Some cell phone companies are now offering per-use plans. This sounds like a great idea; instead of subscribing to a 1-year or 2-year cell phone contract, paying a considerable sum every month, and losing your cell phone minutes not used, instead you can only pay for the time you use.

Right?

Before joining a per-use cell phone plan, consider the following:

1. How many minutes are you planning on using a month? If you talk a lot, you might be better served joining a longer-term plan.

2. If you join a long-term plan, you can often get cell phones with advanced features such as picture capability at a low cost or absolutely free.

3. READ THE FINE PRINT ON CELL PHONE PER-USE PLANS! You might be charged a daily fee whether or not you use your phone. You might be charged connection fees for every call. And is long-distance included?

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