With all the decisions to make when buying a cell phone, it can get pretty confusing at times. After all, you have to decide on which cell network to join, which one of their service plans to choose, which phone to buy, and more. But here is a step-by-step guide to how you can buy a cell phone the smart way and save money too.

1. The very first step in buying a cell phone is to decide on which carrier network you plan to join. This is necessary because specific phones that work with one carrier will not work with another one, so the first place to start is with the carrier and not the phone.

2. To decide on which carrier network will work best for your needs, you need to do some research in advance. The first place to go for information is the internet as there are web sites available that help rate the individual cell phone networks by service and performance. But another way to get good information on which cell phone carrier works best in your area is to simply ask your family and friends about their experiences with cell phone networks. Usually, you can get plenty of valuable information very quickly with this method.

3. Of course, you also want to check on the coverage area for each cell phone carrier to be sure that they offer complete service in your local calling area.

4. When you have selected the cell phone carrier that you feel will be the best choice, it's time to select your plan. Remember too that all cell phone service providers will allow you to easily upgrade to more minutes on a plan, but very few of them will allow you to downgrade. So when choosing your plan, try to estimate the number of minutes that you will need overall through the month and then choose a plan that fits that need as closely as possible. Most cell phone users don't come anywhere close to using all of their minutes in a month, so you can save money on your plan by simply buying the minutes that you need and then upgrading later if you have to.

5. Although most cell phone companies will try to sell you a lot of extra features with your cell phone plan when you first start out, you can usually save a lot of money by just starting with a basic plan first and then adding extra services later on if you decide you need them.

6. You can also save money on cell phone plans if you only plan on using the cell phone for local calls. Most cell phone service providers have plans that allow you to just call locally without adding in long-distance calls. These local service plans often cost much less than the full service plans that they usually promote more heavily. So only buy the cell phone service that you really know that you will need.

If you follow these simple suggestions on how to select a cell phone service provider, a cell phone plan, and the cell phone itself, you should be able to find exactly what you need and save money when you do.