https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Apr 2026 08:40:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1362361 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 17:38:38 +0000 BSB 1362361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Oh, man. That sucks. Any chance you could tell your ILs that it's a bit more expensive then you had previously planned? Or have your DH tell them. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1362153 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 16:08:01 +0000 creativemomma15 1362153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: That stinks! We were on a family plan a few years ago but realized it wasn't saving us too much money and was making it a little awkward to be sharing with the ILs, especially if someone is using the plan more and you want to pay your fair share. </p> <p><a href="http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=6d-4zdnXWwX" rel="nofollow">http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=6d-4zdnXWwX</a><br /> If you go to the bottom of this page it shows the cost for different amounts of data. Not sure how much you use or need but maybe one of the higher amounts could still work for you? It's the data cost plus $25 for each smartphone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1362022 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 15:12:16 +0000 regberadaisy 1362022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think I'll be able to get our our data usage that low.</p> <p>Sucks because when my ILs joined our family plan I should've taken the total (excluding our unlimited data) divide by four. Instead I only told them $10. Now we are also paying for unlimited texting because she texts so much! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361983 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:54:52 +0000 sunny 1361983@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Part of the reason why AT&amp;T is expensive is because there is a built in phone subsidy. Every month you are on contract, part of that phone subsidy goes towards paying off the phone you got at a discount (or free). Once you are off contract, AT&amp;T is now pocketing that phone subsidy. I like getting a new phone every 2 years, so as soon as my contract is done, I sign a new one and get a new phone. I also sell my old phone which helps cover the cost of the upgrade.</p> <p>If you are ok with buying a phone at full price to begin with or with using an older one, I would look into lower cost alternatives like Straight Talk, Tmobile, prepaid phones, etc. I used an old flip phone for years with Tmobile prepaid and spent about $100 per year. My bill is now around $120 per MONTH for 2 smart phones :-P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361962 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:49:42 +0000 creativemomma15 1361962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: That makes sense… We never had data before so it was an upgrade for us and we are almost always around wi-fi so we don't really need much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361959 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:49:05 +0000 snowjewelz 1361959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jodyblair: There was a short lived thread a while ago... I think the one person that answered liked it, but she was using Sprint phones/towers. I looked into it, you have to get specific phones that are from Verizon in order to use Verizon towers. I think it is compatible with iPhones; at least when I checked on the website my phone was! </p> <p>I just need to take some time to do the math; we pay $60 per person right now for 4 people on a family plan. Straight Talk is $45, but then Verizon subsidize a new phone while I probably have to pay maybe double if I were to get the same phone &amp; use straight talk. </p> <p>I would keep using my phone but I am not sure if it will last till end of this year! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361958 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:48:49 +0000 creativemomma15 1361958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Yes, it is $25 per phone. Our bill before taxes is $70 total. It is $25 for each phone, so $50 total for the phones plus $20 for the shared data. The $20 shared data is just one charge for both phones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361956 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:48:36 +0000 BSB 1361956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@creativemomma15: Oh, ok. I am currently grandfathered into AT&amp;T's unlimited data plan for $30 a month. I kinda like having the unlimited data. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361949 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:44:36 +0000 regberadaisy 1361949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@creativemomma15: it does but if you have have two smartphones won't it be additional $50 not $25? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361943 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:43:18 +0000 creativemomma15 1361943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: @locavore_mama: @Silva: First, I realized I was off by $5… This is how it was explained to us, a base of $20 for the shared data of 300mb and then each smartphone cost $25 to add. So for my husband and I we pay $70 (20+25+25) If you have a regular phone then the cost is $20 a phone. The base for shared data goes up depending on how much data you use. So, for 1 mb the base is $45 plus 20 or 25 for each phone depending on what type of phone you have. Does that make sense? It is a no contract plan and we came into it already having phones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361930 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:38:50 +0000 BSB 1361930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@creativemomma15: I'm wondering about the pricing, too. Like @locavore_mama: I spend $60 on just data for two iphones. </p> <p>I looked into those unlimited share everything plans but it would be more expensive for us because we don't need all those minutes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361913 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:35:23 +0000 regberadaisy 1361913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@creativemomma15: how's that possible? Just my data for two phones is $60?