Cell Phones and Plan

[LivingAlmostLarge]

How many minutes do you pay for on your cell phone plan? For what price? How many people are on the plan? And do you have any extras? How much is your home phone?

ATT 550 minutes for $59.99 for 2 lines and $5 for 1000 texts a month. So $69.99/month, our home phone is $30/month if calculated since we pay $89.99 for internet, phone, and cable; but just internet and tv it would be $79.99 so for $10 extra we get a home phone.

So it's not cheaper unless we up our cell phone plan. Do most people who are home phone free have a higher cell phone plan?

[disneysteve]

We have AT&T Family plan. There are 5 of us from 3 households on the plan, 2 with iPhones. We have 850 shared minutes, unlimited texting and data on the 2 iPhones. Our monthly bill with all taxes and fees is about $175.

Our land line is $33.48. That's unlimited local plus call-waiting.

[riverwed070707]

I think that most people who have cell phones definitely pay more for them than they do for their landline (you get more for your money so why wouldn't you?). The savings comes from the fact that most people wouldn't give up their cell phone so you're not deciding between one or the other, you're deciding between paying for both or paying for just a cell.

Everyone is going to be different because their phone use is different. You say you have 550 minutes, but there is unlimited calling to others on ATT, correct? So if most of your friends and family have ATT, maybe you wouldn't even need more minutes.

That's the case for us -- we have 700 minutes shared between 2 of us (lowest Sprint offers) and we use about 100 minutes a month. We talk far more than 100 minutes, but most of our calling is to each other and family also on Sprint. With friends, we text.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by riverwed070707

I think that most people who have cell phones definitely pay more for them than they do for their landline (you get more for your money so why wouldn't you?).

Everyone is going to be different because their phone use is different. You say you have 550 minutes, but there is unlimited calling to others on ATT, correct? So if most of your friends and family have ATT, maybe you wouldn't even need more minutes.

That's the case for us -- we have 700 minutes shared between 2 of us (lowest Sprint offers) and we use about 100 minutes a month. We talk far more than 100 minutes, but most of our calling is to each other and family also on Sprint. With friends, we text.

Same here. We have 850 shared minutes and a couple thousand rollover minutes because we never use all 850. We actually use a lot more than that but nights and weekends don't count so we stick to making calls during those hours as much as possible. If we dropped our land line, though, we'd have to use our cells during the weekdays and 850 minutes wouldn't be nearly enough. We'd need several times that many which I'm guessing would cost a whole lot more than the $33 we pay for our land line.

[elessar78]

We currently pay about $110 for two phones and 700 minutes (which we never come close to using up). We pay 5 bucks for 250 text messages. I also have a 13% discount through work. Although my wife wants to upgrade to an iPhone so tack on another 20 for the data plan (ugh). We might switch to ATT after hearing what they offer.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by elessar78

my wife wants to upgrade to an iPhone so tack on another 20 for the data plan (ugh).

It is so worth every penny it costs.

[Snodog]

I switched over to Page Plus about a year ago. I bought 2000 minutes for $80 at Kitty Wireless that still haven't ran out(have about $1 left). Wife has phone paid for through work and we have no landline.

I'm really happy with Page Plus and haven't found anything cheaper, plus they use the Verizon network.

[Nightfly]

After using contract cell phones for years, I switched to Wal-Mart's "Straight Talk" about a year ago and haven't regretted it at all. For $30 per month, I get all of the talk time and texting I could ever use. I never come close to using up my minutes. Haven't had any trouble with reception, either inside or out, in several different states. BTW I use the cheapest phone they offer, which cost me about $35. In addition, we don't have a landline so the cell is all I use. No contract, you prepay every month. Which is fine with me.

[photo]

$99 for 5 phones with 700 weekday minutes (weekends are free) with Verizon. No data plan, but we don't really need it.

[Frugal]

We have 700 minutes shared per month on two smartphones through Verizon. It is $140/month. Seems really high, but in reality about $10-15 less than what we would have been paying at AT and T and did pay for a while.

[Frugal]

By the way, I had a landline for $15/month plus tax, until they tried to charge me more, and then one day my service did not work (their fault, but they said they would charge me to come out and repair). Overall, I think the cell is a better deal. Expensive, but worth it.

