Tag Archive for Cell phones

6 Alternative Cell Phone Companies to Consider

May 13, 2016 Lifestyle No comments

Alternative Cell Phone CompaniesAre you considering switching from your current cell phone company to one of the many alternative cell phone companies out there these days? Perhaps it?s because you?re tired of paying astronomical fees for your cell service. If so, you?re not alone.

Data from spring 2015 showed that 26.22 million Americans planned on switching their cell carrier within the year.

Conclusions drawn from this information leads us to believe that many people are unsatisfied with some aspect of their current service.

But what can you do about it if you are unsatisfied with your current cell phone company?

One solution is to consider alternative cell phone companies with better rates and better service.

Here are some alternative cell phone companies to consider if you are unhappy with your current provider.

Republic Wireless

Republic Wireless customers enjoy an extra perk on top of their already low prices. The company will refund your account for data not used each month. They also boast of average bills being under $14.00/month. Some of their popular features include:

  • Network – WiFi and Sprint
  • No contracts
  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Plans start at $10.00/month
  • No hidden fees
  • Nationwide coverage
  • Drawback – You must purchase one of their phones

Tello

Tello-launch-Logo

Tello ?is a unique company because they allow you to create your own plan. This way you can use only the services you need. If you only need talk and text, you don?t have to pay for data, etc. Or you can choose one of the predefined plans they offer. Plus, unlike Republic Wireless, with Tello you can use a phone you already have. Some of their features include:

  • Network – Sprint
  • No contracts
  • Unlimited talk and text plans available
  • Plans start at $5.00/month
  • No hidden fees
  • Nationwide coverage
  • Use your own phone

Straight Talk

Straight Talk offers a 30 day guarantee if you switch to them and are unsatisfied with your service. Some? features include:

  • Network – Uses AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, & Sprint
  • No contracts
  • Unlimited talk, text and data plans available
  • Plans start at $30.00/month
  • Nationwide coverage
  • Use your own phone and keep your number

Scratch Wireless

If you buy a phone through Scratch Wireless, you can enjoy free service for 3 months. After that, you?ll pay only $7.99 each month. Some of Scratch Wireless? features include:

  • Network – Sprint
  • No contracts
  • Unlimited text and data on WiFi
  • Unlimited talk plans available
  • Drawback – Outside of WiFi, you have to pay for voice minutes.
  • Drawback – Only one phone to choose from.

Go Smart

If you choose Go Smart Mobile as your provider you will not rack up roaming charges. Features:

  • Network – T-Mobile
  • No contracts
  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Plans start at $25.00/month
  • No hidden fees
  • Nationwide coverage
  • Bring your own phone
  • Unlimited International Texting to over 200 countries

Ultra Mobile

With Ultra Mobile it is possible to customize your plan. Features:

  • Network – T-Mobile
  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Plans start at $19.00/month
  • Nationwide coverage
  • Bring your own phone
  • International talk and text offered

It?s true that cell phone bills can account for a pretty large chunk of your budget these days, and with some carriers the service is lacking as well. But with all of the alternative cell phone companies out there, you should be able to compare plan features and prices to find one that suits your needs and your budget.

 

Photo courtesy of: helloolly

5 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill

October 1, 2014 Saving, Shopping 16 comments
Cell Phone

Cell PhoneMost of us have cell phones and most of us are paying way too much money for them! How much are you paying for your cell phone each month? My wife and I are ashamedly paying nearly $150 per month with our plan at Verizon. I know, I?m sitting here hanging my head in shame as it?s a ridiculous cost that grinds on my nerves every month when I see the payment hit our account.

When we first got cell phones years ago there weren?t the options there are today. Thankfully those options make plans much easier for us to swallow and plan on choosing from one of those options once we?re able to early next year. If you?re like us and looking for?simple ways to?save money on your cell phone bill here are five areas to take a look at.

1) Keep an Eye on Your Usage

A number of years ago the only usage you had to watch was your voice minutes as that was all there was. Today, if you do not have unlimited voice, text or data you have to keep an eye on each one of them to make sure you do not go over your monthly allotment. In the case of data, which is the most common one to go over, you can really jack up your bill if you don?t watch it.

In our case, we?re largely on Wi-Fi so it?s easy to keep that usage down. However, if you?re a heavy user of data then you?ll want to look for ways to cut back on that in order to save money on your cell phone bill.

2) Call Your Cell Phone Service Provider

If you think your bill is too high, then why not call your cell phone service provider and let them know your dissatisfaction? Simply ask them if there is anything that they can do to reduce your bill each month and they might just find something.

My wife did this a few months ago for us and we were able to get rid of a few features we didn?t use plus cut our data allotment. A ten minute call resulted in us lowering our cell phone bill by just over $20 per month. You may not always have luck, but it?s worth the effort.

3) Reduce Your Plan

If your plan allows you 900 voice minutes and you use an average of 57, then you are severely overpaying for your service. This same advice applies to your text and data minutes as well. Check online and see if there are any plans that suit your usage and cost much less. Chances are there is a much better plan for you that is cheaper than your current one.

4) Make the Switch

If you find a service provider that has a much cheaper monthly plan, then I would encourage you to look at switching. Many of the no-contract cell phone service providers, like?Republic Wireless?or?Straight Talk, do not depend on their own network but those of providers like Verizon,?Sprint or AT&T. They actually use the network of the bigger, well known service providers and therefore provide good coverage, just significantly cheaper.

If you find that you are not satisfied with the new service provider then you can always switch to another provider. That is really one of the things that sets the low-cost cell phone providers apart. You can move from provider to provider as most don?t require contracts.

5) Ditch All Service Providers

I have a friend that has actually said ?Adios? to his service provider and has not picked up another provider, but yet he is still able to use his cell phone. You might be wondering, ?How is this possible?? and to be honest, it had me stumped at first as well.

You see, he kept his phone and signed up with a free Google Voice account. So, wherever he has an internet connection he is able to use his phone. So, his phone is functional at work, at home, as well as at any retailer that offers free Wi-Fi. As more and more businesses offer free Wi-Fi, it’s possible we’ll see more follow his method. Now, instead of paying $150 a month for his wife?s and his cell phone service, he pays $0. It might not be a seamless transition, but it could be worth the savings if it fits your needs.

 

How are you saving money on your cell phone bill each month? What do you pay per month for your coverage? If you?re in a contract, will you be looking to change when it?s up?

 

 

Photo courtesy of: daryl_mitchell