11 awesome applications you've never heard of

The average PC user has a dozen or so applications which they completely swear by – and rightfully so. What gets the job done is what matters the most. There is, however, a treasure-trove of pint-sized utilities and fully blown applications just waiting to be discovered. We’ve scoured the Web to provide a list of 11 useful programs which you’ve probably never heard of. All of the programs in this article are either absolutely free of charge or have a free alternative, so don’t hesitate to give them a shot and see what you’ve been missing out on. We hope that by the end of this list, you’ll have discovered at least one application that fills a void you didn't even know existed.
Before delving deep into the realm of app discovery, you may also want to check our previous coverage on the top applications to install after a fresh OS installation.

MaxTo

Set boundaries for your windows

Now that it’s becoming a standard to own 20”+ widescreen monitors and dual displays are increasing in popularity, screen real estate is more plentiful than ever. However, for those of us who itch to keep the property lines of application windows in check, things are a bit more complex.
Using your PC can ultimately feel like a never ending cycle of resizing and dragging windows to fit them appropriately on-screen. That, unfortunately, describes me at any given moment with more than three applications open and I only have a 21.5” LCD sitting on my desk.
MaxTo is a lightweight application that allows to divide your display into sections. Upon maximizing a program within an individual section, the window snaps into your predefined panes. It comes packaged with some generic layouts, all of which you can alter to your liking. Getting started on your own template is ridiculously easy and should only take a few moments to complete.
For Mac OS X users, have a gander at TwoUp, which offers similar features.

Unlocker

Bypass common Windows errors

If you’ve used Windows for any extended period of time, you’ve been slapped in the face with various errors. Some of the most common include those claiming that folders or files cannot be accessed or deleted because they’re being used by another user or program. I’m sure you’re tired of combing through your drive with a magnifying glass trying to isolate the conflict. Unlocker is a small utility which provides a solution to that common headache. You can simply right-click the troublesome file or folder and call upon the aid of Unlocker. When the program opens, it will provide a somewhat detailed list of “lockers.” It offers the ability to end an individual process as well as unlock both a specific target and all found targets.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing Unlocker (v1.8.7) is not yet compatible with 64-bit operating systems, but the developer is working on it. If that’s a bit of a letdown, pick your head up and check out LockHunter instead.

DVD Flick

Transform your video files into playable DVDs

This program succeeds in its attempt to provide simple, yet powerful, DVD creation. DVD Flick converts and burns virtually any video file to a DVD that will work in your home entertainment center’s DVD player. Impressively, it supports over 45 popular file formats, 60-plus video codecs and more than 40 audio codecs. You can easily combine multiple files, add your own menu, subtitles and audio tracks.
The user interface is very straightforward and intuitive, especially for a tool in this category. To get rolling, you can literally just specify a source file, and click “Create DVD.” Among the supported file types are AVI, MPG, MOV, WMV, ASF, FLV, MKV, MP4. Codec support includes MPEG-1/2/4, Windows Media Audio/Video, MP3, OGG Vorbis, H264 and On2 VP5/6. Given its wide-spectrum functionality, I can nearly promise you that you’ll be able to transform nearly any video file into a fully working DVD.

