Stuck in that famiar place..broke.

[snogirl]

Total Wireless out of WalMart uses the Verizon Network. My friend who worked at Verizon Wireless for 10 years was just given a buy out & he's switching to that.
My phone is the same as yours RAZR Maxx HD and works on their network. I'm switching to them too. You just need their sim card.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[bebegirl]

We are in an area where Verizon is the only service that truly offers any reception. T-Mobile does not.

I am a bit confused. I am with T mobile for 10 years. There were times when reception was awful. Now I do not have such problems. Reception is great in Seattle, Vancouver BC and south of Italy, including Naples and Rome that we visited during our vacation this September. Hmm..

[MMMaybe]

Just a note on the acid reflux meds. I have successfully come off those medications by changing my diet. A low carb diet seems to help generally and also look into adding digestive enzymes/digestive bitters into your diet.

[financiallypossible]

I'm just pretty down right now. There will be no significant raises for me in the near future, and even in the coming years they will only amount to small annual increases that do pretty much nothing but do a bad job at keeping up with inflation.

As it stands right now, I can't even afford to go out and grab lunch one say during the week.

I'm just stuck in that very familiar place. Why the hell am I working, and spending the majority of the time I have away from my family, only to not have any money to spend when I actually do get some time with them. It is a very depressing thought. Short of getting a second job (where I would then never see my family) or trying to start over, I don't have many options.

I am married and I have two small kids. My wife works as well, and she is in pretty much the same boat. No significant raises coming her way either. I can't afford to just quit work and experiment with careers. I have kids I have to support and a mortgage.

There are probably many others in similar situations to what you just described. It took courage for you to describe it in an online forum as frequented as MMM forums. I empathize with your situation, but have the following thoughts to offer you in helping you get unstuck:

- Your words focus highly on the income side of your financial life.
- The only point where you mention expenses is an area where you have less control.
- Reducing expenses for almost all is far more efficient than earning extra income (due to taxes).
- Finding ways to reduce your expenses will feel empowering for you and allow you to gain a stronger sense of freedom. This will cause you to:
   1. Worry less.
   2. Feel stronger when negotiating income in future situations as you won't be in such a precarious position and just having to accept what's offered you.

[Cassie]

My DH drinks baking soda water. It works instantly and is much better for you.

[dignam]

We are in an area where Verizon is the only service that truly offers any reception. T-Mobile does not.

I am a bit confused. I am with T mobile for 10 years. There were times when reception was awful. Now I do not have such problems. Reception is great in Seattle, Vancouver BC and south of Italy, including Naples and Rome that we visited during our vacation this September. Hmm..

T mobile and at&t use the GSM network which is much more common abroad.  Verizon/Sprint use CDMA which is mostly just a USA technology.

[pdxmonkey]

We are in an area where Verizon is the only service that truly offers any reception. T-Mobile does not.

I am a bit confused. I am with T mobile for 10 years. There were times when reception was awful. Now I do not have such problems. Reception is great in Seattle, Vancouver BC and south of Italy, including Naples and Rome that we visited during our vacation this September. Hmm..

Its possible the OP is still in an area that is not well covered, but I would definitely check. Tmobile has a tone more coverage than they used to. I used TMo for a couple years recently after being on Verizon for years prior to that. I'm currently on Google Fi which is awesome. The great thing is TMo doesn't have contracts either so if you have a compatible phone and it looks like they MIGHT have coverage in your area you can get a SIM and try it for a month. Worst case scenario is the coverage still sucks and you're out the cost of a SIM + one months coverage. $50? I don't know what TMobiles rates are now. $50 seems high to me, but is much less than your current costs.

[taking fire]

I am in an area where people just don't go with T-Mobile. All I can tell you guys on this is to just believe what I'm saying. There are a lot of people unhappy with them.

We checked on some different providers and did find Total wireless. I'm going to call them. I already did the phone check to be sure ours were compatible and they are. Looks like I'm just gonna have to get used to using WiFi at home.

Our car insurance is grouped with our home insurance. We do get a discount rate for that but the way you guys talk our auto insurance is still high. Granted, it is full coverage, but still. I guess it is time to shop for rates again. I have to say my biggest complaint about insurance is having to shop for rates every couple of years. We don't have bad driving records and insurance always seems to creep up for reasons the company can't ever seem to explain. It is just such a hassle to have to switch everything to a different company. Oh well, if it saves us money. We have Allstate, and our homeowner's went up last year. It made our mortgage payment go up because it is all included with taxes in the payment.

