How Much is That Cell Phone Bill?

Just got off the phone with a friend, a mom whose middle-school-age son got his first cell phone this year. She's smart and keeps up on tech news. But she was still surprised when they got the first phone bill to see how much her son's text messages—and downloaded games she had no idea he could download—had added to the monthly bill.

"He was like a kid in a candy shop," she said about the games that added $25 to their first bill. They went back to Verizon and renegotiated a plan that includes text messages, as I mentioned in this post. He's sworn off downloading games.

With lots of kids text messaging more than calling these days, I went looking for advice for parents on choosing the best plan for their family. I found these tips from Common Sense Media. But there's not a lot of info out there to help parents negotiate the best calling plan before they get that first whopper of a bill.  After the fact, many gladly add the extra $10-a-month charge for unlimited text-messaging once they realize those unspoken calls cost a lot.

If it seems the multitude of calling plans seems confusing, it's because it is. Check out this entertaining read in Slate by Financial Times writer Tim Harford about a dizzying array of phone plans.

To help avoid a hefty cell phone bill, here are a few quick tips:

• Talk to your children about what the phone is for. Limiting it to emergencies is tough to do for teenagers whose phones have become extensions of themselves and lifelines to their social lives. But establish limits of use, and if you don't think those limits will be followed, consider pre-paid phone plans. For more info, check out this Motley Fool article.

• Even if you're sure your son or daughter would never overdo it, don't forget you'll be paying for all the text messages friends send them. At ten cents a pop, that adds up.

• Ask questions when talking with phone carriers about the various plans offered. Ask specifically about text-messaging, photos, and game downloads. The best-priced plan may not match the way your family truly uses phones. You may decide to change your family's habits to stay within a better-priced plan, or to opt for another plan. Either way, don't guess and hold your breath awaiting that first bill.