Cut your cell phone bill in half by rethinking your provider

One of the bigger bills you pay each month might just be your cell phone bill. But, how would you like to cut that bill in half?

Reassessing your cell phone service provider and making the switch can help you save 50 percent or more. But, it's something many consumers won't do, says University of Houston Bauer College of Business professor Partha Krishnamurthy.

"What we call in research as a 'script' is something you do automatically without thinking about it," Krishnamurthy says.

Those habits can be costing you hundreds of dollars. It's why my bill, like many others, was out of control.

Fortunately, you have options.

According to Consumer Reports, smaller cell phone providers such as Consumer Cellular, Cricket, Page Plus Cellular, Republic Wireless and Ting Wireless all had exceptional scores for value which led to overall customer satisfaction.

Right now, I'm paying $180 a month for two phone lines, including my purchased iPhone and my financed iPhone, plus 6 gigs of shared data.

I contacted Consumer Cellular to find out how much it would cost to make the switch. You pick a plan based on how much you talk, text and how much data you need.

Remember my $180 monthly plan with AT&T? Well after a 15-minute phone call with Consumer Cellular, my plan is now $60 for two phones, 750 minutes, unlimited texts and four gigs of shared data, plus no contract.

The bottom line, over the course of the next year, I would have paid $2,160 at AT&T. Now, with Consumer Cellular, I'm paying $840 a year. My total savings: $1,320.

Before you make a switch, make sure you contact your current provider to see if they might slap you with any cancellation fees. It's definitely worth taking a look.