Launchy, ManicTime, Dropbox, PicPick Launchy Windows Start menu on steroids When I first heard about Launchy I thought it was just a third party tool that offered what was basically already provided in the Windows Start menu search. Let me tell you, I was wrong – very wrong. Launchy is everything the Start menu search should be, and more. From the get-go, Launchy runs behind the scenes and is displayed by tapping alt+space (hotkey is customizable). By default the app catalogs your Start menu and quick launch programs, and allows you to include additional directories. It doesn’t stop there. The vanilla installation includes several plug-ins which add another layer of functionality, among them is Weby, which indexes your Firefox and Internet Explorer bookmarks. It also allows you to bind a Web address to a keyword. So for instance, I am able to bring up my Gmail inbox in Firefox by typing “gmail” into Launchy. In truth, I only have to enter “g” and Launchy automatically knows what I’m looking for. There is quite a selection of user submitted plug-ins as well, so you’ll undoubtedly find more substance to this program than can be captured in a few paragraphs. ManicTime See how productive you really are For self-employed procrastinators and deadbeat employees alike, a detailed look of how your day was spent might be the jumpstart you need. ManicTime tracks and records all Web and program activity. The interface is particularly easy to use. Data is gathered and presented in a very clear-cut manner. There is an activity bar which remains green during periods of use and goes red if productivity halts. Above that bar, you are able label a specific timeframe with tags. Below it is a color coordinated bar displaying individual program activity. ManicTime takes note of application window names, so you’re not only able to see that you were using Firefox, but precisely what site you were visiting and so on. Below all the bars are two panes. One displays a look at the individual program start and stop times, and the other displays a summary of total time spent using each application. After testing the program for a few days, I wasn’t at all taken back by number of hours spent unfocused. Instead, I was shocked by the amount of time I’m actually inactive altogether. As it turns out, I spend about as much time away from my PC as I do in front of it. Dropbox Sync data seamlessly across all your PCs The importance of having a PC on the run is made evident by the sheer scale of today’s portable computing market. From smartphones and PDAs to netbooks and notebooks. With multiple sessions logged across various devices, coordinating data between them can be bothersome to say the least. If that sounds like you to any degree, Dropbox might just be what you need. Dropbox is an easy-to-use cross-platform utility which runs silently in the background of your system. The program creates a dedicated folder on your system, which you can interact with in the usual manner. By placing a file within your Dropbox folder, it is automatically synced over the Internet to other designated computers running the software. Data is displayed with a checkmark and arrows to indicate synchronization status. The entire process requires no intervention and is a real breeze. Data within your Dropbox folder is securely stored online and file changes are saved incrementally so you’re able to access previous versions of your data. While Dropbox is free, it’s limited to 2GB of storage, which should be enough for conventional office or personal use. Premium options include 50GB of storage for $9.99 per month ($99 per year) and 100GB for $19.99 per month ($199 per year). PicPick Screenshots with oomph I don’t want to hype this app up to be an all-in-one image editing station which will have you packing Photoshop and GIMP away, because that’s not what it is. PicPick is an advanced screenshot program and as such, its tools are based around that fact. That said, if you don’t use most of the features in full-on graphic design software, PicPick may just meet your basic demands in that realm. Its densely featured screen capture module has support for dual monitors as well as fixed region, freehand, active window or web page captures. The software’s “Whiteboard” tool provides the ability to draw over a window prior to taking a shot. Its image editing functions don’t stray far from what you’d see in Microsoft Paint, but they’re definitely suitable to the program. PicPick doesn’t require installation and is fully portable.  Total Commander, NetMeter, PDFCreator, Xinorbis Total Commander Top-notch Windows Explorer alternative Debuting as Windows Commander in 1993, it formally changed its name to Total Commander in 2002. The software started off as and still is in our opinion the best alternative file manager. Its feature-set quite literally puts Windows Explorer to shame and the only minus is that it costs $38 after the first 30 days of use. Total Commander is so brimming with functions that I really can’t do it any justice in this brief mention. It offers multiple language support, search, file comparison, directory synchronization, a split panel view with bitmap display, ZIP, ARJ, LZH, RAR, UC2, TAR, GZ, CAB, ACE archive handling plus plug-ins and a built-in FTP client with FXP and HTTP proxy support. The various available plug-ins add to its richness, with abilities such as being able to access EXT2, EXT3 and Reiser partitions. There are some cheaper and outright free alternatives, though none are truly on par with Total Commander in full comparison. XYplorer and Xplorer2 are $30, while Xplorer2 Lite and FreeCommander will cost you nothing. NetMeter Keep an eye on your bandwidth ISP conglomerates are constantly trying to cap your monthly bandwidth consumption – and so many already do. If you’re stuck with such a service, the least you can do is keep an eye on your usage to avoid costly overages. NetMeter is a network monitoring software that displays transfer activity in real-time. In addition to the live graphic data, it is capable of logging network activity extensively. Recorded data can be viewed in daily, weekly, and monthly interval totals. It allows you to specify which network device you’d like to be monitored, and can provide readouts in KB/s, Kb/s, KiB/s and Kib/s. You can also configure a traffic volume alert to warn you when your usage is looking grim. The graph's colors are fully customizable and the program looks great for as compact as it is (using 3.2K memory on Windows 7). NetMeter also makes it easy to catch piggybackers and suspicious software red handed. It is often compared to and preferred over the paid software DU Meter. Some other free traffic monitors are NetWorx, BitMeter, iTraffic Monitor and FreeMeter. PDFCreator Create and encrypt PDFs from almost anywhere Not to be confused with other commercial applications that are similarly named, this program is GPL-licensed free software. PDFCreator is geared toward converting documents into the PDF format. Similar to CutePDF and countless other utilities that sometimes will cost you money, PDFCreator allows you to "print" documents to PDF from nearly any application, but its abilities stretch a bit further. PDFCreator supports BMP, EPS, JPG, PCX, PNG, PS and TIFF file types. It also supports 40-bit and 128-bit encryption for PDFs as well as the designation of two password tiers – user and owner. The first permits access to read the file while the latter is necessary to change permissions and passwords. You’re able to send generated files via email, merge multiple files into a single PDF and PDFCreator will run on Terminal Severs. As a friendly heads up, the latest version of PDFCreator (0.9.8) is packaged with an annoying toolbar that can be opted-out of during installation. Xinorbis What’s eating your storage space? Ever stop and wonder just where the hell all your disk space has gone? A 300GB hard drive just isn’t what it used to be. There are quite a few utilities which can provide a glimpse at what’s eating your storage. That said, not many can match Xinorbis’ portability and rich feature-set. When you first run the application, you’ll be given the opportunity to scan a drive. To test the software out, I chose to scan a 750GB storage drive which contains a healthy mixture of music, videos, pictures, programs and documents. The summary provided a useful peek at what was occupying my drive, but the program’s true prowess was unleashed when I accessed the more detailed synopses. The summary report presents information by applying a label to the file types found occupying the drive (video files are shown as “Movie” etc). While you’re able to dissect those preset labels and determine exactly what’s what, I found it easier to just switch over to the “Folders” view. This shows how much space your actual folders are occupying, complete with a graph and the number of files within the folders. In addition to the various methods of looking at your data, reports can be compiled, saved and printed in HTML, XML, CSV and TXT formats.

