Episode Summary:
In this episode, we share ideas for how everyone can save money on their cell phone bill. Most people can get unlimited cell phone cover in the United States for under $30 a month, so if you’re paying more than that, we challenge you to rethink what you need and consider switching cell phone providers. We talk through how to decide what you need from a cell phone plan, the difference in pre-paid versus traditional plans, specific carriers we recommend, how they price their plans, and how to approach coverage while traveling internationally.
Episode Notes:
The average person is paying $60-100 a month for a cell phone plan, but in reality, we think that’s way too much! Most people can get solid and reliable coverage for $25-40 a month. This is our advice for what to consider as you research and explore new cell phone plan options.
Do your research and decide what you need:
- Where do you live, and who has good coverage? These days all carriers tend to have excellent coverage.
- How much data do you need? For example, unlimited data usage versus are you OK with a cap on your data usage.
- What type of phone do you have or need?
- How many lines do you need?
Pre-paid plans vs. traditional cell phone bills
- Almost all carriers have cheaper plan options if you go with a “pre-paid” plan. We explain what these plans are and why they cost less.
Some of the best low-cost cell carriers out there
- Their offers are constantly changing, so when you’re ready to look into things, you need to go and see who’s offering what. Even if we made a massive spreadsheet highlighting and comparing them all, someone’s would change next month.
- Consider offer stacking. For example, you can sign-up through Rakuten for cashback or a sign-up bonus using a friend’s referral link.
- The best discount companies we have found include Visible, Cricket Wireless, Mint Mobile, GoogleFI, Tello, and pre-paid plan options with any of the big networks like Verizon and AT&T.
Approaches for traveling internationally
- Pick up a local SIM card or rent a wifi hot spot while traveling.
- You can buy international time/packages through many previously mentioned carriers, but they can get quite pricey. So if you go this route, manage your data usage proactively while traveling!
Top 3 takeaways:
- You’re likely paying too much if you’re paying more than $40 a month for your cell phone plan.
- Do a little bit of research or accept someone else’s research and make a change to save money today.
- Don’t get sucked into clever marketing. Generally speaking, cell phone plans are a commodity product, and you’ll get the same service from everyone.
Show References: