20 unusual ways to save money: Combine cell phone plans
Filed under: Bargains
Sharing cell phone minutes using a family plan can make having lots of minutes far more economical than buying plans individually
All the major cell phone providers offer these plans with several permutations. LetsTalk.com (http://www.letstalk.com/plans/shop.htm) will help sort them out.
Generally, the best deals can be found online, but the in-store salespeople can sometimes bend the rules or offer discounts that aren't obvious elsewhere.
My husband and I, who live in Detroit, and his 84-year-old mother, who lives in New Jersey, share a plan that gives us 700 daytime minutes and unlimited minutes nights after 6 p.m. and weekends. Including taxes, it's about $84 per month – or $28 a piece.
None of us are big cell phone users and we aren't bothered by having to be careful how much we use the phone on weekdays. If we were voracious talkers, there are all-you-can-eat plans that offer unlimited talk and text messaging for about $65 a month per person.
A few things to keep in mind:
• Choosing the same provider that many other friends and family use can take pressure off the per-minute usage because mobile-to-mobile calls on the same network are free.
• Asking to have everybody's contract start at the same time makes it easier to end the contract without facing lingering and potentially expensive commitments.
• Setting up auto-pay on the account will sometimes result in a small discount.
• If you intend to collect from all the participants, it's wise to appoint one "banker" and set up the payment rules, including how charges for overages will be handled.
• A good question to ask the salesperson as you contemplate this expensive commitment is: "What can you do persuade me that this is the right deal?" You never know what the answer will be. Big discounts on desirable phones is one possibility.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-18-2008 @ 8:19AM
Sam Bigger said...
Seems to me that one problem with this type of sharing is that some of the participants may not want names of others to appear on caller IDs for the calls they make.
If there is a way for names to be shown individually, I sure woule be interested.
Reply
12-18-2008 @ 2:23PM
Bruce said...
Since each phone on a family plan has its own number (and user name), only that person's name appears on call ID from that particular phone.
12-18-2008 @ 1:28PM
nancy said...
The lady from Detroit that is sharing cell phone with her husband and out of state mother; I would like to know what cell phone company she is using to get such a great price for three lines.
Reply
12-21-2008 @ 11:17PM
byron said...
pleeeeese let me know what plan they are on also,sure caught my eye?
12-22-2008 @ 6:49AM
T-Mobile Rep. said...
This is directed to Nancy, Byron and anybody else interested...The company that offers this plan is T-Mobile. The plan that is being refered to is 700 minutes from 7:00am to 9:00pm Monday thru Friday with unlimited calling from 9:00pm to 7:00am and 9:00pm (Friday) to 7:00am (Monday) with unlimited T-Mobile to T-mobile. Add $9.99 for each additional line up to three more lines.
However, for just $20.00 additional, you can get the "My Faves" plan in which to choose the five people that to talk to the most on ANY NETWORK, (Sprint, Verizion, AT&T, etc) INCLUDING LANDLINES, any phone number (excluding 411, 800 & 900 numbers) anywhere in the United States. Anytime those numbers are called from your phone or your phone is called from THAT number, it is a FREE CALL for you.
It's simple to do, just check out the website at T-Mobile.com or your closest T-Mobile CORPORATE store for further information.
12-25-2008 @ 10:02PM
Cindy said...
Of course I knew we'd see Representatives/Sales people responding to get more people to sign up with their Company! Sure, T-Mobile may have good plans,but so do the others. I've been with one company for many, many years that offers just as good a plan(s) or even better ones.
Our Family Plan is GREAT & we've had it for many years - beginning with a daughter in college; then she moved out of State. She kept her same phone number on our plan and pays us a set amount each month to us (online), and then we pay the cell bill each month. If she wants extra's, like texting, more minutes, pictures,etc. she pays more than her 1/3 each month (we have 3 on our family plan). She just pays us more each month. Then I pay the bill to the cell company. VOILA....easy to do as long as you have TRUSTWORTHY members who pay you ON TIME every single month - with NO EXCUSES!
Reply
12-31-2008 @ 10:38AM
nanamummy said...
We have family throughout the US (CA / VA / CO / TX / MA etc etc !!)......we all have phones and can chat, text and stay in touch daily...9 in total. It works out about $15 / monthly each. We can even international call at weekend/ and international text ( UK and Ireland ) anytime.
Reply
1-02-2009 @ 11:04AM
barbs said...
free weekends to uk??? which provider are u using...i would like to use them/Thanks B
1-02-2009 @ 8:15AM
Randum said...
With Tmobile you can combine My Faves with Wifi Hot spot.
Wifi or hotspot at home alow unlimited calls for ten bucks per month.My faves covers molile calling.
Reply
3-12-2009 @ 8:22AM
LR said...
My question is, say you share a plan with a friend or 2 and have more than 1 phone. If the person who is the "banker" and pays the bill each month, doesnt pay the bill on time due to a layoff or some other event, who's credit is affected? Is it everyone's on the account, or just the "banker" ? Additionally are there any ramifications to other bill sharers, if any other person whos phone is on the account, fails to pay a bill (other than cell phone), and their credit is affected?
Reply