The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: thobbs on January 30, 2017, 06:12:41 PM
-
I've decided I hate having a smartphone on me all the time, and would like to switch back to normally just carrying a dumb phone (just calls + text, no data, no apps, etc). I probably use about 30m of calls a month, and maybe 50 to 150 texts a month. Does anybody know a cheap plan that would work well with that? Suggestions for dumb phones are also welcome. Thanks!
-
Republic Wireless have a $10/mo plan, although I'm not sure about the dumb phones.
Consumer Cellular have cheap plans and flip-phones, if you want one. We use them for my MIL. They are very friendly and easy to deal with.
-
Depends on the network you need. Also, there's nothing saying that you can't restrict your existing smartphone and use a cheap provider with it after you carrier unlock the thing.
On the lower usage end, there's (from the guide (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/communications-tech-son-of-the-superguide!/)):
(AT&T)
H2O Wireless
Airvoice
Puretalk USA
Truphone SIM
(T-Mobile)
US Mobile
Liberty Wireless
(Sprint)
Kajeet
(Verizon)
Selectel
H2O Wireless or Truphone SIM might be your best two choices at those usage levels, and ignore the inevitable Republic Wireless recommendations - there's way better for the money. Have a link to the unabridged communications guide (http://www.techmeshugana.com/theguide/) while you're at it.
-
I'd recommend Ting as it is dirt cheap and their customer service is stellar. You can buy a regular flip phone for $20 (The Alcatel OneTouch Fling flip phones, which uses the Sprint network for CDMA): https://ting.com/shop/Alcatel-OneTouch-Fling-Refurbished-CDMA
I've had them for almost 2 years and LOVE them. GREAT service and actually have never had a single issue with them.
Easy to port over existing numbers too, no contracts and you only pay for what you use.
If you use it as little as you say, you'd pay around $14 a month (not including fees/taxes which would add a few bucks max). So like $16 a month? You can play with the amounts here to see what you might pay: https://ting.com/rates
If you do end up going with them, I would really appreciate possibly using my referral code:
https://z0p1rd31m89.ting.com/
You'd get a $25 credit for your first month (which would pay for the phone and more), and I'd also receive the same credit. :)
-
Just going to additionally toss in (sorry Frankies Girl), although providers like Ting and Consumer Cellular can be a good deal for multi-line households, they're a raw deal for a single line, doubly so at the usage levels you're talking. $10 should be the screaming max you should have to pay per month, and realistically with providers like H2O, you should come in between $4-9/month. Ting's a base minimum of $6/month+tax plus any usage on top of that, Consumer Cellular $10/month+tax plus usage. If you prefer T-Mobile and bucket usage on a single line, US Mobile would be the better option, and still cheaper than Ting.
As for feature phones, again, try to use up and wear out your smartphone since you already bought it, there's nothing saying you can't disable mobile data and use it on the cheaper plans. If you insist on replacing, however, there's really not much choice in feature phones anymore. You pretty much buy what you can find these days, unfortunately.
-
Just going to additionally toss in (sorry Frankies Girl), although providers like Ting and Consumer Cellular can be a good deal for multi-line households, they're a raw deal for a single line, doubly so at the usage levels you're talking. $10 should be the screaming max you should have to pay per month, and realistically with providers like H2O, you should come in between $4-9/month. Ting's a base minimum of $6/month plus any usage on top of that. If you prefer T-Mobile and bucket usage on a single line, US Mobile would be the better option, and still cheaper than Ting.
No worries, forgot that there are so many great options out there now. ;)
How wonderful is it that now days there are cheaper than $16 phone plans to choose from? :)
-
No worries, forgot that there are so many great options out there now. ;)
How wonderful is it that now days there are cheaper than $16 phone plans to choose from? :)
Those options have always been there, just need to know where to look for 'em. ;)
-
$3 a month on T-mobile for 30 minutes of talk or 30 texts no data... (Add additional talk and text at a low flat rate of 10 cents per minute/message (sending and receiving).)
I think I may see if I can switch my iphone to this in half a year... (as long as I can force the phone to only receive texts on wifi I would be more than fine)
https://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/pay-as-you-go
-
Are you in canada? If so the 7-11 pay as you go phone is $10 per month for unlimited texting, plus some small amount for minutes.
-
I've also seen 7-11 40$ for the whole year with 1000min. (with unlimited texts)
I can't find anything better priced than that.
(Canada)