Update 1 (9/19): Starting 9/20, Verizon Wireless Cash Back will be 15% Cash Back on accessories.

Though it’s not always frugal to buy the latest and greatest gadget, having an iPhone is full of appeal.  Consider these tips from BeFrugal.com founder Jon Lal to avoid overspending:

• Review your data usage when deciding what plan to sign up for with your contract. Committing to a more expensive than necessary monthly plan can be an expensive mistake month after month.
• Determine which model meets your needs and avoid overspending.
• Protect your property: Put your phone in a quality cell phone case, use a password and use a tracking app in the instance that you are separated from your phone.
• Purchase your phone & accessories online and manage your phone contract online. Use free online coupons and earn free cash back from when you do. Check out these offers from free coupons & cash back site BeFrugal.com:
  • Verizon Wireless Cash Back: 25% Cash Back on accessories, $75.00 Cash Back on new service contracts. Read additional details by clicking Cash Back Terms on the BeFrugal Verizon Wireless page.
  • Verizon Wireless coupon: Free shipping on any order, expires soon. Also earn up to 25% Cash Back.
  • Virgin Mobile Cash Back: $25.00 Cash Back on version 4 iPhones. Read additional details by clicking Cash Back Terms on the BeFrugal Virgin Mobile page.
  • Virgin Mobile coupon: Free shipping on all phones, expires soon. Also earn up to $45 Cash Back
  • Sprint Cash Back: $40.00 Cash Back on new iPhone lines. Read additional details by clicking Cash Back Terms on the BeFrugal Sprint page.  
  • iTrendyStuff.com coupon: 10% off for new customers, expires soon.
  • iGearUSA coupon: Free shipping on orders of $20+, expires soon.
  • Cell Phone Shop coupon: 10% off all iPhone accessories, expires soon.
  • Cell Phone Shop coupon: Free shipping on orders of $20+, expires: 9/30.
  • Accessory Geeks coupon: iPhone case sale, expires soon. Also earn 18% Cash Back
  • Apple Store Cash Back: 1.5% on purchases, excluding version 5 iPhones. Read additional details by clicking Cash Back Terms on the BeFrugal Apple Store page.

"If consumers are interested in buying a new smart phone, there are ways to be frugal when doing so. Making purchases online can help by using online coupons and earning free cash back,” said Jon Lal, founder of BeFrugal.com.

Coupons & cash back website BeFrugal.com offers free online coupons that have save an average of $27 per purchase, and an average of 7 percent cash back - where a percentage of eligible online transactions is deposited into a free BeFrugal.com account. The savings are available on purchases made with 3000+ merchants including phone service and accessory providers such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint plus many others.

With a record number of 3,000+ cash back stores, and coupons for 40,000 stores, BeFrugal.com has a greater number of stores than any comparable cash back program. The BeFrugal.com free cash back offering was announced in 2011 to save shoppers more money, rewarding shoppers with cash back for their eligible online purchases. BeFrugal.com now offers an average of 7 percent cash back on purchases, which can be combined with their free online coupons to get extra savings on each purchase. Since launching in 2009, BeFrugal.com has saved shoppers more than $25 million dollars.

About BeFrugal.com

BeFrugal.com is a website focused on frugal living. It features cash back, coupons, deals and bargains, as well as Web-based tools to help consumers save money.

 Image thanks to akiko@flickr.