Clark has a big announcement for your wallet that may make you want to rethink cell phone contracts. Metro PCS and Cricket -- 2 smaller players living in the shadows of the Big 4 carriers -- have teamed up to create what Clark calls the "poor man's" nationwide network.

For $45/month, both now provide unlimited calling in extended areas of the country. Previously, Metro and Cricket wouldn't tread in each other's market territory. But now Metro customers can use their phone in Cricket markets and vice-versa, thanks to a new agreement. So you can pay effectively half the price of what the Big 4 charge and get unlimited calling with no contracts.

With Metro and Cricket, all they do is save you money. You won't get the kind of sleek handsets you would with AT&T, Sprint, Verizon or T-Mobile. But who couldn't use some extra cash in their pockets every month? A typical person can save $1,000 annually by making the switch from the Big 4 to either Metro or Cricket.