That is not the first time it has happened. I left another company about five years ago because home insurance almost doubling.

[obstinate]

I am in an area where people just don't go with T-Mobile. All I can tell you guys on this is to just believe what I'm saying. There are a lot of people unhappy with them.

If it were between being broke and having a cell carrier I'm slightly less than thrilled with, I'd take the latter. That said, you have a lot of non-TMobile options.

We checked on some different providers and did find Total wireless. I'm going to call them. I already did the phone check to be sure ours were compatible and they are. Looks like I'm just gonna have to get used to using WiFi at home.

Our car insurance is grouped with our home insurance. We do get a discount rate for that but the way you guys talk our auto insurance is still high. Granted, it is full coverage, but still. I guess it is time to shop for rates again. I have to say my biggest complaint about insurance is having to shop for rates every couple of years.

Some things in life are hard or annoying, but we do them because we are adults and want to be financially secure.

[JLee]

I am in an area where people just don't go with T-Mobile. All I can tell you guys on this is to just believe what I'm saying. There are a lot of people unhappy with them.

We checked on some different providers and did find Total wireless. I'm going to call them. I already did the phone check to be sure ours were compatible and they are. Looks like I'm just gonna have to get used to using WiFi at home.

Our car insurance is grouped with our home insurance. We do get a discount rate for that but the way you guys talk our auto insurance is still high. Granted, it is full coverage, but still. I guess it is time to shop for rates again. I have to say my biggest complaint about insurance is having to shop for rates every couple of years. We don't have bad driving records and insurance always seems to creep up for reasons the company can't ever seem to explain. It is just such a hassle to have to switch everything to a different company. Oh well, if it saves us money. We have Allstate, and our homeowner's went up last year. It made our mortgage payment go up because it is all included with taxes in the payment.

That is not the first time it has happened. I left another company about five years ago because home insurance almost doubling.

Full coverage on a ~$3000 car isn't generally worthwhile.

I haven't been able to find any insurance companies that could beat the rates I get with Progressive, and I've had them for about 10 years.  I'd shop around for insurance and consider lowering your comprehensive/collision coverage (raising deductibles or dropping it entirely), depending on how much it's costing you.

[pxpaulx]

Op, did I really just read 3 posts above that you guess you "have to get used to using Wi-Fi at home"? It is already there, your paying for it, it will cost you nothing extra.  This is a one time, two step process on your road to saving THOUSANDS of dollars a year on your ridiculous cell phone bill. 

Turn on Wi-Fi. Enter password. Done, forever.

[former player]

Op, did I really just read 3 posts above that you guess you "have to get used to using Wi-Fi at home"? It is already there, your paying for it, it will cost you nothing extra.  This is a one time, two step process on your road to saving THOUSANDS of dollars a year on your ridiculous cell phone bill. 

Turn on Wi-Fi. Enter password. Done, forever.

+1

Same deal with insurance. Why is changing so difficult? When I got a new car last year, I called Geico FROM THE DEALERSHIP and they got my policy set up in under 15 minutes.  If you really want to avoid time/hassle, call a broker and have them research prices for you. 

It is so easy to make a few changes that will save you hundreds of dollars a month.  Why are you so resistant?  Did you think we were all just going to jump on the whaaaambulance with you while you tool around complaining?   Wrong forum, dude.....

OP may well have been sold that insurance by a family member or friend, making it difficult to acknowledge that it has been a waste of money.  Also, the family member or friend may well still be getting a cut of those premiums as their reward for selling the insurance and would know when it has been cancelled, which might give rise to the need for an explanation OP would find difficult.  These are not good reasons for keeping the insurance, of course, but are understandable ones.  OP: sorry if the person who sold you the insurance is a family member or friend but there is no reason why you should be giving them large sums of money.  If they ask why you have cancelled, just tell them that you have been reviewing your finances and will get a better financial return putting the money elsewhere.

[alsoknownasDean]

I am in an area where people just don't go with T-Mobile. All I can tell you guys on this is to just believe what I'm saying. There are a lot of people unhappy with them.

We checked on some different providers and did find Total wireless. I'm going to call them. I already did the phone check to be sure ours were compatible and they are. Looks like I'm just gonna have to get used to using WiFi at home.

Using WiFi at home should be a given. Mobile data is expensive.

What about AT&T or even Sprint coverage? Do either have service in your area?

[Cannot Wait!]

Op, did I really just read 3 posts above that you guess you "have to get used to using Wi-Fi at home"? It is already there, your paying for it, it will cost you nothing extra.  This is a one time, two step process on your road to saving THOUSANDS of dollars a year on your ridiculous cell phone bill. 

Turn on Wi-Fi. Enter password. Done, forever.

+1

Same deal with insurance. Why is changing so difficult? When I got a new car last year, I called Geico FROM THE DEALERSHIP and they got my policy set up in under 15 minutes.  If you really want to avoid time/hassle, call a broker and have them research prices for you. 

It is so easy to make a few changes that will save you hundreds of dollars a month.  Why are you so resistant?  Did you think we were all just going to jump on the whaaaambulance with you while you tool around complaining?   Wrong forum, dude.....

OP may well have been sold that insurance by a family member or friend, making it difficult to acknowledge that it has been a waste of money.  Also, the family member or friend may well still be getting a cut of those premiums as their reward for selling the insurance and would know when it has been cancelled, which might give rise to the need for an explanation OP would find difficult.  These are not good reasons for keeping the insurance, of course, but are understandable ones.  OP: sorry if the person who sold you the insurance is a family member or friend but there is no reason why you should be giving them large sums of money.  If they ask why you have cancelled, just tell them that you have been reviewing your finances and will get a better financial return putting the money elsewhere.

That's what I was thinking too.  OP must be related to his insurance broker.  I mean, who else insures children?  Even if you have all the money in the world, it still doesn't make any sense to do so.
It does seem annoying to have to make the calls but, in my case, 20 minutes later, I had saved $50/month.  Make the calls - you'll feel so much better once you do!

[taking fire]

I'm tired of repeating myself on this. Verizon's network is the only reliable network where I am located. I live in a very rural area. We do not have a home phone so cell phones have to be reliable. I will not change to a provider with questionable service. That's why we looked at Total Wireless. They use Verizon's network.

I really like the plans they have and everything looks doable. However, I would still like to speak with somebody at Total Wireless. The issue I ran into today was when calling four different times I got foreign operators with "American" names. You guys may think my attitude about this is stupid, but I'm sorry..that rubs me the wrong way. I want to speak to someone who actually is American and knows about their product.

There is a reason I avoid calling Verizon if at all possible. I'm very independent. I don't like having to deal with anybody to do things.

I think I saw that unused data rolls over. Also, I need to know if my number can be ported. I've had my number for a long time and if this move means changing numbers it may be a deal breaker.

Does anybody know f it is possible to contact them and actually get an American on the phone?

[Cassie]

I just switched from ATT to Cricket because they use the same network. No need to talk to anyone because the cricket site tells you how to get a certain # from your phone to see if it is compatible with their Sims card. Also asks if you want to port your #, etc. I would just go online to get your answers.

[taking fire]

I will go check and look a little closer. If I could do it all without talking to them on the phone, that would be great. I did see where they will port my number. I am a little concerned about the mixed reviews though.

[Zikoris]

I'm tired of repeating myself on this. Verizon's network is the only reliable network where I am located. I live in a very rural area. We do not have a home phone so cell phones have to be reliable. I will not change to a provider with questionable service. That's why we looked at Total Wireless. They use Verizon's network.

I really like the plans they have and everything looks doable. However, I would still like to speak with somebody at Total Wireless. The issue I ran into today was when calling four different times I got foreign operators with "American" names. You guys may think my attitude about this is stupid, but I'm sorry..that rubs me the wrong way. I want to speak to someone who actually is American and knows about their product.

There is a reason I avoid calling Verizon if at all possible. I'm very independent. I don't like having to deal with anybody to do things.

I think I saw that unused data rolls over. Also, I need to know if my number can be ported. I've had my number for a long time and if this move means changing numbers it may be a deal breaker.

Does anybody know f it is possible to contact them and actually get an American on the phone?

Some companies only route their call centre inquiries overseas outside of normal business hours, and have American ones in operation during normal hours during the week, so if you called in the evening or on a weekend you might want to try calling back during those times.

