Expensive data plan vs. home internet

[Cheryl]

One of the things MMM is enthusiastically against is expensive phones with expensive data plans.  I wanted to get y'all's opinion on if my situation could be called an exception.

I have an expensive smart phone, though not the MOST expensive because that was insane.  I bought it with cash because the idea of making payments on a PHONE hurt my brain even before Mustachianism took over.  I also pay about $30 to $50 per month for data (I dither back and forth about which plan I need.) lumped in with a family plan with my parents.  The fact that I'm 28 and my parents live in a different city doesn't bother the phone company, so I'll take the discount!  This relatively "low" data plan means I can't stream video without worrying about hitting my data limit, but this restriction has predictably improved life.

Now: is this a justifiable expense, given that this is INSTEAD OF any sort of home internet?  I have an old laptop from my college days I occasionally play old games on, but other than that this phone is my only computer and internet.  On the rare occasion I need more I go to a library or similar.  I also have no TV or netflix or anything like that, of course.  So, I'm spending more on phone than most mustacians, but am I spending more once you include TV and other internet?

P.S. l hope this didn't post multiple times!  The page kept freezing when I hit "post".

[Calvawt]

I don't see any issue with it.  Remember that you don't have to give up everything, just make choices based on what you want to prioritize.  Trading home internet for a data plan seems fine to me.


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[jeromedawg]

I think this could be viable but depends on your "needs" and "wants." What is your *total* bill? You mentioned $30-$50 for data, but are you paying a flat rate under that?

I've often contemplated it as well and it would be nice to not deal with having to pay for home internet.... assuming the cost of home internet doesn't surpass what I'd pay for the data. Otherwise, I think it still might be a better option to subscribe to the cheapest internet ($20-30 max) and then go with a cheaper phone where I have some data but it's not limited. For example, I'm on Page Plus right now and have been purchasing their $30 monthly plan. I have Cox internet and originally they were around $30. That has increased to $42 in the past few years, which I'm really unhappy about. There are no other competitors in the area so Cox can pretty much do what they want as far as price hikes. It's a horrible thing.

Anyway, both my wife and I use internet at home so technically, if we were to split that would be $21 per person. At the end of the day, we're each paying $51 for our cellphones and internet.

I'm considering just doing Freedompop LTE as they seem to have gotten better with coverage. That would even more drastically reduce costs.

[Cheryl]

No, it $30-$50 total.  I could switch to a cheaper plan, debatably, but I couldn't get, for example, home internet and no smartphone (my preeecious!); that just wouldn't work for me.  I doubt I'd be able to get both home internet and a phone data plan for less than just a phone data plan, so the debate I'm having with myself isn't about whether or not to get home internet.  It's just whether or not to do some serious research into cheaper phone data.  When I see people in the forum bragging about their $10/mo data plans I feel terribly wussy - unless all those people are going home to unlimited home internet!  Then I feel that if anything I'm getting a good deal!

[Retired To Win]

... is this [smart phone monthly cost] a justifiable expense, given that this is INSTEAD OF any sort of home internet?...

If the monthly cost of a standard phone plus internet would be more than what you are paying monthly for your smart phone, the expense is actually more than justifiable.  It is, in fact, an example of what I call "frugality without sacrifice."  You would be saving yourself money on the combined cost of phone service plus internet service without having to give up either one.

[jeromedawg]

No, it $30-$50 total.  I could switch to a cheaper plan, debatably, but I couldn't get, for example, home internet and no smartphone (my preeecious!); that just wouldn't work for me.  I doubt I'd be able to get both home internet and a phone data plan for less than just a phone data plan, so the debate I'm having with myself isn't about whether or not to get home internet.  It's just whether or not to do some serious research into cheaper phone data.  When I see people in the forum bragging about their $10/mo data plans I feel terribly wussy - unless all those people are going home to unlimited home internet!  Then I feel that if anything I'm getting a good deal!

That's not a bad deal then. Which provider are you with?

[MissPeach]

I think that's fine too if that's your priority. I would just caution against assuming 100% one way or the other depending on how you use your phone and its capabilities.

For example a lot of smartphones can generate a mobile hot spot. This could be used to generate an internet connection if it's not something you need often outside of your phone. If you have apple products you can push the streaming from your phone to your TV using just your mobile data.

Another example if you might be better off getting a cheap home plan and using wifi for data and phone calls at home.

My personal preference for my needs is using a cheap plan for both and leveraging wifi when I can.

[PMG]

One of the things MMM is enthusiastically against is expensive phones with expensive data plans.  I wanted to get y'all's opinion on if my situation could be called an exception.

I have an expensive smart phone, though not the MOST expensive because that was insane.  I bought it with cash because the idea of making payments on a PHONE hurt my brain even before Mustachianism took over.  I also pay about $30 to $50 per month for data (I dither back and forth about which plan I need.) lumped in with a family plan with my parents.  The fact that I'm 28 and my parents live in a different city doesn't bother the phone company, so I'll take the discount!  This relatively "low" data plan means I can't stream video without worrying about hitting my data limit, but this restriction has predictably improved life.

Now: is this a justifiable expense, given that this is INSTEAD OF any sort of home internet?  I have an old laptop from my college days I occasionally play old games on, but other than that this phone is my only computer and internet.  On the rare occasion I need more I go to a library or similar.  I also have no TV or netflix or anything like that, of course.  So, I'm spending more on phone than most mustacians, but am I spending more once you include TV and other internet?

P.S. l hope this didn't post multiple times!  The page kept freezing when I hit "post".

If it works for you, it works for you.  Your own choices are valid.

I do something similar.  Family plan, hand me down smart phone with large data plan and no home internet.  I am rarely home.  I do large downloads at school.  I am moving several times in the next year.  Home internet just doesn't make sense.  A decent data plan does.  I hotspot fairly often and go through much less data than I thought I would.