What's the latest on inexpensive cell phone plans?

[ShortInSeattle]

I'll throw in another endorsement for Cricket. $35 per line for our two lines, a good amount of data (3 Gigs each) and it works with an iPhone.

Better yet, you can often snag a discounted iPhone through the Cricket website, and unlock it with them once you've had six months of service. Unlocking comes in handy if you travel, Cricket doesn't offer international coverage outside of Canada and Mexico. While we were in Europe we took out our Cricket SIMs and slid in a purchased data sim we bought on the cheap.

It's nice to live in a time with such good options. And if I wasn't committed to sticking with an iPhone I'd also consider Google's ProjectFI. International data coverage is a pretty neat perk, and their pricing is very reasonable.

 

[REWahoo]

I'll throw in another endorsement for Cricket. $35 per line for our two lines, a good amount of data (3 Gigs each)...

They just upped it to 4.

 

[broadway]

Two years ago I bought a Motorola E 2nd Generation meant for Verizon pre-paid.
At the time I was interested in learning how to write an Android app.

I recently bought 30 minutes/30 texts + 365 days + 1 GB data for $74.28 including tax from Tracfone. Tracfone has service through Verizon so it was a perfect match for my smartphone. Sprint 4G LTE service is non-existent where I live so any Sprint MNVO useless.

So far, it looks as if I use about 150 MB of data per month. So if my data usage holds true, I will eventually need another 1 GB of data to get me through the 365 days.

 

[jimbee]

So if my data usage holds true, I will eventually need another 1 GB of data to get me through the 365 days.

That'll cost you another $10.

 

[broadway]

That'll cost you another $10.

That's right.
So for about $85 or a little over $7/month I have Verizon.
I mainly use the smartphone for data, so having Verizon is super important to me.

 

[jimbee]

That's right.
So for about $85 or a little over $7/month I have Verizon.
I mainly use the smartphone for data, so having Verizon is super important to me.

Yep, it's a good deal.

 

[ejman]

That's right.
So for about $85 or a little over $7/month I have Verizon.
I mainly use the smartphone for data, so having Verizon is super important to me.

Or, you could buy 1 year + 1200 talk minutes + 1,200 texts + 1.2 gig DATA FOR $100. I know it's a bit of splurging going up to $8.33 a month but look at all those talk and text minutes!

 

[imoldernu]

My phone is an Alcatel One Touch Big Easy... I bought two from Walmart just one year ago. The price was $29.95 and included:
Free Shipping
Tracfone with 800 minutes and one year service.

Service on the first phone runs out tomorrow, so i just activated the second phone. (don't use it very much, so 800 minutes works for me)

Price is now $69.95 if still available.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alcatel-Big-Easy-Plus-Prepaid-Phone-with-Double-Minutes-Tracfone/222186056110?_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3D12f5d2c6eb8d4e2b8e679ce3f4edb183%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D141682548746

I bought an LG Sunrise phone last year for $13 also from Walmart, but never activated it. I use it to connect to friendly Wi-Fi networks in the places we frequently go, and it works fine.

 

[broadway]

Or, you could buy 1 year + 1200 talk minutes + 1,200 texts + 1.2 gig DATA FOR $100. I know it's a bit of splurging going up to $8.33 a month but look at all those talk and text minutes!

I have a grandfathered talk/text plans with Verizon. That's where I get my minutes. For $100 I get 365 days with 1000 minutes and the minutes roll over.
The Verizon plan has the telephone number that I have had for 17 years. It is on my resume.

 

[REWahoo]

The Verizon plan has the telephone number that I have had for 17 years. It is on my resume.

Phone numbers are portable. If you should ever want to move to another carrier you can take your phone number with you.

 

[Texas Proud]

Or, you could buy 1 year + 1200 talk minutes + 1,200 texts + 1.2 gig DATA FOR $100. I know it's a bit of splurging going up to $8.33 a month but look at all those talk and text minutes!

Or you can buy a one month card and add a year of time for (IIRC) $59...

I still have plenty of all items, I do not need any more...

 

[audreyh1]

Phone numbers are portable. If you should ever want to move to another carrier you can take your phone number with you.

Yep, I moved my >10 year old phone number from Verizon to T-mobile no problem!

 

[broadway]

Phone numbers are portable. If you should ever want to move to another carrier you can take your phone number with you.

I know that I can move it, but I am very risk-adverse when it comes to this particular number.

In addition, as a result of an American Express offer, I bought two $100 Verizon gift cards for $75. That will give me service in 2018 and 2019 for $75/year.

 

[W2R]

I know that I can move it, but I am very risk-adverse when it comes to this particular number.

If/when the time comes to move your number to a different carrier, you may be surprised at how easy and foolproof the process of moving a number is, these days.

I moved mine from Verizon to Cricket, doing the entire process online right here in my living room. I was a little scared (having been with Verizon since the last century), but believe me, it was very, very EASY. I got a free cell phone from Cricket for doing it, too. Carriers really like having you bring your number with you, for some reason. IIRC Cricket checked and made sure I was the person paying for that number as part of the procedure.

I never contacted Verizon at all. Instead, they contacted me; they sent me a letter a few days after I switched, saying they were sorry I was leaving and saying what my balance was going to be for my last automatic bank deduction from them. They are used to this too. Really there is essentially no risk to worry about because this is standard for cell phone companies now.

 

[Surewhitey]

I'm at the bottom of the food chain with FreedomPOP...$7.99 / mo. This is basic, no voicemail, no sending pics via text. You get 500MB of data on Sprint's network (works great and I have never gotten there in 2 years). The phone calls and text are more designed and reliable on WIFI as these are VOIP as I understand. Basically it's WIFI service with the data which is what I use most.