Otherwise - this thread is so strange. If I was in a financial crisis, and could make a HUGE difference in it by doing something as simple as changing my phone number, of COURSE I would! It wouldn't even cross my mind to pick keeping a phone number I liked over the chance to get out of crisis! Just... strange.

[pdxmonkey]

OP I'm sorry but you don't really seem to want to change your situation... Something as little as speaking with an "American" or not, and/or porting the phone #, those being deal breakers on saving THOUSANDS of dollars over a lifetime is rather childish.

My father always told me to not stick my finger in dog shit and stir it around... You have your fingers knuckles deep in dog shit and you don't seem to care.

I like to get an American on the phone and don't mind if my bill is 1% higher because of it. I suspect call centers are still not a major cost center percentage wise for most companies. This is conjecture and data could show I'm wrong. I don't think it's totally unreasonable. That said, if at all possible I try to contact companies online and manage things myself if possible. It's usually faster, less likely mistakes are made (human, communication, other) and it's cheaper for everyone. I don't think it's unreasonable to want support that understands your culture.

[Villanelle]

For fucks sake.  You are drowning in money problems and you put off saving a significant money because the person answering the phone wasn't American enough???  And having to get a new number is a possible deal breaker???  You're broke.  You realize how ridiculously out-of-touch that is? Keeping your number is more important than your family's financial security?  No wonder you've been broke for years, and most likely will continue to be broke. 

If you don't want this enough to talk to a (gasp!) foreign person or to send out a mass text that you've gotten a new number, then you don't actually want it at all, in which case, stop wasting our time.

[Herbert Derp]

There is a reason I avoid calling Verizon if at all possible. I'm very independent. I don't like having to deal with anybody to do things.

Wait, what? This is the absolute wrong idea to have if you want to be independent. There are some things that you absolutely cannot accomplish on your own. Right now, your cell phone bill is much more expensive than it should be. In other words, you are being exploited by a bad deal. You have to take Verizon to the table and renegotiate a better deal, or tear the deal up and go with a different company. Either way, you must make some kind of deal with someone else. A strong, independent, American man does not tolerate being exploited and will make every effort to make the best deals that he can.

[golfreak12]

OP I'm sorry but you don't really seem to want to change your situation... Something as little as speaking with an "American" or not, and/or porting the phone #, those being deal breakers on saving THOUSANDS of dollars over a lifetime is rather childish.

My father always told me to not stick my finger in dog shit and stir it around... You have your fingers knuckles deep in dog shit and you don't seem to care.

LOL, I'm thinking of the same thing.
The OP makes such a big deal about changing carrier to cut down the $2880 cell bill that I wonder why people are still posting of on this thread. I mean 4 pages about a couple that makes $70K++ and can't change bad habits. Why do people still bother really ?? Any small changes seems like a  hassle with the OP.

[Bee21]

My poor husband who makes way more than you spent more than an hour talking to Charles from india on a sunny saturday to renegotiate our internet. It was painful but we SAved about 300. Why? Because we don't like donating money to our shitty telcom company and we would rather spend that 300 on a long weekend away.

Op, you are absolutely ridiculous. PLease get out of your comfort zone and sort your life out. If you can save hundreds and thousands with a simple phone conversation to somebody with a barely comprehensible accent, it is a very lucrative phone conversation. People here are wasting their time giving you advice if all you have is excuses.

Life is haaaaaard.

[mustachepungoeshere]

There is a reason I avoid calling Verizon if at all possible. I'm very independent. I don't like having to deal with anybody to do things.

Wait, what? This is the absolute wrong idea to have if you want to be independent.

+1

"A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have."
- Tim Ferriss

[alsoknownasDean]

Shit, even staying with Verizon you could cut your cost in half. Do you really need unlimited data?

They offer 8GB (plus 2GB/line) for $70, plus $40 for two lines. $110 a month, which while still isn't as good as you could do, it's under half what you're paying now.

Or this:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/bring-your-own-device/

Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L02 using Tapatalk

[horsepoor]

Shit, even staying with Verizon you could cut your cost in half. Do you really need unlimited data?

They offer 8GB (plus 2GB/line) for $70, plus $40 for two lines. $110 a month, which while still isn't as good as you could do, it's under half what you're paying now.

Or this:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/bring-your-own-device/

Sent from my HUAWEI LYO-L02 using Tapatalk

I was going to say.  I recently switched back to Verizon, and understand the OP's issue with reception.  I had Republic for a couple years and saved loads of money, but finally got frustrated with wonky phone performance in some of the remote areas I have to travel to for work.  With that said, my new 2GB plan with Verizon is like $60 a month with unlimited talk and text.  With a second line and shared data, it should be under $100, so OP would be saving $1800 per year, which would be enough to make some great progress on those debts, or build some cash cushion.

OP, this is GREAT news.  Call Verizon right now and switch to a new plan.  The cheapest one.  And put the data safety guards on there so you don't go over.  Slashing your restaurant bill, phone bill and insurance bill are easy wins and along with plugging some other leaks that won't materially affect your life, will quickly get you on the road to a cash flow positive situation where you aren't throwing money down the toilet on ridiculous interest rates, and instead can stash some cash for things you need like those new tires for the commuter car.

[taking fire]

Sorry for disappointing everyone. We are making changes slowly. There have been a lot of great suggestions in this thread. Don't think we are not taking it to heart. My wife sat down and worked out the food cost for one month of crock pot meals. She initially wanted to go ahead and buy the whole month's worth, but I suggested trying it out for a week. We got up this morning and prepared seven meals in gallon freezer bags. Excited to try this and it is good knowing we won't have to cook every night.

We have written down everything we spent since I started this thread. We have not eaten out since we started it.

Every person in this thread has made us see just how ridiculous our phone plans are and we are making an attempt to change them. Just because I don't do it right away doesn't mean it won't get done. I just want to be sure I am comfortable with it. I have been a Verizon customer for over ten years. I do like the idea of maybe staying with Verizon, but getting one of the cheaper limited data plans. I'll look at the plan options when I can. I am not at home right now.

Thanks for all the positive encouragement.

[LadyStache in Baja]

You can do it! Once you change your mindset things will start happening and you'll be in a whole new place in a year!

[merci001]

OP-you mentioned you are a cell phone family with no land line and you want to keep your verizon service for the reliability in the area in which you live.  Maybe it would be better/cheaper to go back to the land line and get a cheaper cell phone service.

Granted, I'm not in a rural area, but I hated verizon while I was with them. Yes-their reliability was great, but I thought their customer service was terrible and they were way to expensive. As a single mom and sole provider of two kids (one teen and one pre-teen), I just couldn't fathom paying more for my cell phone bill once it was time to add my younger child to the mix.  That's when I made the move to Ting and I kick myself for not doing it sooner. We are on Sprint service, 3 lines (we all have i-phones-refurbished and we own them, we don't rent them, they work perfectly fine). My bill for Oct for the 3 of us was $50.77. That's with two kids who spend hours on their phones! I have to say, between the three of us, I think we've only gone over 2G of data one time, and then just barely.  That's the beauty of wifi, my friend! My highest bill with Ting was $69.25 and that's when one of my kids was on a road trip and her data usage was higher than normal. If I was still on Verizon, my bill would be $180/mo.  And by the way, I do still have my landline-not quite ready to give it up just yet.

[pxpaulx]

Sorry for disappointing everyone. We are making changes slowly. There have been a lot of great suggestions in this thread. Don't think we are not taking it to heart. My wife sat down and worked out the food cost for one month of crock pot meals. She initially wanted to go ahead and buy the whole month's worth, but I suggested trying it out for a week. We got up this morning and prepared seven meals in gallon freezer bags. Excited to try this and it is good knowing we won't have to cook every night.

We have written down everything we spent since I started this thread. We have not eaten out since we started it.

Every person in this thread has made us see just how ridiculous our phone plans are and we are making an attempt to change them. Just because I don't do it right away doesn't mean it won't get done. I just want to be sure I am comfortable with it. I have been a Verizon customer for over ten years. I do like the idea of maybe staying with Verizon, but getting one of the cheaper limited data plans. I'll look at the plan options when I can. I am not at home right now.

Thanks for all the positive encouragement.

people are only getting upset here because they want you to keep your money in your pocket, and not paying your corporate overlords more than they should get.  verizon does not care about your loyalty.  i dont care if you stick with them either, but i would prefer if you were saving yourself from unnecessary spending.

i looked it up for you. dial *611 from your verizon and ask the first person you talk to, what is verizon going to do for me to keep my business today?

