whistles you can do without.

Newer phones often have speed dial and an answering machine built in. If so, you shouldn’t buy the same service from the phone company.

Directory service, automatic callback, and repeat dialing of busy numbers almost always mean extra fees. Use these conveniences sparingly.

Ask your phone provider what package deals they offer. You might be paying for several single services that come cheaper together.

On the other hand, if you have a plan and don’t use all the extras, you might be better off buying them separately. Compare the price of single services versus packages.

Phone companies offer specials all the time, so check with them occasionally to see how you could save.