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The Cost of New Technology: Can You Afford It? Perhaps you've been thinking about purchasing a pager or cellular phone. Or perhaps you would like to subscribe to pay-per-view or get Internet access or maybe buy a fax machine or get caller ID for your home. But have you also considered the cost of purchasing these products or services? Modern technology services offer many advantages to consumers, but consumers should first make sure they can afford them. Do some research. Stop and think about how much each service costs. For instance, surfing the Internet can be loads of fun, but the $20 you pay in access fees can quickly add up to a huge fee annually. Before you decide to sign up for an Internet service, stop and ask yourself if you're going to get your money's worth out of it. The Better Business Bureau, along with the National Foundation for Consumer Credit, offers the following tips for consumers who already have or are interested in purchasing or subscribing to some of these products or services: Shop around for the best prices. Rates and prices vary from one retailer or provider to another. Pick the service plan that best suits your usage patterns. Oftentimes, paging companies will offer a variety of plan options: local vs. nationwide coverage, toll-free paging, number of free pages per month, etc. Cellular companies offer a variety of rate packages based on peak or off-peak usage. Budget carefully. Determine the monthly amount you have available for these types of expenses. If you currently don't have money available in your budget, reconsider the expense or reduce spending on other items to free up the money. Avoid adding to your debt. Many of these services offer to bill directly to your credit card. If you pay off your credit card balance each month, then that's not a problem. However, if you do not, then consider that these expenses may quickly add up to a large balance on your credit card. Use your cellular phone wisely. Keep conversations short and eliminate unnecessary calls. A local one-minute call can cost significantly more on a cellular phone than if you made the call from your home or office telephone or a pay phone. Check for hidden fees. Installation, monthly hardware rental fees and cancellation fees can mount up. Often providers offer an incentive discount for signing up, but the real rate starts a few months later. Know what the total costs will be before you make a financial commitment. Evaluate your services periodically, at least every six months. If your usage patterns have changed, another rate plan might suit you better. The same applies for other technologies.