[taking fire]

Been on hold with Verizon for over an hour. I've called twice and finally made a decision. We decided to stay with Verizon and get a plan that will run us about $100 a month. That will give us plenty of data and unlimited talk and text to use and they combined our lines under one account. For Some reason we had two separate accounts.

Baby Steps.

It may still be ridiculous to you all, but we just saved ourselves over $100 a month. I'm excited about that. Since There is no contract, maybe we can bump down a few plan notches again in a few months if we see that we are not using the data. We have wifi at home and that's all good, we will just have to get disciplined and actually start using it.

[Bee21]

Finally. Well done. So you have just saved yourself 1200 dollars.

Great job on the food prep, hope this meal planning will work for you.

What is next? Insurance?

[Cycling Stache]

We have wifi at home and that's all good, we will just have to get disciplined and actually start using it.

Good news.  This can be accomplished in 2 minutes and done forever.   You turn on wi-fi on your phone.  Select your wi-fi at the house, and enter the password (assuming you have it locked).  After that, it will automatically use the wi-fi whenever it's available (i.e., whenever you're in the house).  You'll never have to enter the password or think about it at home again.

Done.  It's also easy to look for it at Starbucks or almost any other public or commercial place.  Like I'd much rather have money than 2 seconds of my time clicking a button easy.  But setting the home one is going to save you by far the most data.

In short, don't be an idiot.  You made one good step.  Now take the 2 minutes to make a second good step, and start off the work week on a roll.

P.S.  You're still paying double what you should be.  But once you cut the data (don't wait months--see how it goes within 2-3 weeks once you get wi-fi set), you can reduce to a lower data plan ASAP, and save even more.  At that point, it's not just that you're saving money.  It's that you can see yourself making good decisions that are optimizing your expenses.  You're solving problems, successfully.  That's a good feeling. 

[dignam]

I just switched from ATT to Cricket because they use the same network. No need to talk to anyone because the cricket site tells you how to get a certain # from your phone to see if it is compatible with their Sims card. Also asks if you want to port your #, etc. I would just go online to get your answers.

This.  I did the same thing; I did not need to talk to anyone and did it all online.  Super happy with the move to Cricket.

[Cannot Wait!]

Don't think of making these changes a sacrificing or just saving money; think of it as optimizing your life.
An optimized life is a beautiful thing!  You'll have so many more choices.

[BeanCounter]

Good job on your baby steps toward life optimization!! Once you get the snowball going, it will get easier.

We have been using Ting for about 3-4 years. We do what others have said. We turn the data OFF and keep it like that. Once you've got your WiFi at home and work programed in you'll find that you rarely need to use data. With Ting the utilization buckets can change from month to month, so I'll go several months with no data. Then if I'm traveling for work or we're doing something out where we need directions, I'll flip it on and just pay for what I REALLY need. Our cell bills average $35 a month for THREE phones.

You can get there too.

[taking fire]

There was a good reason for using that much data at one time. I'd be happy to explain in pm if you want to know. The good news is I am no longer in a position to be able to use that much anymore, so it is a non issue. We do have WiFi at home so that will help tremendously. We never worried about WiFi before because we didn't have to. Our phones have been on WiFi for a couple days now and we are monitoring data usage with the change. We'll see what it looks like a in a week or so.

[Shwaa]

There was a good reason for using that much data at one time. I'd be happy to explain in pm if you want to know. The good news is I am no longer in a position to be able to use that much anymore, so it is a non issue. We do have WiFi at home so that will help tremendously. We never worried about WiFi before because we didn't have to. Our phones have been on WiFi for a couple days now and we are monitoring data usage with the change. We'll see what it looks like a in a week or so.

I'm not sure you understand the concept of data usage vs wifi.  If your phones are connected to wifi at home, you aren't using data.  It's pretty simple.  Nothing to "monitor".  You should have been doing this since the beginning.

[Cycling Stache]

There was a good reason for using that much data at one time. I'd be happy to explain in pm if you want to know. The good news is I am no longer in a position to be able to use that much anymore, so it is a non issue. We do have WiFi at home so that will help tremendously. We never worried about WiFi before because we didn't have to. Our phones have been on WiFi for a couple days now and we are monitoring data usage with the change. We'll see what it looks like a in a week or so.

I'm not sure you understand the concept of data usage vs wifi.  If your phones are connected to wifi at home, you aren't using data.  It's pretty simple.  Nothing to "monitor".  You should have been doing this since the beginning.

