Over the past 2 years, many a parent has gotten an eye-opening cell phone bill due to their teen's text messaging.

When you were a teen, you probably spent endless hours chatting on the phone. Times have changed and text messaging is the way most teens spend their time communicating and that's where the surprises can happen. If you went for a low monthly cost cell phone plan in the beginning, you may have neglected to look at the pricing for text messaging. When an overzealous teen has been texting non-stop for one billing cycle and then you see the results, it can be shocking. Some parents have reported bills in the hundreds of dollars range.

There are a good number of cell phone plans that will allow for unlimited text messaging or text messaging for free with anyone else on the carrier's network. It's a good idea to search around for a cell phone plan that will allow for the maximum number of text messages along with being a good monthly deal for your bank account.

Another option some parents opt for is to get a "Pay as You Go" type of account with the cheapest cell phone possible and then upgrade to an unlocked cell phone with a better keypad for text messaging. The parents either let the teens earn their cell phone time through chores done and good grades or older teens can work a part time job and learn a fast lesson in both budgeting and responsibility when they are paying for their own text messaging time.

You don't have to be at war with your teen over text messaging, there are some easy solutions - just choose the option that will save you the most money in the long run.