Reduce your phone bills with
savvy high-tech strategies—
no matter where you are
BY DAvID STROM
if you’re heading out of town, out
of state or overseas for business or pleasure, tak-
ing your cell phone with you is a convenient
way to keep in touch, but it could cost you dear-
ly. You can use international roaming to make
and receive calls and send text messages when
you’re abroad, but it’s very expensive. You’ll
be charged high rates for calls you make to the
States, and for calls you receive from your in-
country location.
Before you get on a plane, consider these
cost-cutting tips for domestic or international
travel:
• Buy a phone calling card when you arrive
at your destination. (You’ll find them at conve-
nience stores, the airport and even the post of-
fice.) Use it for placing calls from pay phones or
your hotel. Some calling cards, however, may
not work with some foreign pay phones.
• If you’re a T-Mobile® or AT&T (formerly
Cingular) customer, buy an in-country SIM card
for your existing phone. When in Rome, do as
the Romans do. Switch out your SIM card –the
little chip that fits inside your phone and carries
your account information—for a prepaid local
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