Computer Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know

Many hardcore computer users might think themselves above learning new tricks, but there's always new things to learn that will help improve your skills. Our bet: you will find at least one useful thing here that you didn't know before.
Inspired and with the help of this AskReddit discussion, we’ve compiled some of the most handy computer tricks you might not be taking advantage of. Our ultimate goal is to help you become more productive by shaving valuable seconds off your workflow. Of course, you can always pass along these tips to your not-so-savvy friends and family members to help them become better PC users as well.

General Tricks

Windows hidden "god mode" folder Windows offers a centralized Control Panel for all of the OS settings, which makes it easy for users to tweak everything from desktop background to setting up a VPN. To enter this mode, create a new folder with this exact name (copy and paste it): God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. The folder icon will change to a Control Panel-style icon, and you will be able to jump in and change all kinds of settings. Note: Don't try this on Windows Vista 64-bit as it's known to cause a reboot loop.

Use Problem Steps Recorder This handy tool automatically records any mouse clicks and takes screenshots for you. If you need tech assistance with your computer, go to Run by typing Windows + R, and then type "psr." Use the tool and by the time you are finished, you can send this information, neatly compiled automatically, to the person helping you with the issue. It will make the process of finding the problem much easier for them, which means you will be able to get your system up and running faster.
Find/Delete large files wasting space A handy tool called WinDirStat (Windows Directory Statistics) can be used to easily find which files and folders are taking up the most space on your drive. From there, you can delete them and open up a ton of storage space.

Reduce the number of programs running at startup If your PC is taking too long to boot, it’s probably because you have far too many programs running at startup. Reducing this is easy, it will make your PC launch noticeably faster and lighter upon first load. To change the items running at startup, go to Run using the hotkey Windows key + R, and type "msconfig." A small window will appear (see the screenshot below), select the Startup tab. From here you will be able to turn off many startup programs, which can shave several seconds (or minutes) off your boot time. (Note Windows 8 has moved this functionality to the Task Manager). Try to make sure you research what you are turning off as some processes might be needed by third party programs or drivers you have installed.

