Home  Finance Articles  Discussion  Our Blog / Member Blogs           
SavingAdvice.com Logo The SavingAdvice.com millionaire calculator is a fun way to see how long it will take for YOU to become a millionaire.
Teaching you to Save Money

Go Back   Personal Finance Forums > Financial Chit Chat > Personal Finance

Personal Finance Credit cards, home loans, retirement plans and taxes. The place for all your personal finance questions.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 07-04-2006, 07:02 AM
NyGiantFan NyGiantFan is offline
$ Saving First Grader
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Tampa
Posts: 7

Points: 225.90
Donate
Default Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

First post on the site... great job here.

Got lucky that my contract with cingular is winding down, and since it is an old contract cingular reducing the penalty by $10 a month! So to break it, it will cost me only $60 now (I almost jumped out of my pants, cheaper then my bill). Anyway I never used a prepay, but I want to, no more cell bills for me unless my job gives me one. So looking to see who has the best prepay phones and service etc.

Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 07-04-2006, 12:14 PM
sweeps sweeps is offline
Hopeless Optimist
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,560

Points: 26237.30
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Take a look at Tracfone.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 07-04-2006, 04:19 PM
NyGiantFan NyGiantFan is offline
$ Saving First Grader
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Tampa
Posts: 7

Points: 225.90
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Thanks.. looks good
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 07-04-2006, 06:01 PM
slimcustomer slimcustomer is offline
$ Saving Jr. High Schooler
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 90

Points: 905.00
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Definitely check for coverage before selecting plans. Cingular, T-Mobile, and Virgin mobile all have inexpensive plans available. My Cingular phone costs $100/year. T-Mobile has a $100 card that gives you 10 cents per minute and is good for 1 year. If you rarely use your phone, I believe you can get 18 cent a minute when you load $20 on to a Virgin Mobile phone every 90 days. Plus, there is SugarMamma!
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 07-05-2006, 04:56 AM
Diolla Diolla is offline
$ Saving HS Junior
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 248

Points: 1973.40
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

I have a pre-paid through T-mobile but I must confess I didn't really shop around. I used to pay $60 a month for 2 phones but in Feb. I bought $100 pre-paid for my phone (1000 min) and $25 for my sons (100 min) and I still have 400 min left and I have refilled his twice for a total of $175 for 5 months instead of $300. These are our only phones (no land line) so I am really happy with the pre-paid plan. If you don't use all the minutes on a contract, in my opinion, pre-paid is the way to go.
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 07-05-2006, 06:18 AM
jaksilee's Avatar
jaksilee jaksilee is offline
$ Saving HS Freshman
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 142

Points: 1373.40
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Becareful when you are shopping plans check for the following:
~ no per month or refill (an extra fee to put more time on your phone) charges
~ how you can refill, ie online, at a store, with a card.
~ do your min rollover when each time period ends.

I have used Trafone before, for about 2 years. My sis and grandparents both use them. Cards were easy to buy online, and at target or walmart & most chain drug stores. Time is simple to add at any time. On tracfone you do have to add something each month of you phone, and their smallest card is 20 min. The bigger the card is the less your price per min.
I really liked it till I started useing too many min (I use 300-500 a month) and was allways running out to buy a card. So I switched to a contract.
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 07-05-2006, 12:06 PM
djaco djaco is offline
$ Saving Sixth Grader
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 59

Points: 1156.40
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Here's a website where you can compare different prepaid cellular plans:

http://www.telebay.com/govoip/compareprepay.html

Not sure how prices compare, but sometimes these lesser known carriers offer better deals.
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old 07-05-2006, 02:52 PM
NyGiantFan NyGiantFan is offline
$ Saving First Grader
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Tampa
Posts: 7

Points: 225.90
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Thanks guys I checked out Tracfone and it is definitely better then what the Brand name wireless companies offered. And I can port my number to them which is great. Not even my current subscriber would do it and I wanted to stay in the cingular family just prepaid.
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old 07-07-2006, 09:10 PM
MarianneJ's Avatar
MarianneJ MarianneJ is offline
$ Saving HS Freshman
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NJ
Posts: 106

Points: 1439.10
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

I was just released from prison, er... I mean my 2 year contract with Sprint and did alot of looking around. I ended up buying 4 different phones to find one with reception in my house. Unless you live in a big city the coverage maps on the provider websites are just not accurate.

I finally ended up with Cingular Pay-as-you-Go. During the summer months I do not use my phone everyday so I am on the plan which is $1/day if you use the phone and $0.10/minute thereafter. Once I start back to school at the end of August I will change to either the straight $0.25/minute or they also offer a third alternative in the PrePaid category: 200 minutes for $30/month auto-withdrawal from bank account/CC/DebitCard. This is the one I am leaning toward.

