Comments on: Wireless prepaid plunge http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/ Live Rich Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:46:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Verizon Wireless secret family plan http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-184 Verizon Wireless secret family plan Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:03:43 +0000 http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-184 [...] inspired by my recent examination of wireless service and subsequent switch to prepaid service, a friend of mine started scrutinizing [...] […] inspired by my recent examination of wireless service and subsequent switch to prepaid service, a friend of mine started scrutinizing […]

]]> By: Prepaid plunge: Part II http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-166 Prepaid plunge: Part II Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:12:55 +0000 http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-166 [...] I previously said I would name names for my cell-phone transition. It helps describe the process. [...] […] I previously said I would name names for my cell-phone transition. It helps describe the process. […]

]]> By: Bill Gallagher http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-161 Bill Gallagher Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:26:36 +0000 http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-161 I dropped mine and my wife's service 2 years ago with Sprint, 29.99 + tax and fees for a total of $70 per month. We used about a 1/4 of the minutes for that. We switched to STI mobile, which provides service though Sprint. I got 2 flip phones from Staples, $100 each, they included $50 each in prepay. I also got $50 promotional rebate for more prepay when I activated my wifes card. To get the rebate you had to use 100 minutes in the first month, I ended up calling my own phone and letting the phone sit for over an hour the last night of the first month to get the 90 minutes (OK I don't talk on the phone much.) Now we spend about $3-5$ a month on mine, $10-$15 on my wife's. We came out ahead after the 2nd month, and save $50 a month or better. And got newer/better phones, to boot. I dropped mine and my wife’s service 2 years ago with Sprint, 29.99 + tax and fees for a total of $70 per month. We used about a 1/4 of the minutes for that. We switched to STI mobile, which provides service though Sprint. I got 2 flip phones from Staples, $100 each, they included $50 each in prepay. I also got $50 promotional rebate for more prepay when I activated my wifes card. To get the rebate you had to use 100 minutes in the first month, I ended up calling my own phone and letting the phone sit for over an hour the last night of the first month to get the 90 minutes (OK I don’t talk on the phone much.) Now we spend about $3-5$ a month on mine, $10-$15 on my wife’s. We came out ahead after the 2nd month, and save $50 a month or better. And got newer/better phones, to boot.

]]> By: Tom Zanki http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-160 Tom Zanki Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:56:16 +0000 http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-160 Please excuse the typo: "relection" should have been "recollection." Please excuse the typo:
“relection” should have been “recollection.”

]]> By: Tom Zanki http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-159 Tom Zanki Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:03:01 +0000 http://www.gregkarp.com/blog/2008/03/05/wireless-prepaid-plunge/#comment-159 Greg: Going prepaid is a smart choice. I doubt you will regret it. I did the same thing about two years ago. My circumnstances were similar, except on a smaller scale. I was paying about $36 a month with fees for service including, at my best relection, 100 anytime minutes plus free weekends and nights. While that might sound like a respectable deal, I wasn't using minutes anywhere near that. Total yearly bill: About $432. Through Cingular, I swithced to prepaid after learning that for $100 a year (or $25 every three months) I could buy 400 minutes. That's at a rate of 4 minutes per $1. The total averages to 33 minutes a month. As you can see, I'm not a heavy cell phone user. I treat it as a utility and little else. Sure I had to buy a new phone and switch to a new number. But my phone needed an upgrade anyway. Bottom line: I save $332 a year. That more than compensates for the $50 upfront cost of buying a new phone. When you know your mintues are not limitless, you use them judiciously. Simple as that. So if you don't care to yak, but love to save, go for it. Regards. Tom Zanki Greg:

Going prepaid is a smart choice. I doubt you will regret it.

I did the same thing about two years ago. My circumnstances were similar, except on a smaller scale. I was paying about $36 a month with fees for service including, at my best relection, 100 anytime minutes plus free weekends and nights. While that might sound like a respectable deal, I wasn’t using minutes anywhere near that. Total yearly bill: About $432.

Through Cingular, I swithced to prepaid after learning that for $100 a year (or $25 every three months) I could buy 400 minutes. That’s at a rate of 4 minutes per $1.

The total averages to 33 minutes a month. As you can see, I’m not a heavy cell phone user. I treat it as a utility and little else. Sure I had to buy a new phone and switch to a new number. But my phone needed an upgrade anyway.

Bottom line: I save $332 a year. That more than compensates for the $50 upfront cost of buying a new phone.

When you know your mintues are not limitless, you use them judiciously. Simple as that. So if you don’t care to yak, but love to save, go for it.

Regards.

Tom Zanki

]]>