Cellphone plans

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Gf and I have been with Sprint for maybe 15 or so years. We're currently paying around $200 a month for two phones and unlimited everything. We've been with them so long that we get free phone upgrades when the times come. We're wanting to drastically save money.

What are the best options out there? We need unlimited data,texting,etc. Do all these "cheap" plans like through Walmart,etc,restrict your data,texting,etc,and do you have to outright putchse a phone? What about signal coverage with these types of plans?
 
Depends on your reception and phones. Even if you have to purchase phones full price, having a cheaper unlimited plan (i.e. non throttled for $60 a month or slower throttle for $35 a month) is still way cheaper.

Check for smaller companies that piggy back on larger carriers, like Mint, Ting, Cricket, etc.
 
My wife and I have two unlocked phones. Mine uses Mint Mobile on the T-Mobile network. They have several plans but the one I use is their $20.00 a month plan. Gives you unlimited talk/text & 8 gigs of high speed data.

Our other phone uses Red Pocket found on eBay. They offer very inexpensive plans using Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint networks. Just pick the provider that offers the best coverage in your area. Plans start at only 5 Dollars a month!

Am using AT&T on the other phone. Unlimited talk/text & 5GB and runs a total of only $20.00 a month.

There are several You Tube Videos on both plans. I Have used Red Pocket Mobile for several months and Mint Mobile for over two years now. No issues.
 
Most of those smaller providers (Mint, Boost, etc) have some pretty low limits on how much high speed data you get. Something to think about if you use more data.

We have T-Mobile. $100 (that's taxes and fees included) a month for 2 phones. T-Mobile doesn't even think about throttling you till you hit 50gb, and then it's only in times of congestion on the network. So far I've used 19gb this month on my phone. In our area, T-Mobiles coverage is the same as ATT's, which is excellent.
 
We were with Verizon. Our bill was outrageous! $300/ month for just 2gigs each plus the phone payment etc. We switched to sprint,was cheaper but too many dead spots with no service. We then went with metro pcs. They use AT&T's towers and actually work better than verizon did.

We now have 3 lines,3 phones, insurance and unlimited everything for $108/ month and they gave us the phones.
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
We need unlimited data...

That's what will kill most pricing schemes. Do you really, really need unlimited data ? How much do you use monthly ?

Those cheap plans you mention, even they aren't likely to have text message limits. Those went away a decade ago, at least with the big carriers. As far as network coverage, they don't have their own network, but piggy-back on someone else's so see who they use, i.e. Verizon, ATT, Sprint, etc to determine coverage.
 
Of the big 4, Sprint tends to be among the cheapest. Look at the new Sprint plans. If Sprint serves you adequately just switch out of that expensive old plan. Like most companies they now sell new phones through monthly installments instead of "free". Even if you both want the next iPhone every time one comes out, the overall cost would still be well under $200.
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
We're wanting to drastically save money.

We need unlimited data,texting,etc.


Not going to happen. Those are mutually exclusive. What do you need unlimited data for that wifi can't cover?
 
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
We're wanting to drastically save money.


Stop doing 3k oil changes on full synthetic.
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
We're wanting to drastically save money.


Stop doing 3k oil changes on full synthetic.
laugh.gif



Haha now that is asking the impossible:^D
 
Do a data usage analysis? see if you really need Unlimited Data.
Yes, those free upgrades are not free.

Just FYI @Chris142, T-Mobile own Metro PCS, so logically they use T-Mobile network.
I am not sure if they use AT&T network at least not in Dallas.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
We're wanting to drastically save money.

We need unlimited data,texting,etc.


Not going to happen. Those are mutually exclusive. What do you need unlimited data for that wifi can't cover?


Streaming music, podcasts, and videos easily eats a ton of data. Last month I used 5.8Gb on YouTube, 4.2 on podcasts, 2.3gb on SiriusXM, and 1.9gb on Pandora. WiFi at work is hit or miss, usually miss, so I don't use it at all.
 
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if you must have true unlimited then T mobile is the way to go. $100 for 2 lines i beleive. still half the price of what you are paying. if your phones are not compatible , you might need new phones though .
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
We're wanting to drastically save money.

We need unlimited data,texting,etc.


Not going to happen. Those are mutually exclusive. What do you need unlimited data for that wifi can't cover?


Streaming music, podcasts, and videos easily eats a ton of data. Last month I used 5.8Gb on YouTube, 4.2 on podcasts, 2.3gb on SiriusXM, and 1.9gb on Pandora. WiFi at work is hit or miss, usually miss, so I don't use it at all.


I don't do any of that on a phone. Youtube on a 5 inch screen is pretty worthless. The few times I listen to music I can turn on a radio for free or wait until I get home.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi


I don't do any of that on a phone. Youtube on a 5 inch screen is pretty worthless. The few times I listen to music I can turn on a radio for free or wait until I get home.


And that's okay... but Aquariuscsm, and millions of others aren't like you. YouTube has tons of videos that are great just to listen too and not actually watch. In some areas terrestrial radio is just terrible, leaving streaming as your only option.

"Get off my lawn!"
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
How did people survive in the old days?


They dealt with it. But I personally like being able to stream whatever I want whenever I want and not worrying about an arbitrary limit. Having music, a podcast, or video play in the background while I'm working on whatever makes me happy, a sentiment shared by tons of others.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. I researched out all the options you all suggested and we'll see what we want to do. We're just trying to see where we can save money here and there on bills,etc. Like some here have said,that data can be used up quicker than you realize.
 
If you are age 55+, the big three or four offer reduced price cell phone plans. I know t mobile has unlimited everything for 2 phones for $70/month.

Boost Mobile uses Sprint towers and will give you unlimited everything for drastically less than your paying. The catch is that they throttle/slow down your internet after you use a certain amount of data, but you can use as much internet as you want every month.

If you use Comcast Xfinity internet, their Xfinity mobil plan uses Verizon towers and gets rave reviews. I think their unlimited plan is $45/month.
 
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