Consider a prepaid plan: Think of this advice as a subset of "Shop for better rates." If you're using fewer than 200 minutes a month, a prepaid plan is probably your best option.

Watch who you call: 800 numbers aren't toll-free when called from a cell phone--unless you do so on a weekend. And international calls, even to Canada, are outrageously expensive. On the other hand, calls to other cell phones attached to the same carrier may be unlimited.

Make sure everyone knows the rules: No long, conversational phone calls before 9:00 p.m. on weekdays (or whenever the particular time is with your service). Keep to a minimum, too. (Okay, I admit that we gave up on that one.)

Keep the Landline?

Here's a big question: If you have cell phones, do you need a ? A lot of people don't bother with them.