For this month’s LivingWithBeth Cash Savings Challenge, let’s slash your mobile phone bill. Are you with me?
I had no quarrel with my standard mobile carrier, other than how much it was costing us. Recently, I took the plunge and went for a prepaid plan instead.
Now, I’m paying just $30 a month, and I couldn’t be happier. Regardless of your individual situation, you should be able to find a way to slash your mobile phone bill now or in the future, depending on whether you’ve got a contract or installment payment plan to pay off.
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Low-Cost Options
If you’re open to switching phones and carriers, finding the best smartphone deal is easier than you think.
You can get the no contract Moto X from Republic Wireless with plans starting as low as $15/month for talk, text and WiFi data. A plan with 1 GB of mobile data will set you back $20 a month.
You’ll also have to pay for the cost of your new phone. Republic Wireless offers phones starting at $179 or $11 per month. The Moto X costs $21 per month on installment.
Boost Mobile usually has smartphones starting at about $100 and offers mobile plans starting as low as $25 per month with auto pay for unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of 4G data. If you go over your data allotment, you can accept slower speeds for the rest of the billing period of buy another 1 GB of data on the cheap.
Since switching to Boost Mobile, which uses Sprint’s 4G LTE network, I’ve been impressed with the speed and reliability I’ve experienced. You can check their coverage map online to see how it looks for your area.
Slash Your Current Carrier’s Bill
Even if you don’t want to change carriers, you should look into whether you have the cheapest and best plan available. For example, Verizon recently launched some cheaper plans with more data available, and you can sign up whether you’re a new or existing customer.
Check for Hidden Discounts
Many government agencies and large corporations have discount arrangements with one or more major mobile carriers. If you’re sticking with one of the major carriers – Sprint, AT&T Wireless or Verizon Wireless – make sure you sign up for one of their new, cheaper plans, if applicable.
Then, check with your employer to find out if there’s a discount arrangement. Have your spouse check with his or her employer, too.
If there’s a discount available, you may need to provide proof of employment, such as a pay stub or business card, to the mobile carrier. You could save 10 or 20 percent off your monthly bill, so this is definitely worth looking into.
How About You?
Are you accepting this challenge to save on your mobile phone bill? What are you doing to make it happen? How much are you going to save? What are you planning to do with the money you save?
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