I have WIFI at the office, at home and at intersections around town as I have Spectrum / Time Warner hot spots on my phone. We have their internet service at home and this is one of the "extras" you get.

All in all, it works for me as I do not send / receive pics via text. DW hates it as you have to "figure it out"...she has AT&T through DD's plan.

Basically I spend:
$46.90 / mo for home internet, 35-50mb speeds
$7.99 / mo for FreedomPop
$25 / mo for additional line on DD's plan
No cable as we stream or over air everything
$13+8 for HULU (no commercials plan) and Amazon Prime
$101/ mo all in...including taxes / fees

 

[Bflotomny]

I recently switched from Consumer to Verizon. The cost of data at CC got to be expensive.
I'm paying $40/month for unlimited talk & text and 2gb of data with roll over. Recently VZ changed the amount of data form 2gb to 3gb for the same price. The $50/month plan went from 5gb to 7gb.
We use the phone to listen to podcasts when we travel. Podcasts really drain the data.

 

[Fedup]

Thanks to this thread, I called Verizon and made inquiry on my bill. It turns out what I thought I had only last for two years, they never told me and I was on travel last year. So they made changed to my bill, I will have permanent $15 per line, so that's $60 for a family of 4 for 6 GBs. I told my kids, I pay for the phone line, they pay for the phone. My next bill will be $50 lower than last, and in 2018, it will be just $60 period for 4. It pays to read ER.

 

[Travelfreek]

What else in bundled for the $220/month?

For me, I have per month:

landling - $65 (att)
internet - $40 (slowest bandwidth from Comcast)
mobile - $25 (consumer cellular) (one phone, 250 mins, 2000 texts, 200 mb data)
TV - $0 (OTA, no cost after initial hardware purchase of antenna)
------
130 total month.

Broken down, for what you have, $220 may not be that much. Now if price was $220/month for mobile alone ...

Hi Easysurfer! I switched to Ooma for $100 one time cost for landline and ported my phone number for 1 time $40 cost. My monthly landline bill is now under $10 for premier service which allows blocking of annoying telemarketing calls or under $5 a month with basic plan (basically taxes to govt! Very clear reception!!!!

 

[pb4uski]

+1 Ooma user for 7 years... very satisfied. Even if you went to Oom and bumped up your internet speed you would be better off... unless you need a landline for an alarm system or lifeline or similar reason then Ooma is a great choice.

 

[Fedup]

Thanks to this thread, I called Verizon and made inquiry on my bill. It turns out what I thought I had only last for two years, they never told me and I was on travel last year. So they made changed to my bill, I will have permanent $15 per line, so that's $60 for a family of 4 for 6 GBs. I told my kids, I pay for the phone line, they pay for the phone. My next bill will be $50 lower than last, and in 2018, it will be just $60 period for 4. It pays to read ER.

Correction. I checked the bill summary they sent me and it's $60 plus $59 for 6GB for the final bill. So it will be $30 per person and not $15 per person.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We switched to Cricket from At& t and quickly were paying the same amount. Cricket makes you pay extra for a hot spot. Then when in rural areas even though At&t worked Cricket did not. So we switched back to AT&t and pay 83/month for 2 smart phones. We get unlimited except data is 3gb which is plenty.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

+1 Ooma user for 7 years... very satisfied. Even if you went to Oom and bumped up your internet speed you would be better off... unless you need a landline for an alarm system or lifeline or similar reason then Ooma is a great choice.

+2 on Ooma. Our landline was around $50 a month so that has been quite a savings for us.

 

[Hermit]

If you want to stay on the Verizon network (they prefer to say tower), check out Total Wireless. $35/ month for unlimited talk and text + 5G of data. Read the fine print on data use and verify the network for your zip code. DW loves it.

https://www.totalwireless.com/wps/portal/home

I checked to see if the Moto G 5 plus I just bought from Costco would work and the site said it would not. I can go back to Costco and get it set up for Verizon. So much for a cheap provider on the Verizon network...

 

[Gotadimple]

Wow!

I stand corrected. I've been faithfully holding on to my AT&T service, confident that no one can beat the price and features by any significant amount.

I was wrong. Consumer Cellular beats AT&T, and uses the same towers.

I've just signed up for service. They're sending out SIM cards for me and the Unindicted Co-Conspirator.

You folks just saved me $450 per year!

AH! HA! You have just discovered the beauty of MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). They rent the network from a big guy and resell the service to the public, generally at a lower rate than the big guy. Also, usually no taxes and fees (which add about 25% to the bill).

But, if you need voice roaming and you travel frequently, you only get native service with most, and never get data roaming. Prepaid Phone News is a good website for comparing plans based on network and general needs, also follows sales on compatible phones. If you want roaming and other benefits (at least on the TMO network) you can also choose Metro for a slightly lower cost, they are a Tmobile subsidiary. On ATT the wholly owned subsidiary is Cricket.

I was with TMobile prepaid service for years (the $3 plan was fine for awhile). I am still with Tmobile network, but use US Mobile (a TMO MVNO). This is metered service because I am not on my phone a lot. And like Ting you can choose the amount of voice/messages/data that meets your needs. For me 100 minutes/100 texts/250mb of data is $12. One line only.

- Rita

 

[HadEnuff]

You are Verizon's ideal customer...they bank on customers like you just hanging on to overpriced plans that don't really meet their needs. Rock the boat..call Verizon and complain about your pricing, see what they offer you right off the bat.

Yes, but evidently DW is not. She went down to the store ( I did my "shopping" on the Verizon website) and the guy was all like "what the heck do you have this plan for?" and she walked out of there with $104/ month for both phones which is not as low as what I'm reading many of you have, but I can live it. For now.