Cell Phone plan for a "large" family

[linnylu]

DH just went to Verizon and came home fuming. We have 4 children and 2 adults in our family. We can put 5 family members all on the same family plan, but the 6th would have to have their own plan. The first person is around $100 plus tax. Persons 2 thru 5 are an additional $25 a month. Then our 6th person would need their own $100 plan. Those prices do not include the new $30 technology package they are pushing so that the phones can have internet.

So, if you have more than 5 people in your family, who do you use for internet service? Would AT&T or Sprint be any different? We have 4 teens. 2 can drive so I want them to have a phone. The other 2 are in junior high and are involved in a lot of activities so I feel better that they have a phone. I suppose I could share with one of the kids.

 

[njcarita]

Kajeet is $15 month for unlimited texting and 60 minutes of talk per month..
so a family of 6 would be $90 total...

they have other plans with more talk time if u need it...

 

[QVCshopper]

My DH and I share a cell phone. It's never been a problem, and I use it more for a clock than anything. (We are covered under my in-laws plan; otherwise, I'd just as happily not have one.)

 

[momof1princess]

as a PP said, kajeet is $15.00 per month. the only downside is you pay full price for the phone, but that is quickly recouped in the phone plan savings. my DD gets unlimited texting and 60 minutes free per month. if you have a teen who doesn't talk on the phone much, and prefers to text, as DD and her friends do, this would be perfect. DD (she's 12, almost 13) rarely uses hers, and she BEGGED for it last year, lol.

 

[GoofyGolferGirl]

Check out Straight Talk they have one plan that is 1000 minutes 1000 text and so much internet for $30 and one that has unlimited minutes text and internet for $45 a month no contract on either plan and you can keep your old numbers.

 

[linnylu]

Is Kajeet strictly for kids and would it be identified as such? Meaning 13 year old boy doesn't want a kid phone.

 

[kelly1218]

DH just went to Verizon and came home fuming. We have 4 children and 2 adults in our family. We can put 5 family members all on the same family plan, but the 6th would have to have their own plan. The first person is around $100 plus tax. Persons 2 thru 5 are an additional $25 a month. Then our 6th person would need their own $100 plan. Those prices do not include the new $30 technology package they are pushing so that the phones can have internet.

So, if you have more than 5 people in your family, who do you use for internet service? Would AT&T or Sprint be any different? We have 4 teens. 2 can drive so I want them to have a phone. The other 2 are in junior high and are involved in a lot of activities so I feel better that they have a phone. I suppose I could share with one of the kids.

AT&T is only 5 lines....but lines 2-5 are $9.99 a line.

I would check out Metro PCS too. I think they have cheaper unlimited plans.

 

[gregokdisney]

Virgin Mobile is $25 per month for unlimited text & web and 300 minutes. I just got it and love it so far.

 

[njcarita]

Is Kajeet strictly for kids and would it be identified as such? Meaning 13 year old boy doesn't want a kid phone.

nope my daughter( 12) ordered " the rumor" phone..... they have all types of phones...

 

[momof1princess]

my DD has the LG Rumor as well, and LOVES it. i love it too, i wouldn't mind having one, lol. i wouldn't consider it a "kid" phone. it's a sideways slider, and i believe there are 2-3 colors to choose from (DD's is blue). DH and i have AT&T, but it's MUCH cheaper for her to have her own kajeet plan.

 

[tinatark]

Do 2, 3 person plans with ATT

 

[HannaBelle]

Great question OP, I am looking for the same option...a family plan for 6.

Another PP suggested 2 plans with 3 ppl each, but that will definitely increase the mobile phone bill. I have 2 teens and love for each of them to have their own phone so I can get a hold of them we I need to.

Anyone else have a problem with your kiddos being at so and so's house, but so and so's family does not answer their phone...ever? This was the biggest reason for getting our DD a phone.

 

[Sadie22]

DH just went to Verizon and came home fuming. We have 4 children and 2 adults in our family. We can put 5 family members all on the same family plan, but the 6th would have to have their own plan. The first person is around $100 plus tax. Persons 2 thru 5 are an additional $25 a month. Then our 6th person would need their own $100 plan. Those prices do not include the new $30 technology package they are pushing so that the phones can have internet.

So, if you have more than 5 people in your family, who do you use for internet service? Would AT&T or Sprint be any different? We have 4 teens. 2 can drive so I want them to have a phone. The other 2 are in junior high and are involved in a lot of activities so I feel better that they have a phone. I suppose I could share with one of the kids.

Five members of our family are on one AT&T Family Plan. We are all adults now, but we got the children phones when they went off to college and they still are part of the plan because it costs them less than separate plans for themselves. One uses his cell as his only phone. (Someday he and girlfriend will get a separate plan.) The rest of us have landlines as well. None of us have Internet-capable phones although four of us have had to upgrade our phones when they broke out of warranty and now have camera phones. Four of us have Internet-capable laptops should we need that while traveling. None of us use the texting capability on our phones; we have that feature turned off.

A cell phone in case of emergency is great but I personally don't think adolescents need Internet capability around the clock. A state law has been passed outlawing texting while driving and we will have to use handsfree devices by fall.

 

[SandrA9810]

I would look into the smaller plans for the little kiddos, by the time they're old enough and responsible enough to use a regular cell, the other two can branch off onto their own plan and split it. AT&T allows you to take a phone number off a contract and put it onto it's own plan, without breaking the original contract or changing numbers. It'll be more expensive for the two older ones, but it'll show them some responsibility and sharing. That way they can talor a plan to how they use the phones, not how every one uses the phone. Like adding more minutes if they're talkers or going to the lowest minutes to save money.

Would it be worth while to get two contracts with 3 each and share a 1,000 minutes rather than getting 1 contract and sharing 2,000 minutes?? And if kajeet is more of a prepaid plan, where they only get x number of minutes and texts, once they run out they can't do anything till the next month. It might help keep tabs on the younger one. It's so easy to start going over on minutes and texting, and they probably won't tell you till the bill shows up. AT&T is great about back dating a feature, but it ain't pretty to open up a huge bill.

 

[tar heel]

Those Verizon prices are really high, too. We have Verizon and pay about $175 a month including taxes for five phones. We don't have internet, but we do have unlimited texting.

 

[aceys_h0ney]

Not sure if you have a US Cellular but we have three phones unlimited incoming texts and calls and with all the taxes our bill is around $90. The plan we picked was 69 and it was 10 to add each line. I am not sure how many lines you can add though, I can say we could downgrade, we have the 1000 anytime minutes and even with my chatty self we have not even hit 500 once.

 

[slamzim]

You could always try calling Verizon. We have a family business and have 10 phones on it with Sprint. We always have to call to rearrange plan, renew, etc. It seems there are some things you can't do in stores.

Worth a shot. You could always call your family of 6 a business

 

[bucket o' butter]

Virgin Mobile has unlimited texting and data and 300 minutes of talk time for $25 a person. I think that is an awesome deal. Of course, you have to buy the phones, but they do have some inexpensive ones available. So, for a family of six, the cost would be $150 per month plus the cost of the phones. And you are tied down to a contract. Here is the link:

http://www.virginmobileusa.com

 

[linnylu]

Do you think my sister could put my dd on her Verizon plan? She thought she could give this to my dd for her birthday and then Christmas gift.

 

[3Minnies2Mickeys]

I don't think Verizon cares what you do with your extra phones. You can let anyone use them. We have my grandmother added to our plan and she even lives in a different state. It's nice for her to have with her in case of an emergency but she has also found that she uses it quite a bit just to talk to her friends and family. I don't think there would be any problem with your sister adding your daughter to her plan.

Wendi