[dawnwes]

700 Shared Minutes
No texting/no data
Nights and Weekends free
Sprint to Sprint free
3 phones/users

$35/mo plus tax makes it $42/mo

[LivingAlmostLarge]

So best deal out there is sprint? 700 minutes for $35/month for 3 phones? I'd love to switch to sprint. How did you get such a cheap deal? I was shopping for the cheapest cell phone plan.

Nope we easily could run over our minutes because I use it when out, but I try not to. For a lot of my daytime calls I try to use our home phone. I am looking at Ooma though especially if we move and the phone deal isn't that great.

nightfly what is this straight talk?

[photo]

Just a note -- I'm having mild regrets that we switched our landline to a cell phone (physically, we use the same landline phone, but it's connected via a little box that converts it to a cell phone, via Verizon's "Home Connect" service).

The cost is terrific: ~ $10 for the same line that was previously ~ $50.

However, the quality is not so great. It's a regular cell phone quality, but I do have to admit that the landline quality and clarity was better. Since I use the home phone as a business phone, I'm not sure that this is acceptable.

If our local telephone company had not priced themselves so ridiculously, I probably would not have converted.

[dawnwes]

No, the deal is not available through Sprint regularly. I was a long time Sprint user (10 years) when DH was given the option of adding me to his work plan for $25.

I called Sprint (where I was paying $85 plus tax) and happened upon the right person. I told him we were leaving Sprint and he asked what deal I was getting.

He said, "I have the authority to match that. How about a family plan for $35 for 2 phones and $10 more for the 3rd phone, keeping your 23% discount for your work on top of that?"

So, that is how I got the plan 3 years ago. Now, I can't touch it or manipulate it in any way or I lose the entire plan. I can't add texting or internet or a phone.

Eventually we will need to lose the plan. Sprint so much as told me last time I went in for something else that they are trying to "get rid of people like me" as I don't bring them in any money.

I think the major cell companies make PLENTY of money!

But, until we NEED to, we are keeping this plan. It comes to $15 per phone including tax. I can't match that anywhere.

Any texting I do can be added for .20 per text. I rarely text so I don't mind an occasional .20 here or there. I have my ipod touch for most texting if I am in wifi.

Dawn

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

So best deal out there is sprint? 700 minutes for $35/month for 3 phones? I'd love to switch to sprint. How did you get such a cheap deal? I was shopping for the cheapest cell phone plan.

Nope we easily could run over our minutes because I use it when out, but I try not to. For a lot of my daytime calls I try to use our home phone. I am looking at Ooma though especially if we move and the phone deal isn't that great.

nightfly what is this straight talk?

[photo]

Originally Posted by dawnwes

I....happened upon the right person. I told him we were leaving Sprint and he asked what deal I was getting.

With almost any business, that's the critical part. Employees of the very same company have given completely opposite information and then feign surprise that anyone there would ever give such false information.

If you don't receive the answer you want, call, call, call again, until you find someone who will.

[dawnwes]

No kidding. It drives me bonkers! I can call the same place 5 times with the same question and get 5 completely different answers.

Dawn

Originally Posted by photo

With almost any business, that's the critical part. Employees of the very same company have given completely opposite information and then feign surprise that anyone there would ever give such false information.

If you don't receive the answer you want, call, call, call again, until you find someone who will.

[feh]

My wife and I are tracfone customers. $7/month for each phone.

[dawnwes]

Another option.

I switched our home phone 2 years ago to Ooma phone (internet based). The "hub" cost $199 but the monthly fees are currently less than $1 and will go up to $3 per month next year. This isn't really a charge from Ooma but a government tax fee.

They do have something called "premier" service for either $9.99/mo or a flat fee of $69/year or something like that.

If you get Premier, one added bonus feature is 1000 minutes available through an app each month.

So, if you got something like Virgin Mobile, which offers a $45 plan for unlimited data and texting and 300 minutes. If you were to get Ooma and drop your $30/mo home phone and get the Virgin Mobil plan, you could use the Ooma app for an additional free 1000 min. on your data plan. when you call using your Ooma app, it will show on caller ID as your home Ooma phone number.

I have considered this option as well.

Dawn

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Interesting maybe