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Untold numbers of consumers have exceeded the limits of their cell phone calling or texting plan and had to pay the cost; sometimes to the tune of hundreds of dollars. For those with teenagers, many friends, or an active business, this error can occur with some regularity. In recent months, however, an answer to the problem of these unpredictable bills that can demolish any attempts to stay on a budget has evolved.

All major carriers in the US now offer unlimited calling plans, and some even provide for unlimited texting as well. Among these more flexible and predictable options, are cell phone calling plans that are designed specifically for families. While costs for single users hover around $100, the family version of unlimited calling is near $200, but still offers a significant savings over the per minute fees many heavy users experience under more restrictive plans.

The unlimited calling plans for families offered through the major carriers include nationwide coverage, free long distance, unlimited nights and weekends, and unlimited shared minutes while providing 2 lines when consumers commit to a 2 year contract. AT&T offers the Nation Family Talk Unlimited Plan for $199.99 per month while T-Mobile has Family Time Unlimited for $198.98 per month. Sprint's Simply Everything Family Plan is the lowest of the plans coming in at $194.98 and Verizon provides the Nationwide Family SharePlan Unlimited Minutes for $199.98. For those who make serious use of text messaging, Verizon will add unlimited messaging to the unlimited calling, making the monthly fee for their Nationwide Select Family SharePlan Unlimited Minutes and Messaging $229.98.

Savvy consumers will be able to find free phones, popular multimedia phones at that, when committing to any of the above plans. For families who need more that two phones/lines, most of the major carriers allow users to add additional phones for between $89.99 and $99.99 per month.

None of these options fall into the cheap category; they are a significant expense for many families. However, they are attractive for those who use a great deal of talk time or exceed their plan limits on a somewhat frequent basis. Even if the switch to an unlimited calling plan is cost neutral over the course of a year, the predictability of the monthly expense can make such plans attractive to families on a budget.

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