We all love the convenience of cell phones, but we may not love the price of keeping up with a monthly contract. What are the cheapest cell phone plans available?

In order to answer that question, you must know if you are looking for a contract or if you are looking for a 'pay as you go solution.' There can be benefits to contracts such as roll over minutes. Roll over minutes allow you to keep any minutes you did not use the month before. You may or may not need a feature like this. Pay as you go phones have limitations, but you are not paying extra for features you don't use.

For example: if you do not make phone calls at night, you don't need the free minutes that you are entitled to during that time.

Additionally, the use of mobile web applications, or 'apps' as they're referred to, is becoming more and more common place. Some 'pay as you go' providers have data packages attached to their plans, but few are unlimited. Contract cell phones usually offer unlimited data transfer and allow you to connect your laptop to the Internet through the phone. That technology is known as tethering.

Another aspect of finding the cheapest cell phone plans you may want to consider is whether or not you can get a phone through a family member. Most major cell phone providers offer a family plan that gives you reduced pricing on second and third phone lines. Sometimes, the monthly prices are as little as $10 or so. With those plans, you have to share the primary phones minutes.

Family plans are good deals for people who need to have a cell phone, but who are unable or unwilling to sign a contract themselves.

Truly, the cheapest cell phone plan is the one that fits your needs and lifestyle. If you are not going to use more than a couple hundred minutes a month, then you don't need a plan for unlimited minutes. You would only be paying for a lot of service you don't use. Not all cell phone plans have to come from a major company like AT&T or Verizon either. New carriers are being introduced regularly. Two other factors in cell phone pricing is location and whether or not this is your first cell phone. You may receive special pricing depending on those two characteristics as well.

All of these factors come into play when shopping for the cheapest cell phone deals, so be prepared.