Recommendations for decreasing plan cost?

[techknowfile]

I am currently on Verizon paying $150/month for an individual phone plan with 450 minutes, unlimited text, and 20GB data (@10GB data price - $80)
I switched to Verizon about 8 months ago from Sprint, where I was paying $40 for 450 minutes, unlimited text, and unlimited data. Needless to say, I have gotten tired of paying $150/month when I have friends who are grandfathered into unlimited data with verizon for $40-$60/month.

Now, I have a friend who wants to purchase a Galaxy S3 today (contract is over), and we want to transfer him to my account and save some $$ on a family plan or the like. We are hoping for the following:
- Unlimited text
- 450-550 shared minutes
- 10GB-20GB shared data
- $150-$200/month total

After going into a Verizon store yesterday, it became apparent that a family plan would force us BOTH to pay well over a hundred dollars a month for less features than we have now, which doesn't make any sense to me. I don't know anyone who pays as much as I am currently paying.

It's $290 to break my contract, which is negligible compared to the amount I'll save if I go back to Sprint...

Also, I actually would like to purchase a Galaxy S3 myself, and it would be cheaper for me to break my contract and buy the S3 on a new contract than it would be to pay the full price. I would be happy to renew my contract for 2 years with Verizon if we could get a reasonable plan and I could purchase an S3 at the new customer/upgrade price.

Any suggestions? Thank you ahead of time for any help you guys can provide.

 

[Cares]

Well you're kind of stuck if you want that much data. There's nothing you can really do to reduce the cost of data.

 

[dirkbonn]

If you have Wi-fi at home do you use it?

Using Wi-fi wherever and whenever you can is the only thing I can think of that could cut down on your cost of data.

 

[Rxpert83]

If you have Wi-fi at home do you use it?

Using Wi-fi wherever and whenever you can is the only thing I can think of that could cut down on your cost of data.

Absolutely connect to WiFi whenever possible. It doesn't use your data

Verizon is really screwing the customers on the new plans. And they know it.

And their pockets love it

 

[Satires]

I'm no fan of metropcs, but with some of there new smartphones and limited time offer of unlimited text, talk and 4g data for 55 bucks may be the way to go.

I am unlimited 4g data with 450 minutes and no texting grandfathered in at verizon for around 75 bucks a month. I had my wife on my plan and was paying 50 for 10 gigs of data (Got lucky with tje half price data sale) but I had to bump my minutes up 1500 because she's a talker. My bill for both of was over a 180 dollars.

I lost my job and kicked her to metro pcs with an lg motion and unlimited everything including 4g data for 55 dollars a month. The 4g speeds are compareable to verozons 3g speed or a little faster. The lg motion has a 1.5 gig dual core processor and a gig of ram! The metro pcs website said 1.2 but was wrong.

Maybe that can be an option of you live in a metro pcs 4g area and you can probably get the phone for under a 150 bucks online.

 

[Satires]

One more thing, I would be leary of sprint. Unless you know their 3g data speeds are solid. In my area, the sprint 3g speeds sucked.

 

[AntimonyER]

My question is how much data do you currently use? And could you reduce your usage through wifi to save yourself some money? Thats really the only way you will get down to a reasonable price.

 

[Rxpert83]

One more thing, I would be leary of sprint. Unless you know their 3g data speeds are solid. In my area, the sprint 3g speeds sucked.

Sprint is undergoing huge changes to the network. So right now its pretty bad across the board but it will be much better

 

[VM Jon]

$150 a month?! HAHAHA. Verizon is a bunch of con artists. Yeah, I know how to lower your costs. Switch to Virgin Mobile. I dig paying $35 a month for unlimited text and data on some pretty decent 3G signals that are actually BETTER than AT&T's in my area. I have 150 less minutes than you, but I'll take it for $115 less a month.

 

[aurora40]

If you don't actually use that much data (guessing you do, or you wouldn't pay for it), Page Plus will give you 2GB on Verizon's network plus unlimited mins/text for $55. While it is a lot less data, it is also almost $100 cheaper per month, and you know the coverage and you know your device.

$70 on T-Mobile gets you 5GB of data, unlimited mins/text, and no contract.

If you don't mind a contract, and really need a lot of data (guessing you do), $70 on a T-Mo Value plan gets you unlimited 4G data, talk, and text.

At your price point, you have tons of options, because you are paying such a huge amount. Even paying your ETF, and buying a $400 phone would have you break even in just 9 months with T-Mobile.

Since data seems to be your thing, look really closely into Sprint or any Sprint MVNO's (Boost, Virgin) before you go that route. For many people, their data speeds are terrible. They have the worst 3G network of any major carrier in terms of speed. And their 4G networks don't have broad coverage.

 

[aurora40]

Well you're kind of stuck if you want that much data. There's nothing you can really do to reduce the cost of data.

T-Mobile's new unlimited data plans are pretty reasonably priced (relatively speaking).

 

[Doit2it]

Did you check on switching to the Share Everything plans? They have unlimited minutes and texts, but you purchase data. So it REALLY matters how much data you use per month.

From the looks of it, 2 smartphones, 6Gb of shared data would cost about $160 (+ $10 for taxes, etc.) Split between two people that's $90/month. Yes you are paying more than most of the options above, but it's Verizon's coverage.

Here is the FAQ about Share Plans and switching from current plans. You can switch plans without a fee or extending your contract (FAQ 6).

Really the only reason to stay away from the new plans is if you currently have unlimited data or have a single plan that's cheaper than the share plans.