Dec 17th, 2008
Prepaid Phones: Frugal for Some
I was one of the lucky ones to get into the Sprint SERO plan before they virtually doubled their rates. So for $30 a month, I get unlimited data, unlimited text messaging, and 500 minutes of voice calling. I’m not a heavy user of voice (I hate talking on the phone, largely because I spend so much time at work talking on the phone), but I am a heavy user of data.
For some, however–especially since there is a dearth of budget plans from the carriers–pay as you go phone plans may be the way to go.
Many folks who have been on prepaid phone plans have been those with poor credit, but as more and more people feel the effects of the economic downturn and scour their monthly budgets for expenses to cut, cellular phone plans with all the bells and whistles are major candidates.
Prepaid phones have become one of the few bright spots for the U.S. wireless carriers, so much so that the Wall Street Journal just ran an article on how they have become the choice of many budget conscious consumers as of late. While my lifestyle pushes me toward the plan I have (I am a large consumer of wireless data), if I was only using voice, I’d seriously consider using a prepaid phone.
Before switching to prepaid phones, one thing to consider is finding out exactly how much money you can trim off your current cell plan. I personally use a 1000 minute three line Verizon Wireless plan as I’ve found several ways to tease out improved rates. Probably the most effective strategy is saving me around $230 per year off my original cell bill which equates to roughly a free month of cell service for me. To do this, I used the website http://www.fixmycellbill.com (by a company called Validas) where you upload your online bill which is analyzed to determine how much money you could be saving. Up to this point everything is free. If you choose, Validas provides a highly detailed and personalized cell bill adjustment report that is emailed, for five bucks, to your wireless provider in industry specific format so you can actually implement Validas’s cash saving changes to your plan. If Validas can save you more than $5 on your bill (the average customer currently saves $482 annually through Validas), this obviously provides a cost effective remedy for reducing cellular expenses.
I was actually so impressed by Validas that I got a job there when the opportunity arose. It’s a great company that is rapidly becoming considered the top advocate for the wireless customer. Check out a feature about Validas on The Big Idea with CNBC’s Donny Deutsch at http://www.cnbc.com/id/22782456/. Any cell subscriber who wants to cut costs should consider this service.
Good luck to everyone on getting the best rate you can.
Dylan
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