As cell phone repair experts we've heard dozens of stories from people who traveled abroad and came back to discover outlandish cell phone bills. Being unaware of what triggers insanely huge fees is unfortunately rampant among Americans, many of whom assume that their phone should work on a global basis the same way it does at home. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Before you book your flight for your next international trip, make sure that you take precautions against giant cell phone bills and take the following steps before leaving: Turn off your data and data roaming - Because you are going to incur roaming charges, you'll want to keep your data off when traveling as the charges add up as long as your data is running. Data usage is the biggest money-sucking feature on your phone, so switch it off when traveling and you'll save big. Switch off email functions - Use your email function only when specifically needed and you'll save a ton of cash while traveling abroad. Because a simple toggle switch lets you easily turn it back on, you can quickly check in and then be done with it again. Get the right gear - External batteries can be a God-send for the cell phone user when traveling internationally. This way you'll avoid being caught without power. Make sure to turn on tracking in case your phone is lost or stolen. Get the apps - There are many apps and add-on packages that make using your cell phone in other countries both easy and affordable. Check with your carrier before your travel dates to ask about calling and texting packages available to ensure a smaller bill.