PITTSBURGH -- According to the Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC), consumers are finding interesting uses for their unlimited night and weekend minutes.

TRAC said one of the more creative ways to take advantage of free minutes is as an “in a pinch” child monitor.

When you travel, book two rooms, one for the children and one for parents, according to TRAC.

Then you can use your cell phone to keep an ear on the children in the other room.

TRAC said to do this you have to have two phones with speakerphone and mute capabilities.

Put the first phone in the room where the children are staying.

Turn on the speakerphone and call the second cell.

Answer the second phone in the parent’s room, put it on speakerphone and activate the mute feature.

You should be able to hear the children in the second room.

TRAC does not recommend using a cell phone to replace a traditional baby monitor for younger children or infants, because a dropped call could leave you without the connection.

But it could be a convenient way to keep track of older children.