Here's How to Trim Your Mobile Phone Bill - Comments Page 1

I used StraightTalk for years and was very pleased (except for customer service). Then I discovered Cricket, which is owned by AT&T. Cheaper, great service, especially since I could go in to a store for help if needed. About six months ago I decided to get MintMobile. My husband had switched to Mint earlier; we were pleased. We usually wanted to have two different wireless plans because we travel, and having a 'backup' seemed prudent. However, we decided traveling occasionally couldn't justify the extra expense and Mint's coverage, provided by TMobile, has improved. I prepaid for a year--3 GB of data, plus I can use my phone as a hotspot AND use wifi to make calls--all for about $180. Can't be beat. I am pleased.

The best deal is the one that works best for you. I had Straight Talk for a while. Their customer service sucks, but as long as you don’t have to use their cs much, or didn’t need international service, they were ok at $45. However, sometimes the “big guy” is the better deal. T-Mobile has great service where I live and offered more services (for two lines) for less money than Straight Talk. I switched a few years ago and it’s been an overall good experience. In a few weeks, I’ll be eligible for their senior plan, and my bill will go down even more. It’s the same service without the free Netflix, only cheaper. I don’t need the free Netflix. For single lines only, I think it doesn’t hurt to look around. Single lines from the big guys are more expensive. But, with the lower cost for couples/families, it can be cheaper than or comparable to many MVNO services. In the end, it depends upon what you want included, as well. MVNOs don’t always offer some things you may want.

As far as phones go, I do splurge. I enjoy having a new phone every year or two. I sell my old one online (usually on Swappa) or sell it back to the manufacturer or to Best Buy. I will say, though, that if you are looking for Android, the Motorola phones offer a lot for less money than Samsung, Huawei and Google. They are a pretty good deal.

I have been using the Jitterbug service through GreatCall for over ten years.The phone is a actual flip telephone where there is no internet capacity.The monthly rate is around $18.The phone is set up to make telephone calls only which is what I want.I just don't need a complicated phone.It is crazy what these mobile providers are charging.

The phone is perfect for traveling and the battery last a long time.I can't see myself swapping left or right on these smartphones.

I have heard good things about Google Fi, especially with the Moto G6 or G7. Anyone have any feedback on that?

I switched to Consumer Cellular about 15 months ago and am pleased with their service. A couple of months ago I put my flip-phone away and bought a micro computer that can act like a cellphone; my Avid 557 cost $40 and pleases me very much.

Thank you, Bob. As always, right on!

About Insurance: I had insurance on my Galaxy S6 from Verizon. The battery was defective and started swelling. There was a "processing fee" of $200, not refundable, to submit a claim! Trade-in value from Verizon: $0, due to swollen battery.

About retired/replaced phones: I have many apps that do not require a phone line. I use the old phone for them. eg. LAN diagnostics and WakeOnLan, cameras, remote controls for cameras, TV, etc., note taking, etc. The old phones work well over my LAN. No phone line charges, and no updates that fail or cause unwanted changes!

Beware of some financial type sites that don't recognize MVNO cell phones. My Republic Wireless phone is not recognized by Wells Fargo or Barclay Card as devices that can accept SMS messages. Wells Fargo only excepts a cell phone as method for 2FA and they won't sent SMS to Republic Wireless. They can't send voice codes or email codes either. They will sell you an RSA dongle for 2FA.

My family and I have a family plan with Verizon and pay $40-$50 monthly, each...and for unlimited everything! Two were eligible for $20 military discounts. We buy slightly older phones online (Glyde, Swappa, Amazon...and I'm sure there are more) and DO NOT buy the insurance! They said the 40Mbps 4g could get throttled down, but it has never happened. Love it!!

I have two lines (two people, two phones) with unlimited talk and text with 2Gigs of data which never seems to get used, all for $48 a month with Consumer Cellular. How can you go wrong?

I couldn't be happier with Tello, which I subscribed to based largely on Bob's review. Because i'm a light user of my cell phone (I use my land line, mostly), I found it most economical to sign up for Tello's "pay as you go" plan, which has no monthly fee. Instead, I pay 3 cents a minute for phone calls, a penny each for texts, and data is 2 cents per megabyte. My cell phone has been costing me less than a buck a month for the last few months. Can't beat that! They also offer a pretty good deal (optional) on various new and refurbished phones. Thanks for recommending them, Bob!

