Opt for the lowest-tiered data plan that your carrier offers, and make sure that you stay within your limits. Visit , a handy site that offers tips on avoiding overage charges, using your current data plan as an example.

Also, find out ; the culprits may be obvious ones like Pandora and Netflix, or sneaky ones like Google Maps or free versions of games like Angry Birds that increase your data usage by .

How much can I save? $15 to $35 a month, or more.

5. Compress, compress: Having trouble reducing your data usage? Check out , called Onavo Extend, which claims to make your data usage up to five times more efficient.

It runs in the background on your phone, compressing your data by routing it through Onavo's servers and stripping out the extras. Yes, that means the company knows what data you're accessing; but that's the price you pay in exposure for the monetary savings you'll see on your cell phone bill.