Cloud backup important files If you’re working on a critical paper for school, work, or any other major project, make sure you are backing up the file not just locally. You can use services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or any of the other popular cloud storage solution which will do the legwork for you on the background. Of course, you can also throw the files on a thumb drive or external HDD just to be safe but backing up to the cloud can be done seamlessly which is twice the advantage.

Typing Tricks

Delete an entire word Instead of deleting a single letter, pressing CTRL + BKSP will delete the entire word behind the cursor. This makes deleting text quicker if you screw up a whole word.
Move Cursor to beginning of the next or previous word Moving the cursor around manually while typing is a great way to make your work take longer than it needs to. To speed of the process, move the cursor around with keyboard shortcuts. To move it to the beginning of the previous word, use CTRL + Left Arrow. To move it to the beginning of the next word, use CTRL + Right Arrow. In OS X you can accomplish the same using the Option key.
Making sub and superscript text If you need to make sub or superscript text (think exponents for superscript), press CTRL + = for subscript and CTRL + SHIFT + = for superscript.
Paste plain text of what was copied When you copy text from any source, programs will usually copy any formatting that comes with it. To paste this as plain text, press CTRL + Shift + V instead of the standard CTRL + V, and the system will paste unformatted text.
Note that many programs follow this parameter (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) but not all, particularly Microsoft programs like Word or Outlook. For those there's a few alternatives that go beyond copying and pasting in Notepad: 1) CTRL + ALT + V will show a 'paste special' dialog box. 2) CTRL + Spacebar will remove formatting in already pasted text. 3) Download Puretext and choose a hotkey to always paste plain text with it.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Copy only active window to clipboard Normally, the Print Screen key copies the entire display (or two displays if you got them), ALT + Print Screen only copies the currently active window to the clipboard. Whether taking a screenshot to diagnose a problem, or just because you want to show something to a friend, this will come in handy.
Fix those little mistakes Did you know you can undo almost any action? CTRL + Z is the ultimate hot key, and for sure you knew about it already, however note that undo doesn’t just apply to typing. If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit CTRL + Z to bring it right back to where it was. In Chrome and Firefox you can also undo closing a tab using CTRL + SHIFT + T.
Cycle through open windows Pressing ALT+TAB allows you to cycle through currently open windows. This makes switching back and forth between running processes quick and painless. If you want a more stylish method of cycling through open programs, Windows + TAB will do the job for you.
Interrupt all processes CTRL + ALT + Delete is one of the most common PC shortcuts, and one almost everyone is familiar with. The important thing to note is that it interrupts all processes, including the one that is bogging down your system, which can mean the difference between needing to restart or not.

Close the current program Typing ALT + F4 will close the program that is running. This is useful as it saves you time mousing over the "X" and clicking. People will often use this as a joke, telling you to press ALT + F4 to fix a problem. Don’t fall for it unless you want to close what you are doing.
Minimize all windows Sometimes you have a bunch of stuff running, and you want it all to go away so you can get to the desktop. Simply pressing Windows + D will minimize everything you have up, which will save you some time pressing the minimize button for each window. It should be noted that Windows + M offers similar functionality, but there is no undoing, so Windows + D is the more favorable approach.
Open the task manager directly If you want to bypass the interrupt that happens when pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL and jump right to the task manager, typing CTRL + Shift + ESC launches it directly.
Close the current window/tab Stick of moving all the way to that X button? Press CTRL + W and the current window will close. (Don’t do it now, or you will miss the rest of the tricks!)
Bring up the system information window This is so much quicker than digging this out the traditional way... Just press Windows + Pause/Break and the System Information panel will be ready to go. This might be the only use for the Pause/Break key you will ever find, so enjoy it!

Better multiple monitor control There are several useful keyboard shortcuts for controlling open windows on multiple monitors. Pressing the Windows Key + Arrow Keys will cause a window to quickly snap to each side of either monitor. Alternatively, hitting Shift + Windows Key + Arrows will cause the window to jump to the other monitor. Lastly, pressing Windows + P will allow you to quickly set up a second display or projector.

Web Browsing Tricks

Automatically add www. and .com to a URL You can shave off a couple of seconds typing in a URL by simply click CTRL + Enter after you type the name of the site. Need .net instead of .com, press CTRL + Shift + Enter instead.