I use TracFone for everyday stuff on one phone. I have three full days worth of calls (with rollover) in my account after many years with the company. I HAD StraighTalk on my "good" phone. Calling and other usage was great, but their customer service was almost nonexistent. Now I use Mint Mobile for that phone. I'm quite satisfied so far, admittedly after only one and a half months.

For those readers who have Comcast/Xfinity internet service in their vicinity, Xfinity offers a great deal for cell phone users They offer up to five lines per subscriber, with no access fees, unlimited nationwide talk and text messaging, up to 100 megabytes of shared data and access to some 18 million nationwide WiFi hotspots, for $12.00/month, shared between up to the five lines or $45.00/month for unlimited usage per month for one line, for heavy data users. The actual service is provided through Verizon, which has the most towers throughout the USA, The Xfinity store sells a decent selection of the latest and greatest phones, however one may be able to bring over their current phone and number, rather than buying new.

Another way to save on the purchase of a new phone is to consider buying one of the recent previous generations of Samsung Galaxy or Apple IPhones, that are usually sold for several years following the release of the latest generation of phones. Generally, there are mostly incremental improvements to the new models from the older ones, but the manufacturers slash the prices on the older generation units, as the technology is no longer "state-of-the-art".

Also, consider stepping down from the leading Apple and Samsung models and look at the second-tier makers offerings, from LG and Motorola, among others. LG, for example, has products that compete neck and neck with Samsung models, but usually sell for somewhat less, likely due to a smaller advertising budget, which is added into the cost of the Samsung products.

Retired couple as we are so we did shopping almost two years ago with our needs in mind.
Consumer Cellular @ Target fit our needs and made the purchase and with a plan of a line, 250minutes and 250MB a month all for $20/mo.
Within the last year we upgraded to better phone from Target for a great price and then we gave our replaced phone to a family member who needed to upgrade from a flip-phone.
We are happy as all get-out!

My son(s) were on a verizon pay per month plan at the tune of nearly $50 a month each... We have been switching our family over to Twigby, where it uses sprints services, but we can set the levels of service we want. Now we have 3 lines that cost less than what one line used to cost, per month. Customer service is not as user-friendly perhaps as walking into a store, but saves us a bundle. Just have to have a compatible phone. Yes they sell phones and sim cards to make setup easier. only real hard part we have had is getting numbers transferred... Yes an upfront cost, but it means savings in the long and short run in my opinion. service for the most part has been fine. My sister has been using consumer cellular for yrs and loves it! just my two cents...

Charming husband and I love Consumer Cellular. We get a 5% discount because we are AARP members. We pay $52 month for everything - 2 phone lines, 2 GB of shared data, and unlimited talk and text, and this $52 includes all taxes and fees. Love them!

I pay $3 per month for cell phone service from TMobile. I don't use a smart phone; I just need a phone for emergency calls. Phone cost me $21.98. Works for me.

Radio Shack??? Seriously?

I've been with tello for over two years, my wife for almost that long. My cost is running just over $4/month average, my wife's just under $2/month. We both have iPhone 5S, hers from ebay ($46), mine from craigslist ($75). A couple dollars taxes on are our rare $20 top offs. Out of those top-offs come 1 cent per text, 2 cents/minute, or 3 cents/mg of data. You gotta watch that data! Most of the time we're on wifi where texts from other iphones are free, and no data charges. If it was much cheaper it'd be free!

Great suggestions, don't forget if you are a member of AARP you may qualify for a discount on your service.
Also, check with your credit card company. Many offer cell phone insurance. If you pay your monthly bill with the card it may be covered if lost or damaged. Just a few that offer this coverage are below, with coverage price and then deductible.
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Platinum
$600
$25
Wells Fargo Visa Signature Card
$600
$25
Wells Fargo Propel American Express
$600
$25
Wells Fargo Rewards Card
$600
$25
Wells Fargo Platinum Card
$600
$25
Wells Fargo Cash Back College Card
$600
$25
Wells Fargo Secured Credit Card
$600
$25
U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Credit Card
$600
$25
Barclays Uber Visa Card
$600
$25
First Citizens Smart Option Visa Card
$500
$50
First Citizens Rewards Visa Card
$500
$50
Fifth Third Bank TRIO Credit Card
$200
$50
Fifth Third Bank Truly Simple Credit Card
$200
$50
Fifth Third Bank Stand Up To Cancer Credit Card
$200
$50
Fifth Third Bank Secured Card
$200
$50

In addition to very good prices from Consumer Cellular, a thing I really like is that their customer service people are always polite and helpful. They really try to work out problems and explain things.
This is something I found lacking in Verizon.