Tl;dr - MVNO carriers are often cheaper than the "big four," pre-paid is often cheaper than post-paid, only pay for what you need, look for discounts/waivers/stipends through your employer and for anything else that makes you special, get a cheaper phone, and don't upgrade every year.
I use an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator, they piggyback off the "big four" and often have much cheaper rates) and have a pre-paid create your own plan where I only pay for what I need, which is 1GB of data, free text, and no minutes because I'm hard of hearing. This only costs $6/mo. That's it.
What about the phone itself? You ask. Well, my employer (a smartphone manufacturer) gives us a 25% discount every year and a $500 discount every 2 years. I don't really like these phones though, so I go elsewhere.
As someone with hearing loss, a very common disability, I get a stipend every 5 years for a smartphone. I could probably make my phones last 5 years, but I don't wanna.
I like to get a new phone every 2-3 years and of course not everyone can get this stipend. My last phone was a Pixel 3a, which cost $299. I pay for my phones all at once so I'm not subject to interest or locked to a carrier and can go wherever the best deal is. I've got the Pixel 5a which I paid $449 for.
So let's assume $299 every 3 years to $449 every 2 years. That's $8.31-$18.71/mo, plus the $6/mo for service, that comes out to $14.31-$24.71/mo. Still not too bad, imho! Certainly better than people I know who get the latest/greatest/biggest/most expensive phone every year and unlimited data and extended warranty so they spend $100+ each month.
Speaking of which, think real hard about the extended warranty before buying it. Are you accident prone? Do you have kids? Do you use a case and screen protector? Things to keep in mind. I do think they're right for some people, but not most. Extended warranties are absolutely a cash grab, that's why there are all the extended car warranty scams out there.
I don't want to promote a single provider, but the carrier I use is Tello. Honestly, their customer service has been fantastic and their processes extremely streamlined in my experience. However, Mint Mobile also seems to have good prices, especially for higher data consumption plans. Just keep in mind that you pay in 3+ month chunks with this provider.
Another aspect that I haven't looked into or considered is family plans. Hopefully others can chime in on this.
February 18, 2022 at 01:33AM