Jump to address bar There are a number of ways to jump right to the address bar from anywhere in browser. Pressing CTRL + L, F6, and ALT + D all accomplish this goal.
Bring back a closed tab We covered this already, but it's super useful. Accidentally closed a tab? Simply press CTRL + Shift + T to reopen the most recently closed tab and get back to what you were doing.
Use private browsing The uses for not having cookies and history saved are obvious for certain activities, you know, like shopping for gifts on a shared computer (of course!). Pressing CTRL + Shift + N will launch a new private in Chrome, CTRL + Shift + P will do it in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Cycle through open tabs Pressing CTRL + TAB while in a browser will flip between each one. This can be much faster than moving the mouse and clicking on a tab. CTRL + NUM (1, 2, 3, 4, n..) will also take you to certain tab in that numeric order.

File Management Tricks

Rename a file quickly Right-clicking and selecting rename is not very efficient. Instead, simply press F2 while a file is selected to change its name. To alter the name of another file, type TAB without deselecting the current file.
Rename files sequentially in Windows You actually don’t need to download any programs to perform a batch file rename in Windows. Instead, you can select all the files you want to change, right-click the first one in the list, select rename (or use F2), and type in the name. This will automatically change all the other files with the same root name with a suffix: (1), (2), and so on.

Select multiple files using the keyboard To select a bunch of files using your keyboard, you can press Shift + down arrow to select a single file or Shift + Page Down to select a large group of files at one time.

Security Tips

Run programs on an infected PC Often times, malware will prevent a computer from running certain programs. Changing the name of the .exe file can often override this. If that doesn’t work, changing the extension to .com is another useful alternative, and the program will still be able to run in spite of the extension change.
Read installers Even major programs can install toolbars and other unwanted pieces of software during installation. Take a few seconds to read each step to make sure you are not agreeing to install something other than the program you were actually seeking. Far too often people just push next over and over, and end up with a browser covered in various search bars that just aren't needed. In the worst of scenarios, these can have nefarious intentions.
Lock your computer if you get up Sick of your "friends" going onto your computer at work or home and posting things on your Facebook/Twitter page on your behalf? It’s certainly an annoyance, but an easy one to prevent. Windows + L will lock your system right away, requiring a password (if you've set one) to log in again.

Program-Specific Tricks

Photoshop: Drag the marquee without losing the ability to size it The marquee tool is, at its most basic level, designed for selecting a part of an image. It’s used constantly in Photoshop, and there is a handy trick many users miss. While dragging it around, you can press space, which will allow you to size it while moving it. This saves time by letting your perform two key functions at the same time.
Steam: Move games to another drive or partition By default, Steam installs all games to the same HDD or partition, but what happens if that fills up? The solution: download Steamtool Library Manager. It makes it easy to move games to another hard drive without messing with the functionality of Steam.

VLC: Fix unsynced audio and subtitles In the popular media player VLC, if your audio loses sync with the video or subtitles, there is an easy way to fix this. Simply pressing J or K will move the audio forward or backwards. Similarly, to sync the subtitles you can press H or G.

The combination of using these tips and tricks on a daily basis will most certainly make your computer life much more enjoyable, or at least more practical. And so, did you learn a thing or two that you didn't know before?