I think he meant that he'd monitor overall data usage now that he's switched to using wi-fi at home.  That makes sense.  He just needs to make sure that he follows up in 2-3 weeks because that should be enough information to tell him which data plan he needs to be in after switching to Wi-Fi at home, which will almost certainly mean switching to a cheaper plan, and getting additional savings.

Then he can switch to a different carrier, but at least he'll have cut the Verizon bill down significantly in the meantime. 

[elaine amj]

From all I read with your posts, sounds like its an issue with the way you think about certain types of spending.

e.g. laundry detergent is expensive so must save $$ by making my own.

but then we have:

I NEED unlimited data and am OK spending $200/month on this so we have the convenience of using data whenever and wherever.

We all have our things we're willing to spend more on. What I take away from MMM is that we need to make a conscious choice on what that is. And continually reevaluate it. For me, I am fine saving $$ on daily life so I have more $$ for vacations and for my FIRE goal. Your choices will be unique to you and your family. That said, the reason everyone is yelling about your cellphone bill is because there is NO REASON to spend $200/mo on your cellphone. As you've been finding out, that is an insane bill.

What I really like about MMM is that folks here help me take a fresh look at my expenses. Not a conventional "this is what normal people do" look. I started cycling to work this summer. It only saves me about $30 or so a month in gas, which is rather negligible, but it really wasn't as hard as I thought (especially figuring out work clothes, etc), and it has health benefits too. More importantly (to me), it helps me to think of my bike as my main mode of transport and my car as an alternate. That's radical and will eventually pay off in much larger savings down the road.

And those once-in-a-long-while expenses? When planning out your budget, I highly recommend making a regular line item for this. I budgeted about $200/mo for "things I don't remember" and after some months, I decided to also add extra money to it. That's AFTER I budgeted for birthday/Christmas presents, car repairs, home repairs, etc. I started my budget a year ago and despite always being what I considered reasonably frugal, there were a lot of one-off things I really had never thought about or considered.

[ringer707]

OP, serious question. Is there a reason you haven't used your Wifi at home in the past? Sorry if I've missed it somewhere, but I just assumed everyone who had Wifi at home did this. I have an unlimited data plan on my phone specifically because I do not have Wifi I can connect to at home. If I did, I would be on Wifi in a heartbeat and cutting my data plan way down.

Good job on talking with Verizon though. Here's hoping you continue to slash.

[bebegirl]

Oh, I missed eating out expenses. Ouch! This is the way to lose money.

I definitely sympathize you when you return home after stressful day and not ready to cook. But there is a way out. Quick and simple and healthy recipes.

I am constantly in search of those and it is really easy.

Mix ingredients for salad. Cook 8 minutes outmeal from Trader's Joe. Cook 10 minutes eggs. Voila

Or this one for example:

Whole wheat pasta made in Italy,
Tomatoes,
Mozzarella,
Arugula,
Basil,
Olives,
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar

Umm! Better than in any restaurant.

Or this one:

mix ingredients for salad
Bake salmon in the oven
Eat your dinner.

That's it! :)

[taking fire]

OP, serious question. Is there a reason you haven't used your Wifi at home in the past? Sorry if I've missed it somewhere, but I just assumed everyone who had Wifi at home did this. I have an unlimited data plan on my phone specifically because I do not have Wifi I can connect to at home. If I did, I would be on Wifi in a heartbeat and cutting my data plan way down.

Good job on talking with Verizon though. Here's hoping you continue to slash.

Just never did it because we didn't have to.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I'm glad you popped back to tell us you are making some changes. I get it, it's hard! And sometimes it feels like people are trying to take things way from you! Trimming that cell phone bill, even if it still seems high by Mustachian standards, is a big accomplishment. Let us know how it goes!

[FINate]

From all I read with your posts, sounds like its an issue with the way you think about certain types of spending.

e.g. laundry detergent is expensive so must save $$ by making my own.

but then we have:

I NEED unlimited data and am OK spending $200/month on this so we have the convenience of using data whenever and wherever.