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361860 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:24:08 +0000 Silva 1361860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@creativemomma15: wow, maybe I need to go stop by ATT and see what they can do for me. Maybe if I threaten to leave they will pull some strings. We are paying 125.00 for a family plan for 2 phones- but only one phone has data. Seems absurd. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361709 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 13:43:30 +0000 yerpie110 1361709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a family plan with friends and it saves so much money, so if you don't have family around, friends can work too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361626 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 13:12:09 +0000 jodyblair 1361626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been wondering about straight talk too. Our contract with Verizon is up in a few weeks and I'd love to hear about people's experiences with it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361455 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 12:15:10 +0000 creativemomma15 1361455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just switched our plan around with AT&amp;T with their new mobile share plans. We were given two iPhones from family and ended up upgrading our plans and saving money. We had been paying 90/month for 2 basic phones, 200 texts and no data. Now we will pay 70+taxes a month for 2 smart phones, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 300 mb of data. And, no contract. We had looked into Straight Talk but they don't have a lot of support so we were a little hesitant to switch over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361421 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 12:03:20 +0000 BSB 1361421@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, depending upon your employer, there might be a company discount. I was getting 15% off for being a student at my undergrad university. I now get 15% off for being an employee at my company. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361395 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:59:23 +0000 BSB 1361395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: do you have any family members who have AT&amp;T ? You can save quite a bit a money when you create a family plan.</p> <p>My name is on our family talk plan. I have 4 other people on my account (my DH, mom, dad and niece). We pay $250 a month and that's for 3 iPhones and 2 'dumb' phones. The one thing that is good for us is that we use hardly any minutes. Our plan is 700 minutes and we use between 400-500 minutes in a month. We have rollover minutes so we use more minutes than the 700 we get each month. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361342 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:45:34 +0000 pui 1361342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Oh cool! I don't see that on their site though? Maybe you gotta buy the phone elsewhere and then set it up with them.</p> <p>Anyway, sorry to threadjack! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361289 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:34:19 +0000 Silva 1361289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: oh, I didn't read the comments- I'll check them out. THanks </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361277 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:32:20 +0000 regberadaisy 1361277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: read through the comments. Some members have been using other similar providers that are other networks. I think one was under Verizon? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361271 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:31:45 +0000 regberadaisy 1361271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: Mrs High Heels mentioned that in late 2013 they started supporting the iPhone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361270 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:31:32 +0000 Silva 1361270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: He would probably be willing to switch (I'll have to ask), but we can't use Ting because we don't get good Sprint coverage in this area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361263 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:29:55 +0000 Silva 1361263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: I saw that and looked into it, but we don't really get good Spint coverage in our area (from my understanding) :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361258 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:29:18 +0000 pui 1361258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have heard good things about Ting, but I don't think they offer iPhones. Does he need to have an iPhone or could he replace it with a different smart phone? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361248 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:27:32 +0000 regberadaisy 1361248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: Mrs High Heels just did an awesome post on Ting!</p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2014/01/17/a-ting-review-saving-100-on-our-cellphone-bill/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2014/01/17/a-ting-review-saving-100-on-our-cellphone-bill/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/lowering-cell-phone-bill#post-1361238 Mon, 20 Jan 2014 11:26:05 +0000 Silva 1361238@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>any advice for reducing our monthly cell phone costs?</p> <p>My husband needs an iphone for work, I just use an old flip phone. We are paying ridiculous amounts with AT&amp;T right now. My husband's phone is not under contract with them, but mine is- so I can switch him to something else but I"m stuck with AT&amp;T.</p> <p>Anyone used StraightTalk? It looks pretty good.... He is still using an old iphone3 and is going to need to upgrade soon. Is there a way to get less expensive iphones?</p> <p>I'm totally clueless about how they work (SIM cards? refurbished? help!) which is why we've just stuck with ATT for so long. But honestly I'm starting to feel a little used by ATT- no perks for long time customers! </p>