How to Backup your Gmail Account

This past weekend over 150,000 Internet users woke up to find their Gmail inboxes, contacts and chat conversations gone. The issue, according to Google, was caused by a storage software update that introduced an unexpected bug. But while the company has since begun restoring data from tape backups and will likely offer some form of compensation where applicable, the incident served as a reminder that no matter how reliable some cloud-based services are, they are certainly not infallible, and thus it might be prudent to have your own backup ready just in case things go amiss. There are numerous ways to backup your Gmail data and deciding which way to go will largely depend on the level of effort you want to put into it. You could simply setup Gmail to forward all your mails to another email account and call it a day, for instance. But there are also a handful of other options that offer a bit more flexibility and convenience.
Below, we've listed a few of them, so you can choose whichever best suits your needs.
Use a standalone backup program
Gmail Backup is a simple and easy-to-setup free alternative that does exactly what its name says. Upon installation, just type in your credentials and it will begin downloading all your e-mails, backing them up securely, and allowing you to restore them to your account should the unthinkable happen. The program is free and Windows-only. Their website seems to be down due to the increased load in the past few days, but you can download Gmail Backup here from our local mirror.
If you're willing to shell out $20, Gmail Keeper will back up Gmail messages or messages from a Google Apps Mail account as a .zip file to a local disk. It supports multiple accounts and even stores labels associated with each message, while those concerned about privacy can encrypt their mail and password protect it.
Third-party Web service
Backupify is a handy tool that automatically performs scheduled backups for a number of popular online services including Google Apps, Facebook, Twitter and others. You won't have to put too much effort into the whole backup process -- just supply the login credentials of the sites you want backed up and Backupify takes care of the rest. Be aware though that you're essentially moving your info from one cloud to another.
The site offers both free and paid accounts with varying limitations, but given the recent Gmail blunder, Backupify is taking the opportunity to entice new users with a coupon code "savegmail" for a year of free backups with one of their premium plans, so there's really no reason for not giving it a shot.
Use a desktop mail client
This is probably the most common approach and should take just a few minutes to set up. Gmail offers access to all your mail through desktop clients such as Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and many others. The latter is free and available on all major operating systems, so if you're doing this for the first time and especially if you're only planning to use it for backups rather than as your primary client, then Thunderbird might be the way to go.
For those unfamiliar with the setup process: After signing into Gmail, click the "gear" in the upper-right corner, choose Mail settings, then load the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab. Enable POP for all mail and set Gmail to keep its copy.
You'll then need to setup your desktop mail client to retrieve your emails. Google offers step-by-step instructions for a number of clients and Thunderbird's automatic configuration is usually spot on getting your settings right with just your username and password -- but make sure to use POP instead of IMAP for one-way message transfers.
Messages will be downloaded automatically each time you launch Thunderbird and stored into your profile folder -- which you can back up standalone as well for some added security. It's pretty straightforward, but for those who prefer to use the web-based Gmail interface, remembering to run Thunderbird or whatever desktop email client every once in a while might be more work than they're willing to deal with.

How to Reduce Your Monthly Wireless Bill: 12 Useful Tips

Wireless providers thrive on peddling a myriad of extra features and services on top of your basic service plan. Early nights and weekends, roadside assistance, mobile TV, hotspots and GPS are all fair game and can add anywhere between a couple of bucks to $10 or more to your wireless bill each month, per service.
What’s even more concerning is that many people don’t even look at their monthly bill. Checking your bill and eliminating some of these unnecessary perks can go a long way to putting some extra dough back in your pocket each month. Here are 12 ideas to help cutting back on your wireless cell and data plan:

1

Use Wi-Fi whenever possible.

A most obvious tip yet equally rewarding as well... using Wi-Fi whenever possible will help cut down on data usage, especially when streaming music or video to your smartphone. I realize that some may disable Wi-Fi when not in use due to extra battery drain but forgetting to turn it back on could be a financial mistake if you don’t have an increasingly rare unlimited data plan. Just use caution when submitting sensitive information over public hotspots and you should be fine.

2

Negotiate a lower rate.

Despite what you’ve probably been taught, everything is negotiable. Your mileage here will vary but you’ll never know unless you ask. This usually works best in person at your local authorized retailer, but deals can be arranged over the phone as well. One way to segue into a negotiation is threatening to take your business elsewhere. I had one wireless carrier offer me a high-end phone free of charge if I agreed to sign another contract. Normally I would have had to pay $200 for said phone but I got it free simply by mentioning I was interested in another carrier.

3

Ask for corporate / organization / educational discounts.

Thousands of companies, organizations and educational institutions have partnerships in place with wireless carriers to offer discounts to employees, members and students. The problem is that most people don’t know about these as wireless providers don’t exactly advertise them front and center.

Most simply require you to enter your organizational or school e-mail address to see if you quality. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon all have discount pages for your convenience. I’ve personally seen discounts range from 10 percent to as much as 25 percent.

4

Evaluate wireless data usage.

