Cheap traveldeals, such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, areall great ways to save money when traveling abroad. However, if you dont want to be negativelysurprised by your trips total expense after returning home, you need to takesteps to ensure that your cell phone bill overseas is not exorbitant.
The following are suggestions on how to minimize the costof operating your cell phone or digital device while overseas according toSmarter Travel:
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Makefree Wi-Fi calls by using apps such as Skype, Facebooks Video Calling, GoogleVoice, and Viber. Unlimited calls arefree so long as you are connected to Wi-Fi.
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Downloada program such as NetStumbler which can find hidden Wi-Fi networks averagePCs often miss. Smartphone users suchlook into apps such as JiWires free Wi-Fi Finder which tracks the exact locationof almost 150,000 free networks worldwide. If nothing else works, remember most Starbucks offer free Wi-Fi whichcan usually be accessed immediate outside the entrance.
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Downloada mobile messaging app such as WhatsApp, HeyWire, Kik, or Viber, that enableyou to text back and forth with people at home and abroad for free. Again a Wi-Fi connection is needed.
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To notbe surprised by the amount of data you are using abroad, reset your cellulardata tracking point on your phone to zero at the beginning of your trip andthen monitor you usage. Unless you turn offthe data roaming option on your cellular phone, which will restrict all data to Wi-Fi, including email, webbrowsing, and push notifications, you will likely be unpleasantly surprised howmuch data you will use while overseas.
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Downloadoffline maps before departing. Select anapp that does not need data to be usable such as TripAdvisors Offline CityGuides, MetrO, and PocketEarth.
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If youdont want to be charged for using data overseas turn off cellular data andturn off data roaming on your phone. Even if you do not intentionally use data while abroad, automaticdownloads that bring emails, program updates, meeting notifications, and other data to your phone will likelyresult in some very expensive month ending data charges.
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If youwill be spending a lot of time in a single country, look into purchasing aprepaid SIM card which will allow you to make calls and use data in the sameway as many locals do, namely through an affordable local provider. You will need to switch out your SIM card andwill have a new local phone number. Thiswill only work if you have an unlocked SGM phone.
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Considerpurchasing a text package when traveling overseas such as AT&Ts GlobalMessaging Packages that start at $10 per month for 50 messages sent from morethan 150 countries.
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