Shopping for cell phones is getting to be a harder and harder task. There are hundreds of phones to choose from and then there are dozens of service providers to research. It involves planning ahead so you can determine whether or not you want to be on a monthly or prepaid cell phone plan. If that doesn’t sound complicated enough, you then have to sort through which plan goes with which phone that goes with which service provider.

If you are brand new to the cell phone market�though let’s fact it, that isn’t likely this day and age�then the prepaid cell phone plan may be the best way to dive in. These plans come with no long term commitments and, for the most part, you pay only for what you actually use. This route involves a lot less paper work as there aren’t credit checks to go through. In the world of telephones, it’s the closest thing to a quick over the counter transaction there is.

Without a prepaid cell phone plan there are typically contracts to sign. By doing this you are pretty much forced to look into the future and determine how much you are going to be using that phone. Is it just for emergencies? Will you need more time on weekends? What kind of features would you like to add on to it? When shopping for this prepaid alternative you’ll be wanting to predict things like long distance usage and the time of day your calls will be made. If you commit to more then you need then you’re usually out of luck as these plans can only be altered to add services, not take away. Is the prepaid cell phone plan looking good already?

For someone who is actually going to use the phone for hours every week then weeding through all that contract information is still the best bet. But if you’re in a hurry or just want to feel things out then there is rarely anything to lose by getting a prepaid cell phone plan first. Try it out for a couple of months and determine just how much you are going to use it. Do you receive more calls then you make? Do you find yourself using it in the evenings? Do you not touch it at all during the day time?

Another good reason for turning to a prepaid cell phone plan is if you are getting it for a family member who just needs security. Grandma or Grandpa may be amongst those avoiding cell phone technology at all costs but you may feel better knowing they have a way to call for help when in trouble. This is just as important for children. In these cases the phone will be sitting in a glove compartment or schoolbag for most of its life so paying a monthly contract fee is just wasteful.

Be wary though. You still need to determine whether or not the service provider offers enough range for your needs. Then how much does each minute actually cost? If it’s nothing but an emergency phone then what is the monthly minimum? Though it’s not a lot, even prepaid cell phone plan deduct a certain amount each month if you use it or not.

Add up what’s best for you and then dial away.

Christopher M. Luck has an extensive background in working exclusively with prepaid cell phone plans and is now offering his free professional cell phone advice to the public. If you are at all interested in Christopher's personal technology advice, tips, or secrets, you can visit his technology blog

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