True unlimited data is a rare commodity these days. As smartphones became more widespread, carriers quickly realized they could make more on average by charging less for fixed data packages and banking on the notion that at least some would go over their data allotment and have to purchase additional data at a much higher rate each month.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those of us that are grandfathered into comparatively expensive unlimited data plans that don’t need to be. I was a perfect example of this not too long ago. After analyzing my data usage over the past two years, I realized I never once exceeded 2GB on any given month. For me, it made more sense financially to drop the expensive unlimited plan in exchange for a cheaper 2GB plan.

5

Buy off-contract / used phones.

If you aren’t obsessed with owning the latest and greatest phone, you can save yourself a lot of money by purchasing an off-contract phone or even better, a used handset from eBay or Craigslist. While most Apple products tend to hold their value over time, you can find some fantastic deals on an array of Android handsets if you spend a little time digging around.

But before you go shelling out money on a deal that seems too good to be true, there are a few things to be aware of. It’s entirely possible that a second-hand phone could have a bad ESN / MEID / IMEI, which would render it useless. This can happen for any number of reasons such as if the device was reported lost or stolen, if it’s still active on the original owner’s account, or if money is owned on the account to which the device is tied to.

Additionally, if your wireless provider doesn’t provide an off-contract discount, there’s no reason to take advantage of off-contract phones. AT&T, for example, rolls their carrier subsidy into the price of service each month. Even after you’ve “paid” for your smartphone, you’re still being charged that same hidden fee each month.

6

Avoid early upgrade plans.

Early upgrade plans for AT&T, T-mobile and Verizon may seem like a great idea at first glance – get a new phone every six months or one year – but once you do the math, they are little more than a rip-off phone rental service. If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage you to read over my previous analysis of these programs and save yourself a ton of money over the long haul.

7

Consider alternative carriers / pre-paid.

The big four are responsible for providing the majority of wireless service in the US but there are alternatives. Regional carriers like C Spire and U.S. Cellular are great places to start your search if they provide service in your area. Optionally, pre-paid carriers like Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS and Aio Wireless all piggyback off the major providers’ networks (usually Sprint). It’s not uncommon to find a great deal here but be sure to read the fine print as some carriers don’t offer high-speed 4G LTE just yet.

8

Consider a family plan if you are paying for multiple lines.

If you are paying for more than one line of service, a family plan is certainly worth looking into. Most plans allow you to add an additional line for as low as $9.99 each and the more lines you add, the more you save overall. The savings sure beat paying for lines individually but take note of what each carrier offers. While some provide unlimited packages, others rely on a shared pool of minutes or data which could present a problem if you have a talkaholic or data hog in the family.

9

Use the same carrier as friends and family.

If a family plan isn’t in the cards, perhaps the next best thing is to sign up with a carrier that the majority of your friends and family use. Most carriers offer free in-network calling and texting to other subscribers on their network. If the majority of the people you keep in touch with all use a certain carrier, you could save some by joining them and opting for a smaller bundle of voice minutes or text messages.

10

Bundle services to save money.

Just as insurance companies offer multi-policy discounts, telecoms will throw a discount or two your way if you bundle multiple services under one account. It seems like every time I have to call Comcast, they offer me a bundle that includes Internet, voice and television at a discounted rate. The same type of deals can be had with AT&T, Verizon and probably several others I can’t think of at this time. As mentioned earlier, it never hurts to ask, especially if you have multiple services through different providers.

11

Use free texting apps.

Free texting apps like WhatsApp, TextMe, Viber, Nimbuzz and GroupMe have exploded in popularity over the past few years. Much like iMessage and BlackBerry Messenger, these services all use data to circumvent traditional text messaging delivery methods. This simply means messages sent using these programs count against your data plan (or nothing at all if on Wi-Fi) instead of a text messaging plan. If your friends and family are on the same programs you use, you could ditch your text messaging plan and save anywhere between $5 and $30 per month.

12

Utilize data compression apps.

Another method to extend the life of your capped data plan is to try a data compression app. One such example is the Onavo Extend app for Android, iPhone and iPad. Onavo Extend has garnered excellent reviews on both platforms though be aware that like Amazon's solution to speed up the Kindle browser and Opera, it works by directing all traffic through their servers to compress data. The app provides a breakdown of your data usage so you can see which apps are consuming the most and make more informed usage choices. Best of all, the app is free of charge.