How do families afford these smartphones?

[dvcgirl]

Two large incomes, a paid for house, no car loans, college savings funded - there is ample "spare" money in our home for four smartphones at this moment.

It hasn't always been like that, but it is now.

This is us. Plus, I have a mobile business and my mobile phone number is my business number and so I'm able to write off about 3/4 of my phone bill for the business.

We have two iPhone 4s on a family plan (where my husbands' phone is 9.99 and his data plan about $30 I think). For 2,100 combined minutes (he uses about 100 per month), we pay $208.16 per month.

However, I see iPhones everywhere and wonder the same thing sometimes. My cousin and his fiance both have iPhones. They earn 60K combined. I love them dearly, but my cousin never has any money. I hear through the grapevine that he has to borrow money from his mother to pay rent from time to time....that kind of thing.

When you make 60 grand a year gross, a $200 monthly, $2,400 yearly phone bill shouldn't be a part of your world.

 

[gladdiola]

My husband has a smartphone provided by work. I have a prepaid dumbphone that costs me about $50/year. My work pays for my home phone/internet since I work from home. I carry a Galaxy player or iPod touch and use wifi hotspots if I need to get on the internet while out and about. I could upgrade my work cell to a smartphone, but I don't like the idea of being that connected to my job so I am hanging on to my 2006 dumbphone for work.

 

[mrodgers]

When you make 60 grand a year gross, a $200 monthly, $2,400 yearly phone bill shouldn't be a part of your world.

I think this is the whole point of this thread. $60k is still even larger than median family income in this country.

I don't know many people who are on prepaid. Just about everyone I know is either using an iPhone or an equivalent Android phone on AT&T or Verizon. I am not rich and live in quite a depressed area. Folks around me would be jumping for joy if they were making $60k. Incomes around me are more like $40k.

They still all have iPhones or the most recent Android phones.

Me? I have 2 cheap Android phones on AT&T prepaid. Costs me for the amount of texting we do $5 per month per phone, with the month thrown in here and there costing $10 for more texts. We make phone calls about 3 times a year, so we have a $0.10 per minute calling plan (called no plan at all.) We don't use data and only use web stuff while at home on wi-fi.

I have to laugh at the people telling how a fully functioning prepaid plan such as Straight Talk and others are affordable at $50/month. The original question was how do people with families afford it and they come in saying their single phone is $50. Now add the other 2 phones to make a family and now you are talking $150/month. It isn't any different than people on contracts paying $150/month.

So there you have it, my 2 smartphones costs $10 per month. As someone else stated why the $200/month phone is worth it, my $10/month phones also replace: handheld video game system, mp3 player, digital camera, camcorder, portable video player, GPS, ebook reader, etc. The only thing mine doesn't do for a $190 discount is access data while I'm driving down the road or standing in line at Walmart like everyone elses can. I have no reason to and have no reason to pay for that.

I did mention to my wife that it might be an advantage to temporarily get a calling plan and data access when on vacation. Thus, for that month I might pay more and get data access (I can only get data if I purchase a calling plan, thus data would cost me $90 over my $10/month for 2 phones, definitely not worth it for all the time access, but might be worth it when traveling.)

For what its worth with the AT&T prepaid, you get 200 texts for $5, 1000 texts for $10 and unlimited for $25. I average about 300 texts per month so I put 1000 on the first month, then for the next few months I put 200 texts on (they roll over with keeping active) until I am depleted enough to need the 1000 again. That is where I mention every few months it costs me $10 instead of $5 for a single phone.

As for calling on a cellphone, I have still yet to have anyone call me on their cell phone and not have them dropped or crackle to where I can understand their entire conversation. I hate the fact that everyone now uses cell phones and they call me and I can't understand what they are telling me. The technology still has a long way to go before they are reliable.

 

[joanchris]

Another vote for Straight Talk. I got rid of my old flip phone a week ago, bought a used Tmobile smart phone off Craigslist, and now am paying just $45 a month for myself. I will be switching my daughter and husband over later today when the fedex package arrives with DH's new flip phone (all he wants, and his $30 plan) and a sim card for DD so she can use her ATT smart phone on Straight talk. We'll pay $120/month (plus sales tax on the refill cards) for two smart phones and a flip phone. The smart phones will have unlimited everything, talk text data. The flip phone will have 1000 minutes and 1000 texts, plus 30 mb data (which will never get used!).

We were paying about $115 total each month for two flip phones (not even texting), plus the smart phone with unlimited texting and only 200 mb data.

BTW, I have been getting excellent coverage with the new plan.

