Looking for a Cell Phone Plan

[JanetRose]

I don't use my cell phone often - does anyone know what is the cheapest plan? I now have 450 anytime minutes which is too much.

Thanks!

 

[cglaura]

I use Virgin Mobile.

For me, I have pay as you go. It is $20 every 90 days. I average about $6-$8 per month. It is $0.15 per txt and $0.18 per voice minute. Really the only thing it is used for is emergencies or for dd to txt when not home.

DD19 has the 300 minute / unlimited txt / unlimited dataweb for $27/ month.

They have some pretty nice phones now. Droid type, blackberry etc.

 

[disneymarie]

For those that fit the program I just picked up from Safelink a tracfone, with several types of plans. Ours is the 250 free a month, there is a 150 rollover.
But they are free.
If you receive fuel assistance, school lunch programs, food stamps, ssdi, etc.

I think ASSURE is another such program.

 

[bicker]

One of the challenges that cell phone service providers face is that it costs far more to maintain accounts and service access for folks who rarely use their phone than it costs to actually provide the service that they do use. So for such customers, the vast majority of the price they pay is effectively overhead. It's very hard to make overhead seem worthwhile to consumers. As a result, they pump up the perceived value of the most basic plans, by having even smaller plans have way more minutes than folks who rarely use their phone would ever use. Even cglaura's basic plan, which probably is among the lowest cost services available, effectively includes 50 minutes of talk time per month. That's about twice as much as I'd ever use.

 

[LuvOrlando]

The cheapest anywhere is Trac phone at $20 a quarter that includes 3 months of service and 60 minutes. I had these for my kids since Kindergarten and have never been disappointed. They are so inexpensive I still maintain them as backup phones for when they go bike riding or somewhere the phones are likely to be damaged. BTW, that first $20 purchase includes the phone and the usage & the minutes. No-one else comes close. As long as you maintain the account continuously the minutes roll over and your number stays the same.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I use T-Mobile prepaid. I had done an analysis and found that I had averaged only 65 minutes per month. A few years ago I paid about $180 upfront which gave me a phone and 1,000 minutes which I had a year to use. It also set me up for future 15% bonus on minutes. My program expires on March 29. At this time I have just under 400 minutes remaining. I am going to pay $50, which will give me an additional 460 minutes, and my 800+ minutes will then last until late March next year (unless, for some reason, I use them all up and I could by another 460 for $50).

One additional feature they have which I like is that I can load and update my telephone directory from their web site. So, if the phone needs to be replaced at any time (loss or breakage) I can load the directory of the new phone from the web site at the press of a button.

 

[cglaura]

One of the challenges that cell phone service providers face is that it costs far more to maintain accounts and service access for folks who rarely use their phone than it costs to actually provide the service that they do use. So for such customers, the vast majority of the price they pay is effectively overhead. It's very hard to make overhead seem worthwhile to consumers. As a result, they pump up the perceived value of the most basic plans, by having even smaller plans have way more minutes than folks who rarely use their phone would ever use. Even cglaura's basic plan, which probably is among the lowest cost services available, effectively includes 50 minutes of talk time per month. That's about twice as much as I'd ever use.

This is so true. That $6-$8 per month I say is just the $20 every 90 days broken down...I have to add that to keep service active. But it does roll over, so I usually have a good balance accumulated by the time I take a vacation or if dd goes out of town and sends more txt than usual. Right now my balance is around $68, and I'm going to have to add $20 more in 3 weeks. I could go a year of normal use and not use that $$. I've had one txt in 4 days, no voicemail or calls...that's the kind of usage I have.

 

[mrodgers]

For those that fit the program I just picked up from Safelink a tracfone, with several types of plans. Ours is the 250 free a month, there is a 150 rollover.
But they are free.
If you receive fuel assistance, school lunch programs, food stamps, ssdi, etc.

I think ASSURE is another such program.

These free phones really burn me up. I'd love to have cell phones for my family, but we don't because we can't afford them. But everyone around me collecting government assistance has cell phones for nothing.

 

[pumba]

we use a tracfone and we get the 400 double which would be 800 added onto our leftovers and it is good for one year....so 100 bucks.....I have over 2000 minutes or units right now ...but I dont use it often or only when we are on the road or going someplace ...we also have a home phone but trying to figure out another way of getting rid of that too....we have had the tracfones for 6 or so years

 

[Nayan]

It was announced about an hour ago that AT&T has bought T-Mobile. I don't have any info on whether there's going to be a price change or anything, but I thought I'd give a heads up.

 

[monkeyboy]

T-mobile prepaid
$100 gets you 1k minutes for a year
refill before year is up and minutes carry over

Hurry though it may be gone soon

 

[golfgal]

Something to consider-how about dropping your home phone line and just using a cell? It will save you money in the long run to do that. If you don't use your cell often you can have your home phone number transfered to your cell phone and just use that.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It was announced about an hour ago that AT&T has bought T-Mobile. I don't have any info on whether there's going to be a price change or anything, but I thought I'd give a heads up.

What!? Must go Google......

 

[tvguy]

Something to consider-how about dropping your home phone line and just using a cell? It will save you money in the long run to do that. If you don't use your cell often you can have your home phone number transfered to your cell phone and just use that.

I'm on the flip side of that, my home phone line is the one I use, the cell phone is just for emergencies on the road.
I know for my mom I ended up putting her on my plan for $9 a month, 25 anytime minutes per month. I got her a cell phone 20 years ago, and best I can recall she's make 4 calls total in that time, but all were calls where she needed the cell phone, so it's worth it for my piece of mind. Plus, she's in her late 80's, and I've finally convinced her to keep it with her at home, and when she works in the yard in case she needs help.

 

[tvguy]

What!? Must go Google......

Yup, AT&T bought T-Mobile. My son's girlfriend has T-Mobile only because he dad's work allows family members to have a phone for free. But the coverage isn't up to par with Verizon and A-T & T, or even Sprint.