I check this thread periodically for the entertainment value. Glad to see OP is slooooowly making some improvements after much pleading by people here - you guys are way more patient than I am :)

The homemade detergent thing stands out for me as well. In software there's this thing called "premature optimization." This is when an engineer gets sucked into spending time and effort optimizing an area of code that doesn't matter, usually because it's not on the critical path/is not executed very often. It's not just that the engineer wasted time (and engineering time is $$$) optimizing something with little benefit (often just a few milliseconds here or there), but it's frequently the case that this distracts from some other much bigger inefficiency.

This is why some smart people invented profilers - tools that analyze a program to determine the the "hotspots" aka the areas of code where most of the execution time is spent.

Making your own laundry detergent may save a few bucks (however OP quoted $.11/load for his homemade stuff, which is more expensive than some of the cheaper options at Walmart at around $.05/load). But even if a few bucks are saved, is this worth his time/effort, or is it such a small amount that his time is better spent putting in OT, or making meals at home, or calling around for better insurance rates? I think things like mint.com or even just writing down your expenses in a notebook are the personal finance equivalent of profilers - they give you the perspective needed to focus optimization efforts effectively.

So I'm wondering now how often people end up prematurely optimizing their finances, and I wonder if there are places where I'm doing this...

[MrMoogle]

I would like to point out, you are in the top 20% of incomes in rural Alabama:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/15/business/one-percent-map.html?_r=0

Ever wonder how the 80% below you are managing?

[fuzzy math]

Page plus wireless uses Verizon networks too

[Villanelle]

It's great that you are making progress.  But you are broke, and that is an emergency.  Basically, you have been shot multiple times and are bleeding out, and you've put a bandaid on your knee.  You needed that bandaid, but it's a bit ridiculous that you are not FREAKING THE HELL OUT ABOUT THE BLOOD GUSHING FROM YOUR THIGH!  And your ARM!  And your SCALP!  And...

At this rate, you will be unbroke and ready to retire in roughly a century, give or take a decade or two.  Unless that's something you feel good about, stop patting yourself on the back for what is really just a less-bad phone plan and a week of crockpot meals, and get moving.  Cancel your cable and the life insurance on your kids today!  (The life insurance thing has been mentioned multiple times by multiple people and you've yet to address it, so I assume you are probably resistant, and I'd love to read your reasons [read: excuses] why.)

As a side note, you should also search for WiFi at any location you regularly frequent.  As with your home, once it is added one time (for a total time investment of <60 seconds), your phone will remember that wifi network and always connect to it before using your phone's data, without you needing to do anything. 

[pdxmonkey]

The kids life insurance ($240/yr) is small potatoes next to food expenses and cell phone so in that regard things are being tackled in the proper order. It may not be as fast as you like, but the OP is making progress. It sounds like the OP probably has excessive life insurance on his children, but I do not think it would be unreasonable to carry $5k-$10k or whatever it costs for funeral/burial these days as in the horrific event that a child died that is not an expense the OP could cover from any type of emergency fund at present. It is likely the OP should drastically reduce childrens life insurance, but not yet eliminate it. I suspect $24/yr vs $240 is a more reasonable rate to cover "expected" expenses in the event something unexpected happens.

[Villanelle]

The kids life insurance ($240/yr) is small potatoes next to food expenses and cell phone so in that regard things are being tackled in the proper order. It may not be as fast as you like, but the OP is making progress. It sounds like the OP probably has excessive life insurance on his children, but I do not think it would be unreasonable to carry $5k-$10k or whatever it costs for funeral/burial these days as in the horrific event that a child died that is not an expense the OP could cover from any type of emergency fund at present. It is likely the OP should drastically reduce childrens life insurance, but not yet eliminate it. I suspect $24/yr vs $240 is a more reasonable rate to cover "expected" expenses in the event something unexpected happens.

He should do as many things as he can, as fast as he can.  That's the point.  He can have the cable and life insurance both addressed in less than an hour, which is why I picked those two items.  If there's a way he can use that hour to save even more, by all means he should do that other thing.  And then do cable and insurance.  But the point is that he need to be scrambling and making every cut he can as fast as he can, or he's still going to be utterly screwed, it will just take him longer to get there. 

We are patting him on the back for bailing out one bucket of water when the ship has a massive whole in it.  His hair is on fire, to mix metaphors.  It's not enough to get some scissors and start trimming.  That's meaningless progress--and thus no real progress at all--in the grand scheme of things.  We aren't doing him any favors by cheering him on as he goes from a horrifically awful phone plan to only a spendypants phone plan, when he's broke.