My other findings:
* Verizon's PrePaid are astronomically expensive.

* Tracfone only uses a small percentage of towers - i.e. in my area they contract with T-Mobile for all GSM phones but you will not necessarily get the full coverage that a person who has a contract with T-Mobile gets.

* Same for Virgin Mobile who uses Sprint towers

* You can save yourself some money on your PrePaid phone by calling to listen to your voicemail messages from another phone such as your landline - you will not be charged for those minutes unlike if you listen directly from your cell phone.
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old 07-08-2006, 06:43 AM
poundwise's Avatar
poundwise poundwise is offline
Debt Freedom Fighter
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,855

Points: 13020.20
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones


My wife has a Virgin Mobile phone and we like it because it is used relatively little and with the auto 'Top-Up' option we've selected we only have to 'recharge' the minutes every 90 days and only have to do so with $15. We most often Top-Up prior to 90 days but greater than 60, so this works out well for us.

I'd recommend Virgin for infrequent/lite usage. Otherwise, take a look at Alltel. They have a good per minute rate and, unless they've changed recently, don't make you recharge at any pre-set interval, so its completely in your control how much you spend. The only negative (I am recalling this from memory and it may be different now so check) I believe is that they do have a roaming rate (yes, on a pre-paid) that is different than the standard rate. If you live and work where you won't incur this though, then that would not be an issue.

__________________

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." - Anonymous
Reply With Quote
  #11 (permalink)  
Old 07-08-2006, 09:19 AM
MarshallMiddle MarshallMiddle is offline
$ Saving Fourth Grader
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 24

Points: 680.50
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

I also just finished my 2 year contract with Verizon, and they are offering to sign me up again with a new phone. I think that I'll go with either Tracfone or the Cingular pay-as-you-go. This thread has been very informative.
Reply With Quote
  #12 (permalink)  
Old 07-08-2006, 09:26 AM
NyGiantFan NyGiantFan is offline
$ Saving First Grader
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Tampa
Posts: 7

Points: 225.90
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Thanks for the great thread guys. I am going with Tracfone . My old number should be ported over within few days. What difference financially. I have changed my mind set away from anything plan product oriented when it comes to consumer goods and services if I can help it. It really makes a difference.
Reply With Quote
  #13 (permalink)  
Old 07-09-2006, 04:12 AM
Tree0164 Tree0164 is offline
$ Saving College Junior
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,267

Points: 15372.50
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

Trafone is the best one to go with. I think you are making a smart decision.

Check out the pro and cons of prepaid cell phones on this site as well.
Reply With Quote
  #14 (permalink)  
Old 07-15-2006, 12:36 PM
shelbylovesmelby's Avatar
shelbylovesmelby shelbylovesmelby is offline
$ Saving College Senior
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,797

Points: 40420.90
Donate
Default Re: Hi guys Question on prepay Phones

I have a Virgin Mobile phone. I've been happy with the service for the past 3 yrs that we've had it. Since becomming a sahm I can't afford nor do I need to have tons and tons of minutes or a bill every month.
I pay $20 (or a few pennies less if you buy the card @ wal-mart) every 90 days & if you sign up with them to do an auto (via credit card instead of buying a minutes card @ the store) "top up" they will reduce the minimum amount to $15 every 90 days or if your minutes go below $5 they will auto top up for you as well. BTW whatever minutes/$ you don't use it rolls over to the next 90 day period so you never loose your $ minutes.

they just changed text messages to .05 / message from .10 / message

hth
Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Got another one for you guys Broken Arrow Personal Finance 23 11-29-2006 12:15 PM
What can you guys tell me about Amex Financial / Amerprise? Broken Arrow General Discussion 5 11-28-2006 03:31 PM
Question for the guys aurielle Everything Else 4 11-17-2006 03:43 AM
Anyone Prepay Home Heating Oil banana Frugal Questions and Answers 3 07-19-2006 06:45 AM
Do you tip the guys who carry out Mamaw General Discussion 6 12-12-2005 07:00 PM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:19 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6 © 2006, Crawlability, Inc.
More Links Home Loan | Debt Consolidation Loans | Refinance Home Mortgage | Finance Options

About Us | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Link To Us | Related Resources | Webmasters | Media | Site Map | Contact Us

Copyright ©2002-2008 SavingAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Please read our Disclaimer

 

Featured Sponsors
IVA uk definitive guide
Bad Credit Loans
IVA Forum
IVA Book
Private Student Loans
Credit Cards
Payday Loans
moving
Student Loans
Online Shopping
Dell Coupons
Cash Loans
Credit Card Processing
Back to School
Apply Now for Personal Loans

Partners
Debt Reduction
Budget Stretcher
DivaTribe
Thrifty Fun
Money Talk
Online Personal Budgeting
Budget Dial