800 Free 411

Frugal Family: Cutting Your Cell Phone Costs

How many among us signed up for a cell phone plan and then never gave it another thought? Depending on your needs and your usage habits, it may be time to reevaluate your plan and your practices. Here are a few tips for saving on cell phone costs:

1. Be realistic. Call your service provider or go into the store to make sure you're on the right plan. If you have a high number of unused minutes or text messages each month, you're paying for more than you need. Downsize your plan and save some cash. Likewise, if you're paying high minute or text overage fees, upgrading your plan to one with more or unlimited minutes or texts may save you money.

2. Use the same plan as the friends and family you talk to most, if possible.  Depending on your provider, you can either talk to everyone in their network for free, or at least select your personal "network" of people to talk to without burning all your minutes.

3. Pay attention, and track your talk time. If you frequently go over on minutes, consider signing up for a free service like www.overmyminutes.com , and you'll receive a text or email to let you know when you're running low.

4. Don't use your cell phone for 1-800 calls if a landline is available. Although there's not technically a charge for 800 numbers, these calls do rack up minutes, especially if you get stuck on hold. 

5. In the same vein, 411 calls are not free on cell phones. They can cost up to $1 each. Use a landline if possible, or search the yellow and white pages online for free phone number listings. If you must call for information from your cell phone, consider dialing 1-800-GOOG-411 or 1-800-Free411. These calls will still subtract from your monthly minutes, but they don't tack on any added fees.

6. Not a cell phone user, but feel like you need to keep one on hand for emergencies? There are two options for that: Buy a cell phone but don't sign up for a contract. Even cell phones without plans can be used to dial 911. Or, if you do think you'll need it on occasion, consider buying a prepaid minutes plan. Much like calling cards, you pay for a certain number of minutes and use them as needed. When you run out, simply purchase more to reload.

7. Finally, the cardinal frugal family rule applies. Ask for a better deal. Your cell phone provider doesn't want to lose customers, and sometimes they might give you a cheaper rate to keep you on board and happy. It never hurts to ask.  (And if it doesn't work, ask to be transferred to the retention department.

Marchex Acquires 800-Free-411 Owner Jingle Networks

Marchex announced this morning that it was buying Jingle Networks , operator of free directory assistance service 800-Free-411, for $62 million in cash and stock. Founded in 2004, Jingle Networks also has a pay-per-call mobile ad network.

Jingle’s 800-Free-411 competed with GOOG-411, which was closed down last year, and Microsoft’s Bing-411, which is still operating. However Jingle was the leader in the “free directory assistance” segment.

At one point I called free-DA “local-mobile search for the rest of us.” That was before the dramatic growth of smartphones, which have continued to erode traditional DA call volumes.

Marchex has evolved its business over time to focus on calls and has built a call-based ad network that spans traditional media, online and mobile. The company services national clients and small businesses through partners that include Canada’s Yellow Media/Yellow Pages Group, AT&T Interactive and Skype. Marchex also offers call analytics and several other products such as reputation management.

Jingle’s revenues for 2011 are estimated to be $26 million.

Postscript: Here’s a statement from Pete Christothoulou, Marchex COO:

They do own 1-800-Free411, but that is not the reason we acquired them (in fact, this is a declining minority of their total call volume).  There are many reasons for the acquisition, but the core rationale for the acquisition was:  1) mobile voice search is an important product for our call advertising network and we could own that core IP and market leadership position; 2) Jingle has strong mobile partnerships with both carriers and mobile network operators; and 3) Jingle has growing, high-quality call volume in an important digital media channel, mobile.  For these reasons, we wanted to combine their business into our Call Advertising Network and accelerate our strategy and increase our scale and effectiveness.