11 Essential Phone Numbers For Your Cell Phone

You, and everyone else, have probably had that moment where you say to yourself, "Oh no, I wish I had that number!" But fear not, that moment will never happen again if you take a few minutes and put these 11 numbers into your cell phone. The convenience you'll have afterward will be priceless.

1. Credit Card Hotline - Just line up all your credit cards and turn them over. Enter each local or 800 phone number. Having this number can prove to be a huge money saver if your credit card goes missing. You can simply call your creditor the moment you realize your credit card is gone and forgo the enormous hassle of trying to fix your credit after someone racks up illegal charges.

2. In Case of Emergency (ICE) - This number should always be in your phone and it could be a matter of life and death. Make a separate entry for a loved one: a spouse, parent or very close friend. In the case of an incapacitating accident or sudden illness, first responders or bystanders can use this number to quickly let someone close to you know exactly what has happened.

3. Car Insurance Claims Hotline - This, after 911, should be the second number you call after a car accident. Even in a minor accident, it can be a dangerous hassle to search through the car for your insurance card. And in a serious accident, the card could simply be destroyed. Take a moment, find your card and enter your providers hotline into your cell phone.

4. Health Insurance Provider - This is another phone number that is essential in case tragedy strikes and you find yourself headed to the emergency room for medical care. A quick call will let you know see if your medical bills are covered by your health insurance provider. Have someone make a quick call to your provider to make sure you're approved for full coverage. It's certainly more productive and a lot cheaper to address this before the visit.

5. Free 411 From Anywhere - So there are a few free 411 always nice especially if you get lost or are far from home and need to find a local business. If you don't have an Internet-ready cell phone, free 411 is a great tool. There are several free 411 numbers, but the big two are 1-800-FREE-411 - the oldest player -- and 1-800-GOOG-411, Google's own 411 service. They won't have live operators, but it beats paying your phone company to find you a sub sandwich.

6. Local Locksmith - This one is obvious. Unless you really like the outdoors, there is nothing worse than being locked out of your home or your car. Save yourself the hassle of trying to find a reputable locksmith with reasonable prices when you are locked out and stressed out. Do some quick homework and find yourself a decent locksmith that has a 24 hour emergency call service and put it in your cell phone.

7. Local Towing Service or AAA - This one too should be obvious. If your car breaks down in an inconvenient location this number will make your life a lot easier. The company with the largest geographic service area is always your best bet. Find a local towing service in the phone book and put it in your cell phone. If you have AAA, put that in your cell phone.

8. A Friendly Colleague's Direct Line - You can use your work buddy a messenger to pass an important piece of information on to your manager or someone else at the office when you are on the road. Or you can call them if you accidentally left an important phone number or piece of information behind at the office. Tell this person that you would be happy to return the favor anytime.

9. Work and Home Numbers - You should always have an entry for Home and Work in your mobile phone. Each entry should point to your direct corresponding number at each location. These entries are not there to help you call your home or your work. But if you lose your phone, someone with a little honesty and compassion will need a number to call to get it back to you.

10. Your Doctor - This will help you if you happen to get sick far from home. If it's not an emergency it's always nice to be able to run the information past a familiar doctor physician or one of their nurses.

11. Local Non-Emergency Police Line - Obviously this one won't help when you're traveling, but it could be invaluable in case a breakdown on the highway or to report a suspicious person wandering around. You don't want to call 911 if a strange car is idling outside, but it could be a good idea to let the local police know about it. The simple sight of a patrol car could keep a neighbor from being robbed.

Though it's not a cell number, a lot of people also keep a cell phone directory bookmarked on their computer.