Keep my cell plan or go to Prepaid???
By chaygylmommy
@chaygylmommy (2470)
United States
February 1, 2007 6:38pm CST
My contract with Verizon ends in 4 days...I am trying to save some money each month, but do not like the idea of being without a cell phone totally since I do have my 2 kids and a crappy car. :) I go places a lot during the day and if the school had to contact me about my son, I need the phone PLUS I travel back country roads a lot from my house to my parents' house after dark and I want a phone for those times too.
Anyhow, my question is...do I keep my plan on a month to month basis or go prepaid?
My plan is the cheapest and is 39.99 but after tax and all, it's about 55.00 a month!
If I do prepaid, I can get a $20 card, but I am afraid I will use more than those minutes and then it may not really be worth it. LOL
I have no long distance on my home phone--cut that off to save close to 25.00 a month.
Any opinions? I never had a prepaid. My husband used one for about 3 weeks just until he got the company's cell phone and I was going to use his.
5 people like this
11 responses
@hitzphillygirl (1235)
• United States
2 Feb 07
I had a prepaid phone for about three years and I loved it. It was perfect for me because I don't really use the phone that much, anyway.
3 people like this
@chaygylmommy (2470)
• United States
2 Feb 07
thank you. I think i am probably going to go to the prepaid. even if i spend 20-30 dollars on minutes a month, I am saving money. To do anything with Verizon, I have to sign another 1 or 2 yr contract. I mean, I can stay month to month, but if I want to change plans or anything, i have to sign another contract.
2 people like this
@mimatexas (1818)
• United States
2 Feb 07
I have a prepaid tracfone myself. This is the first cell phone I have and it's convenient for me since I don't have any contracts and I can pay only what I want. I buy a $20 card and my phone cost me $15.
3 people like this
@praveenkumar06 (4077)
• Hyderabad, India
2 Feb 07
Prepaid Card plan to a subscription plan and keep my same username and password
@krislouiebaby (2346)
• Philippines
2 Feb 07
my husband and i are using prepaid cards only,here in the philippines there is a minimum amount of 30 pesos and you can use that for three days,
i think it is better to use a prepaid than a monthly plan
it is expensive.
well it is up to you what kind is best for you,
@marjonelle (798)
• Philippines
2 Feb 07
It really depends on your usage. But as you told us, I guess you have to stay with a cell plan for it is hard for you to run out of load when you're in a remote area. And regards with your husband's cellphone, you can't use it regulary for u're not always together. Good luck.
@blueboy249 (428)
• Virgin Islands (U.S.)
3 Feb 07
well with pre paid phones that a dollar a day no matter if you used it or not... its a dollar a day.. and dont talk whenever u get in coming text messages or stuff like that.. it eats your your money on pre paid but with a plan u get all those service fees and taxxes and stuf.. some of them u never heard ofbefore but they be have it on them cell phone bills... soo thats a good question...plan or pre paid? will both of them has its advantages and disadvantages. sooo i would have too sayyy renew your plan..
2 people like this
@lilttownmommie (1473)
• United States
23 Feb 07
I have had both & I definately reccomend prepaid, especially if you can get one through a company that offers free mobile to mobile with your husbands phone or someone else that you talk to on a regular basis. I have a cingular prepaid & can talk to my husband, mom, mother in law, sister in law & others free because they have cingular as well.
1 person likes this
@mama_of_two (268)
• United States
17 Feb 07
If I were you, I would look at the pros and cons of the situation, such as what would be more appropriate for you and what are your needs for a phone. Sometimes a prepaid plan can be more expensive and is not worth it, but other times they are so worth it. It also depends on the company that you have decided to go through. I would look at the price per minute and weigh this into how you would choose.
Here in Florida we have a prepaid plan that is great through MetroPCS. They are located in Florida and in San Francisco, I believe. You can check them out here: http://www.metropcs.com. They have excellent plans if you live in those areas.
@blueskies (1186)
• United States
3 Feb 07
My suggestion for you would be to get a Net10 phone. I have one for myself and another for my husband. I buy a 300 minute card every 60 days that costs $30. All calls are .10 a minute, all texts are .05 each. There are no additional charges. For me, this works out to $15 a month for my cellphone. Hubby sometimes needs more minutes, so we figure that his costs about $20-$25 a month. This is still much cheaper than the least expensive contract plan that offers two lines. If you go to the net10 website, you can purchase a 300 minute card and they will send you a phone for free. Good luck :)
@chaygylmommy (2470)
• United States
3 Feb 07
i will chekc out the net10 site. thank you for the suggestion.
@hidinginpublic (170)
• United States
3 Feb 07
I have gone both ways. I didn't mind prepaid but I was buying a card a week and actually spending more money. Then I found a newer company called Cricket and they don't do credit checks and if you don't pay they just turn your phone off right away. It's $45 a month but I get unlimited everything. I think you should stay with your plan if it is working.
1 person likes this
@trouble4u2avoid (2915)
• United States
23 Feb 07
I was considering doing the same thing. I'm tired of contracts and monthly fees. I really don't need a phone but like you I want to have one in emergency situations. I actually did break down the other day at a gas station. Guess I had no cell phone and the gas station didn't have a payphone. The MacDonalds next door didn't have a pay phone either. It really sucked. The lady at the gas station called my husband for me otherwise it would have been a good 20 minute walk.
