Best budget option for family cell phone plan?

[TaraPA]

My head hurts from looking at all the different options out there for a family cell phone plan. I can see that "budget" and "family cell plan" really shouldn't be in the same sentence! I need 3 phones (do not have to be Smartphones, but not standard flip phones either) & a plan with unlimited texting, a good deal of minutes (at least 300) and no data. Can anyone throw some suggestinos out there of plans they have that have worked well for them? I'm currently using Sprint with no issues, but not under contract with them so I am open to looking at different companies.

 

[happily single]

Not sure what you are paying now or want to pay, but I'm headed to Verizon tomorrow to check out the pre-paid phones. Right now I'm paying over $120 (including taxes) per month for two lines, unlimted texting but only 700 minutes shared between the two lines.

From what I understand for $100 ($50 per line) per month I will be able to get unlimited everything, tax included.

I've talked to a few other people who plan on going the prepaid route once their contracts are up also

 

[crazelion]

I have tried the prepaid plans like Straighttalk because they plan that 1000 minutes and 1000 texts for 30.00 a month.

I would also check Walmart t-mobile plan for 30.00 dollars unlimited text and data and 100 minutes.

Virgin Mobile
Paylo which under virgin mobile I think only voice and text too.
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/samsung-m575-phone.jsp?intcmp=p-hp-rt3-m575-050212
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/paylo-plans.jsp

 

[TaraPA]

We're currnetly on 2 pre-paid (different) plans but one of us has no texting (old basic Sprint plan for $19.99/month) and the other doesn't have enough minutes (Kajeet for $19.99/month). Kajeet service is fine but their phones are junk & WAY over-priced. We've gone through several phones in the last 3 years, of course they break just out of warranty in our case. We need the 3rd line for my other son who doesn't have a phone currently but it's time (sigh). It would be cheaper than a family plan just to put us all on individual Kajeet plans ($60 total for 3 basic plans) but I'm not happy with the cost/reliability of their phones.

I need unlimited or more than 1000 texts/month between the 3 of us. The teen texts endlessly. Minutes aren't as important but we've been blowing through 250-300 a month easily between the 2 of us. We don't have long distance on our home phone so I have to use my cell for that.

It looks like it will be over $100/month for a basic family plan with 3 lines with unlimited texting, I guess I need to just suck it up & do it!

I have an AT&T and Verizon store close to me, maybe I should just walk in & let them do their work & sell me something!

 

[matdamom]

There are 4 of us with phones in my house, all are prepaid.

My husband and younger DD have Verizon prepaid, and the $20 unlimited texting option. They have unlimited minutes to Verizon customers for calling, but it costs 10c per minute to non-Verizon, and unlimited texting to anyone, no data. We put about $25 each month onto those accounts.

My oldest DD and I have Virgin Mobile. We both have the 300 talk minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data plan. Hers is $25/month, mine is $35/month. (She's had her plan longer).

That said, my only complaint with VM is the coverage in my area. There are places where we just don't get very good signal. Verizon has excellent coverage. It's a trade-off, but for the $$, I think VM is the better choice for myself and my teenage DD. My younger daughter only uses her phone on weekends or if she goes somewhere without us, and she inherited it from her sister. My husband only texts, with the occasional call.

So, we pay about $110 each month for all 4 phones.

 

[maggiew]

We have a Verizon contract. We have 5 phones on the 700 minutes (shared) family plan. We have unlimited texting but data on ONE phone only. We pay $176 per month.

My girls are teens (well, older one is 20 and younger is almost 17) and they want data phones. DH wants a data phone too. But with Verizon contract family plan it is SUPER expensive for everyone to have data!

We are looking elsewhere when our contract is up in December.

I have been looking at the T-mobile plans and I think we can get a family plan with data for not much more than we are paying now.

Maggie

 

[TamaraQT]

I have MetroPCs. I discovered MetroPCS while on vacation in Florida 5 years ago. I was locked into a plan and couldnt change at that time. Also MetroPCS wasnt available in my area. I pay $156 per month....EVERY MONTH. Not a dime over and that rate includes all 3 phones on the plan plus all taxes and fees. Our phones are android phones...unlimited talk, unlimited text, unlimited data, and internet. I have been with Metro for 3 years now. Never a problem. I would suggest looking into it if Metro is in your area. You will get more than you will with a prepaid, and best of all there are no contracts. So if you aren't happy, you can cancel your service at anytime.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

We both have Tracfones now. My wife has a basic simple phone and has the 50 minute a month plan for $10. Hers is a double minute phone, so once a month they add 100 minutes and extend the date 30 days. What she doesn't use, they roll over to the next month. She only uses 5-10 minutes a month, but good to know she has plenty of minutes.

I have one of the Lg800 screen phones (not smart) with triple minutes. If I buy a 200 minute card and use a promo code I will get 650 minutes.

Texts are cheap...something like .3 of a minute per text.

 

[momfeez]

we have T-Mobile....Family Value Unlimited Talk & Text for 2 phones (1 android - me and 1 flip - DD) with 2 additional phones (1 android - DH and 1 flip - DS) with unlimited text and shared 500 talk minutes. $115.33 per month.

We all had prepaid thru T-Mobile but DD and I were burning thru minutes with texting, so switched plans. Wanted to go with Walmart Family plan, which is thru T-Mobile, but DH could not get thru to their customer service line to get ?? answered, so he decided against them.

 

[disney1990]

We just got new "not" smart phones from Verizon. Samsung Brightside and LG Extravert. Check them out.

 

[TaraPA]

Thanks for all the replies!

I'm uber-frustrated with Sprint right now. I wanted to log onto my account to see what my options were for upgrading. Well I don't know my username or PW. This is the 1st time I've ever gone into the account, and DH doesn't know what they are either, it was set up almost 10 years ago. I called customer service but since I can't confirm either, they can't talk to me. They said they could email me the info, but of course, the email they have on file for me is an old one, not my current one, so no go. They won't update the email to my new one because I can't confirm my username or PW. Round & round & round I go. We have the monthly payment deducted right from our bank account each month - of course they'll gladly take my money, but they won't help me get access to my account!

So I'm tempted to just cancel with them & not even research what they have to offer. Too bad because they have great coverage in my area & where I work, which is a plus over AT&T, Verizon & Virgin Mobile. DH has Verizon (thru work) and has to go stand on the deck or the driveway to make a call!

 

[got2sammies]

Well since someone quoted Verizon I will tell you what At&t has:
I had the 550 minutes shared for 59.99 plus 9.99 for one addtional line $5 per line for 200 text (my DH does text but not as much as me and I always go over!)..We have two iphones so $25x2 for data... With this plan you have unlimited nights (after9) and weekends and calls to any other at&t phone are free( everyone in my fam has at&t expect one brother) and you get rollover.. But here the thing DH lost his job and now does odd jobs so he is constantly on his cell phone and is burning through minutes so I switched plans:
700 minutes 69.99 plus 9.99 addtional line still have two iphones $25x2 data BUT if I got the $30 unlimited family text message plan (this is cost for both phones not each phone) I get unlimited calling to ANY mobile phone..ANY carrier.. so basically the 700 min ius for land lines only... So really the 550 was not enough and the 700 is way too much since we really call mobile phones anyway... I hardly ever call a land line! But I can always switch back if it gets too much... I have never had a problem with the coverage execpt in the mountains.....
Oh I also get a 15% discount through work....

 

[Jedana]

We use MetroPCS. 2 lines, unlimited data/phone/text $90 a month.
If we add another line, it would go to $135 (each additional line is $45).

edited to add: no contract involved--it's month to month.