NBC News - We are using our smart phones more than ever before. But we are also paying more for them than ever before.
"It's a priority, I mean you have to have it."
So Marisa Vallbona shells out nearly 300 dollars a month so her public relations business and her two children can all be connected.
"I have to be connected constantly. Connected to my kids, connected to my clients, connected to my parents, connected to my siblings, it's so important."
But that connection comes at a price.
A new federal study says spending for phone service went up more than 4 percent last year, an odd sign of the times when people are cutting back on nearly every household expense except their phone bill.
"In fact things have changed so much that for some families, they are paying more for their cell phone bill plan than they are their car payments."
"It's a computer, it's a camera, it's a video camera, it's a radio, it's a music machine, it's a TV."
Financial advisor David Elhoff says those phones have gone from being optional to a requirement.
But watch out, every new feature on your smart phone seems to create more opportunities to spend money.
"It's data that's costing the money these days, it isn't the phone, it's the data that's being transferred."
"I think people shop around for the best smart phone, they don't shop around for the best data plan."
Marisa says she scans her bill from time to time looking for ways to cut back. Not a bad idea, especially when those bills are taking a bigger chunk out of the family budget.
"You have to call your carriers and say look, this is what I'm spending you got any ideas? They're very helpful if you call them."
