Ringtones, text alerts and multimedia messaging are becoming more and more popular. But before you know it, the costs can start adding up and you'll end up with a mobile phone bill that could push you into debt. Here are 5 key saving tips to consider in order to avoid this.

1. Choosing the right tariff

Whether you're buying your first phone or looking to save money on your bills, it's important to choose the right tariff for your lifestyle. Mobile operators have a wide range of talk plans that offer different amounts of free talk time, text messages and internet use every month. To choose the best deal for you, think about:

• when you'll spend the most time on your phone
• what networks your friends use
• how many texts you'll be sending a month
• how often you think you'll be accessing the internet through your phone

2. Dangers of downloading to mobile phones

Downloading a ringtone is a very popular way of personalising your phone and making it more individual, but a simple download is often not the only thing you'll be charged for. In some cases, when ordering a tone, you've often agreed to join a mobile club which means you might get text messages offering you more content for your mobile. What many people don't realise is that you might be charged a premium rate for every message. If you do want to order a tone from a club, it's important you know how much you'll be charged for everything you receive and how you can unsubscribe.

3. Using your multimedia services

The majority of phones now allow you to access the internet from your handset. Although you may think that doing this is just another phone call, it's not. Costs vary according to your price plan, but if your contract doesn't mention it, you may be charged by the amount of information you send and receive every time you access the web on your phone. Even looking at a few pages can lead to a charge that you may not have been expecting.

4. Text alerts

Most mobile phone operators offer to send you the latest news headlines or football results as a text alert direct to your phone.
Although this is a service from your provider, you are charged for these separately and they're not always included as part of any free text offers you may have as part of your contract. If you no longer want text alerts sent to your phone, make sure you cancel the service straight away.

5. Multimedia messaging

It's always fun to send photos and videos to friends. But it's important to remember that these sorts of messages are not included in your monthly free text allowance and a charged on a per message basis. In fact, multimedia messages can often cost double the amount of a normal text message. Find out whether your mobile company sells monthly multimedia 'bundles'. This can save you money on the cost of every message and can help keep your bill down.