 

[cseca]

Just FYI if you are looking at Straight Talk they are the own by TracFone and I had horrible horrible service by them.
Not saying you should not use them but try them out first before cutting off your current service.
I basically could not get anybody to fix a problem I had with the phone/service. Took literally 8hrs of my other cell ph time (not an exageration), at least 10 customer service people, a letter to BBB and a talk to their corporate person to get it finally resoved.

I have Virgin Mobile and they had been absolutely awesome. Bought my phone Optimus V at Target during Black Friday for $50.
The phone itself works fine if you're just looking for entry level smartphone, but if you're thinking extensive use of it (either by phone line or wifi) I suggest you find a better ph.

 

[mjantz]

I'm saying this not in a rude way but its really none of your business. I pay my own bills, accept no public help & I'm under no obligation to justify to anyone how I spend my money.

 

[Darcy03231]

We have four lines (me, DH, DD, and DS). DH and I both have stupid phones. DD & DS have smart phones and they pay the charges for the data plans ($30/mo per line).

 

[Pigeon]

Just FYI if you are looking at Straight Talk they are the own by TracFone and I had horrible horrible service by them.
Not saying you should not use them but try them out first before cutting off your current service.
I basically could not get anybody to fix a problem I had with the phone/service. Took literally 8hrs of my other cell ph time (not an exageration), at least 10 customer service people, a letter to BBB and a talk to their corporate person to get it finally resoved.

I have Virgin Mobile and they had been absolutely awesome. Bought my phone Optimus V at Target during Black Friday for $50.
The phone itself works fine if you're just looking for entry level smartphone, but if you're thinking extensive use of it (either by phone line or wifi) I suggest you find a better ph.

Just curious, but have you had to contact Virgin Mobile customer service at all?

ITA about Tracfone customer service. It's just abominable, but the service is so cheap for us, and since we rarely have to contact them, I put up with it.

I've read reviews that say that Virgin Mobile is also dreadful in terms of customer service. My dd has a VM plan, and I've yet to have to call them.

 

[crazelion]

What does it mean to unlock a phone? When you unlock and use the opera mobile do you not have a data plan charge for internet on your phone?

What I mean by unlocked is that don't have use ATT stock browser that comes with the phone. But the catch make sure that has java and not brew platform. If has the brew platform there is no way get free games and install opera browser on the phone.

Unlock can mean also gsm phone that unbranded and not sold in the USA. Amazon is litter with them. Ex. Samsung Galaxy Note that sold by ATT or buy the International unlocked version Samsung Galaxy Note.

You can buy phones that is already unlocked too.

If java phone you just have find a place to downland from. Here is the site I use download my stuff from umnet.com .

go place know all about phones is howardfourms.com

 

[cseca]

Just curious, but have you had to contact Virgin Mobile customer service at all?

ITA about Tracfone customer service. It's just abominable, but the service is so cheap for us, and since we rarely have to contact them, I put up with it.

I've read reviews that say that Virgin Mobile is also dreadful in terms of customer service. My dd has a VM plan, and I've yet to have to call them.

Actually I juuuuust did that yesterday.
I had a txt that couldn't go thru because it was int'l text. Except for the dreaded 10 steps of talking to a machine before getting to a rep it was pretty painless. And amazingly enough I talked to someone who CAN speak english
They resolved things pretty quickly. I was pretty impressed.

I think on the 10 calls to TF every single one of them read from a script and couldn't understand a word I said.

 

[ilovemk76]

Two large incomes, a paid for house, no car loans, college savings funded - there is ample "spare" money in our home for four smartphones at this moment.

It hasn't always been like that, but it is now.

A large inheritance and a bankruptcy helped too.

 

[Disneefun]

Just curious, but have you had to contact Virgin Mobile customer service at all?

I've read reviews that say that Virgin Mobile is also dreadful in terms of customer service.

Not to thread hijack, but I have and it spelled the end of VM for me. I had problems with my phone no longer being able to make calls thanks to some boosting device my neighbors put in. VM said the problem would be solved with a new phone (new model, totally different than what I had), which they kindly agreed to supply me free of charge. Nice of them, I thought.

A week later, I got a handset, but no battery and no back cover. Called back. Sorry, they said, we'll send out the missing parts immediately. A week later, I got a battery. Still no back cover. Called back. A week later, I got a charger. I already got that, thank you. At an hour a pop on the phone, I decided this stupidity was no longer worth my time and, with my pinkie finger holding in the battery, used up my remaining minutes and switched to verizon. This was after 7 years with virgin.

VM's people were very nice, spoke english, etc. But they obviously have some huge issues in actually resolving the problem. Having to spend a lot of time busting through their auto-attendant and then getting passed around to someone who could fix my problem took at least an hour each time.

My feelings on VM? If you never need help, they're great. If you ever need something, switch providers!

