There are so many cell phone plans today that it's tough to keep track of what plans are good and which plans are not so good. Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint are all vying for your business and won't rest until they've stolen you away from their competition, so there is no reason you shouldn't get the best deal possible. Here are some tips to help you find the best wireless cell phone plans.

1. Be Prepared To Walk Away, And Do It

This one applies to anything you want to negotiate be it cell phone plans, cars, houses, you get the idea. Be prepared to walk away. Even if you like the phone, you think the plan is perfect and you really want it all today, don't buy it, politely tell the sales person you want to think it over and walk out of the store. If the sales person is worth their salt, they will up their offer to get you to sign. If you are too eager to buy, they aren't going to offer you anything.

2. Call Your Current Cell Phone Provider With Competitor's Deals

If you have a cell phone plan provider that you are happy with, but your contract is up, shop around for their competition's best plan and get them to beat or match it. Cell phone companies want to keep you as a customer, and are willing to negotiate but they can't negotiate a good plan with you if you never ask. Most cell phone provider's websites have their top offers plastered all over their front page so researching plans shouldn't take you very long.

When you call your cell phone provider ask for the Customer Retention Department. These are the people you really want to talk to, the low level support staff that you get initially probably doesn't have the authority to negotiate. Don't waste your time talking to someone who probably can't help you. Just like in tip number one, tell them you're willing to walk away to their competitor, even if you aren't!

3. Shop Online Cell Phone Dealers

There are thousands of cell phone websites and most of them offer very deep discounts if you sign up for a contract through them. They can offer bigger discounts than the store in your local shopping mall because they don't have brick and mortar stores to pay for and they don't have sales staff (with salaries and benefits) trying to get you to buy. I have personally used Wirefly to purchase my last PDA cell phone and had a decent buying experience. I've known a few other people who purchased their phones from other online dealers and they've had good experiences as well.

4. Sign One-Year Contracts For Service

Cell phone companies love to lock you in to two (or more) year contracts that keep you locked in to their rates. To get you to sign up they waive the $30 registration fee, but if you negotiate you should be able to get them to waive the sign up fee anyway! If you are on a one-year contract, you become a "free agent" faster and can be choosier with your plans. If you sign up for a longer-term contract, you have no flexibility if a better plan comes along later.

5. Don't Immediately Re-Sign Just Because Your Contract Is Up

When your current cell phone contract expires don't be in a hurry to sign up for a new contract if you don't think the current batch of deals is good. Cell phone companies work in cycles and offer better deals at certain times of the year like Christmas. When your contract expires, go month-to-month until a good deal comes along, or until you are able to negotiate your own great deal. Only the initial contract is required to have service.