A list of top 10 tips on how to save on your cell phone plan:

• Don't overbuy minutes (save $240)
  Review your bills for the last six months with an eye on the billable daytime minutes. You might have bought a plan that included many more daytime minutes than you need.
  
  
• Don't buy unneeded services (save $120 to $360)
  Voice service is now a cheap commodity, so carriers are pushing smarter, sexier phones and services to wring more dollars out of consumers. (To view basic-voice-plans go to “cheapest cell phone plans” guide )
  
  
• Buy enough of what you use (save $120 to $240)
  At 20 to 25 cents for à la carte messaging, buy a bundle if you send a lot of text, picture, or video messages each month.
  
  
• Check for employee discounts (save $96 to $432)
  AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon offer discounts to the employees of companies that use their service. To see whether you qualify, do a Google search for the carrier's name and the words “employee discount.”
  
  
• Make temporary adjustments (save $140 to $295 in one month)
  Avoid hefty overage charges of up to 45 cents per minute by temporarily switching to a plan with more minutes if travel or a family crisis will cause a spike in usage.
  
  
• Have your usage analyzed (save $300)
  Upload an electronic version of your monthly bill to www.billshrink.com for an analysis. The company will then check available wireless plans and recommend those it says are probably cheapest for your needs.
  
  
• Get local service (save $240)
  If you mostly use your cell phone locally, consider Metro PCS, which offers plans in 11 areas, including Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, and numerous cities in California and Florida.
  
  
• Choose the best carrier (save $50 to $200 per phone)
  Avoid huge early-termination fees and unsatisfactory service by first checking our cell-service Ratings. Then be sure to test the phone and service during the carrier's 15- to 30-day trial period. If you're not happy with the carrier, you can quit and port your number elsewhere without an early-termination penalty.
  
  
• Say no to phone insurance (save $120 to $168 over 2 years)
  If you upgrade your phone, save the old one as a backup replacement in case you lose or damage the new one. You can eventually get another new phone at little or no up-front cost when your contract comes up for renewal.
  
  
• Go prepaid (save $100 to $1,080)
  Prepaid is just like a traditional monthly cell-phone plan except that you only buy what you need, you pay in advance, and there's no contract.