 

[jce2]

it's all a case of priorities. I have 4 I-Phones and 1 other smart phone (me, wife, 2 teenagers, mom). I am not crazy about the $260 monthly bill but we do use the phones. On the other hand I can't justify the increased cost between moderate and deluxe resorts that others gladly pay. Like I said....priorities.

 

[bettymae1121]

Easy, bought a used iPhone for $100, jail broke it, and put my T-Mobile sim card in it. i pay $30 a month.

I do need a newer iPhone though, it's so old I can't update the operating system and use newer aps. So DH is on the hunt for a newer used iPhone.

 

[tyniknate]

Switching plans this weekend. Will be 4 dumb phones with talk and text only through t-mobile for $100/mo. My kids don't need more than that until they can pay for it themselves.

 

[Charitycase20]

My 2 cents is...its all about what is a priority in YOUR household. I don't agree with people on assistance with iPhones and such but I don't know their situation. I'm not their judge. Therefore, when people see my family with DH on his iPhone 4S, me on my Droid Razr and my kids each playing on their iPod Touch, I would like to think/hope that they won't judge me either!!

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

I think this is the whole point of this thread. $60k is still even larger than median family income in this country.

I don't know many people who are on prepaid. Just about everyone I know is either using an iPhone or an equivalent Android phone on AT&T or Verizon. I am not rich and live in quite a depressed area. Folks around me would be jumping for joy if they were making $60k. Incomes around me are more like $40k.

They still all have iPhones or the most recent Android phones.

This is true in my rural, economically-depressed area as well.
We were married 22 years before our combined income was that much...
We have the same cell phones we've had since 2006.
Just a phone- no camera- cheap plan.
DS has his own pre-paid phone that HE pays for.

DH is a town manager- they gave him a smart phone when he started his job.
He re-evaluated the town policy on phones and got rid of the smart phone
as the costs were sky-high, and got a simple basic phone.

I have a hard time understanding why government officials "need" a smart phone, though certain government co-workers of mine do have them.
I am amazed at what is deemed "necessary" these days.

I think it's wonderful if you have the income to provide them for yourself.
But do you really want your tax dollars providing smart phones for government employees?

And that's not the worst case scenario: people buying food with EBT cards,
waiting in line to check out, checking their facebook on their droid/4G/Smartphone...

Before the flaming starts, understand that I have worked exclusively with people who qualify for benefits (for over 6 years) and no, not all of them are living high but some definitely are.

 

[Nayan]

And that's not the worst case scenario: people buying food with EBT cards,
waiting in line to check out, checking their facebook on their droid/4G/Smartphone...

Before the flaming starts, understand that I have worked exclusively with people who qualify for benefits (for over 6 years) and no, not all of them are living high but some definitely are.

There was an article a few months ago in the Orlando Sentinel that featured a family with 4 kids. They talked about how the family could barely make ends meet but by gum the whole family had IPhones (they even included them in the pictures). The mom was complaining that they couldn't afford a computer and her "poor kids had to use the IPhones to access the internet". It just made me smdh.

 

[cseca]

Not to thread hijack, but I have and it spelled the end of VM for me. I had problems with my phone no longer being able to make calls thanks to some boosting device my neighbors put in. VM said the problem would be solved with a new phone (new model, totally different than what I had), which they kindly agreed to supply me free of charge. Nice of them, I thought.

A week later, I got a handset, but no battery and no back cover. Called back. Sorry, they said, we'll send out the missing parts immediately. A week later, I got a battery. Still no back cover. Called back. A week later, I got a charger. I already got that, thank you. At an hour a pop on the phone, I decided this stupidity was no longer worth my time and, with my pinkie finger holding in the battery, used up my remaining minutes and switched to verizon. This was after 7 years with virgin.

VM's people were very nice, spoke english, etc. But they obviously have some huge issues in actually resolving the problem. Having to spend a lot of time busting through their auto-attendant and then getting passed around to someone who could fix my problem took at least an hour each time.

My feelings on VM? If you never need help, they're great. If you ever need something, switch providers!

hehe...
To the OP,
Moral of our stories... check the companies by yourself.
I am happy with VM because I haven't had really serious trouble like Disneefun did. If I had the same problem I probably would swear them off too.

Although I honestly can't even think about TF without my blood pressure spiking. That's how much they got me...
The reason I even know ST is the same company as TF is because I was researching the whole Iphone sim thing.
After I found out I completely dropped the research... heck I guess I owed them for saving me $ by not buying an iphone
Good luck!

 

[disney1990]

Nope, no smart phones or data plans in our house. We have 4 regular old cell phones, DH, DD, FIL and me.