If you’re looking to easily save a bunch of money on your phone bill, I have a plan that might work for you. It involves utilizing a pay-as-you-go phone, your internet connection, and Google Voice. First, request an invite to Google Voice. Once you have access to the program, add a Google number. This number will allow you to send and receive texts for free when you’re on the internet. You can also receive voicemail and record your own greetings.

Next, purchase a pay-as-you-go cell phone and some minutes. Net 10 is a good deal because it charges 10 cents a minute and 5 cents a text without any hidden fees. For $30, you’ll get 300 minutes and two months of service. Of course, you can use other services as well. You can then sign up your cell phone to forward voicemail and texts directly to your GV account. As long as you have access to the internet, you’ll never pay to check your texts and voicemail because they’ll be immediately forwarded to your GV account. For example, if a friend texts you, your phone will ring. You’ll check it and see that you received a text. Without reading the text, you’ll walk over to your computer, read the text in your GV inbox, and respond to it for free.

If you don’t actually talk on your phone much, like me, you can easily spend less than $10 or $15 a month for your phone bill. The only time you’ll use up your minutes is if you make a call or don’t text through GV, which is probably when you’re out at a Broke Hipster event anyways.