Cell phone plans

[Gjowers]

My wife and I have had Verizon service for years. Our current plan is about $70 per month. That's the least expensive family plan. That gets us two phones, 700 minutes, no long distance or roaming, and that's probably about it. Are there any better deals out there?

[project15]

With Sprint, we pay about $65 per month for 800 minutes, two phones, nights starting at 6pm. We have a 15% employee discount and the 6pm minutes was a free perk. Probably can't get this same deal if you signed up now.

[kork13]

I use AT&T, and they have some family plans in that range....
For $60 (their lowest): 2 phones, 550 anytime w/ rollover (save any unused minutes), free nights/wknds, free calls to other AT&T mobile customers, no roaming/long distance restrictions.
For $70: same as above, but 700 anytime w/rollover.

Especially if alot of your calls are to eachother, at night (9pm-6am for AT&T, but it varies between companies), or on the weekends, it's really easy to get by on fewer minutes than you think... About half of the minutes I use aren't charged to my 'anytime' minutes, because of the nights/wknds and mobile-to-mobile being free.

[snafu]

Each provider has many different programs and the competition for your business is ferocious. I suggest you list of 'must have' items and compare on-line. Before making a final decision ask Verizon, your current provider, [if you are ok with their service] if they will meet the plan you have decided to sign.

[Gjowers]

that's a good idea. Of course the trouble is, when you sign up with Verizon you sign at least a two year contract and it's major expensive to break. I was more curious to find out if others were doing substantially better, and it appears they are not. That's too bad. Cell phones are darn expensive.

[kork13]

Cell phones are darn expensive.

TOO TRUE. I've looked at a number of ways to decrease my cell phone bill (I only have a cell--no land line), but no matter the way I swing it, I'm only looking at very small savings, still having a phone bill no less than $30-$40, and that's stripping it down from the frills I have at the moment with my current contracted plan... I'll be reassessing when this contract runs up, hopefully by then there will be more options.

[jIM_Ohio]

Cancel your home phone and only use the cell phone- you will probably gain some cash flow.

We have been without a landline for around 3-6 months now.

Sprint for us was $85/month, 6pm weeknights, 1500 pooled minutes on two phones.
Wife switched off plan to local carrier for $50.mo (no contract). I am still on the sprint contract for around $25/month. When contract expires I am either doing wife's plan or switching to ATT where I can carry over minutes (I don't make many calls).

When I window shopped the best plans appeared to be:

ATT (carry over minutes would save me big time $$ in long run). In an inflationary environment this is a better deal than it appears.
There was a plan which had "10 buddies" or "10 friends"- I want to say Alltel- where calls to those 10 people were unlimited. That was second best deal (IMO). I can tell you the numbers where 75% of my conversations take place, the other 25% can share the minutes.
Cincy Bell (NO CONTRACTS)
Sprint, Verizon and others were all about same on the bottom.