Ok...I might need to call AT&T tomorrow

[Deleted]

or might have to say goodbye to the Blackberry and Iphone.

Last year I started a post on how much I was spending on my cell phone bill and asked everyone how much they were spending.

I just did pull a chart on quicken and in 2010 I spend $3,112.80 on my cell phone bills and that made me go

I knew our cell phone bills were high when I paid them each month but just never really sat down and took it all in. I had a talk with my wife and said maybe we might... just might have to say goodbye to our current phones that require data plans for $30/each.

But what surprise me more are the taxes and usages charges.

The Basic plan costs $189.98
-> $80 for the minutes
-> $9.99 for my mother in law line
-> $ 9.99 for my wife line
-> $30.00 for the family plan text message
-> $60.00 for the data plan ($30/each phone... a blackberry and iphone)

So basically we were charged another $56.00 in fed/state taxes, etc. Last month bill was about $237.

Basically our phone bill is another car note (my wife car note is $248/month)

I remember the days when I was only paying $45-60 for my phone bill.

[schildi]

Wow, I got to agree, that's a lot of money for phones.
Our total phone bill (includes two prepaid cell phones, one landline & one voip line with free long distance) is < $35 per month. Even the $45-$60 you remember seem high to me ....

[Deleted]

Well, you are paying $90 for non phone related services (texts and data).

[alabamagal]

The data plans are killers, but you are basically paying for the phones. Unfortunately it costs a lot to keep up with the current technology, and you fall into the trap of "well its just another $30 a month" but it adds up quickly. Then the various taxes which no one can explain. I have the same issue with my home phone which is only $15, but somehow all the various taxes add up to $35.

Our mobile bill is high, but we use a regional carrier and I think we get a pretty good deal, all things considered. Ours is $80 for the first 2 phones and minutes (which we never use because we live a boring life and only call each other and a few people on our friends and family list), $15 each for teenagers/college students phones with texting plans, $10 for one limited data plan. Total bill is around $160, but that is for 5 phones. Must be about $35 in taxes and fees somewhere in there.

One thing that is different than the old days (when I was in college) is that the 2 college kids living away from home don't need extra money for phone service or long distance, just use their cell phones for everything. The $15 is much less than I used to pay for phone plus long distance to call home once per week.

[soon2bmomof3]

I like to joke and say that DH and I finally joined the 21st Century b/c up until last week, we've had just basic phones with no data plans and no texting.

Now we have two Droids and the breakdown is:
$70/month for basic phone plan
$10 for my line
$10 for FIL's line
$10 for two texting plans (limit of 250 texts each)
$30 for two data plans (limit of 150 MB each)

Total before new phones: $90
Total before taxes: $130

DH's company gets a 22% discount, so before our bill came out to be around $85 a month. Now it'll be over $100. Price of joining the rest of the world

[reader79]

I have an HTC Android phone with Sprint service. My bill is $67/month after discounts, taxes, and insurance (I had to replace it last year at full price so $7/month for insurance is a bargain.) This includes 500 minutes to landlines, unlimited calling to any cell phone in the US regardless of carrier, free nights (at 7pm) & weekends, unlimited texts, web, data etc., unlimited Sprint Navigation and TV... I just got my parents to switch over from AT&T.

[bean29]

Well, I am right up there with you, but I am unrepentant.
I have no intention of giving up the cell phones or services we now enjoy. I am kicking around getting rid of the house phone though. We would save $25.00/month.

We have Sprint Everything Data Plan 1500 shared anytime minutes included for $129.99 and enjoy a 27% discount. We scored the discount b/c someone at the sprint store screwed something up when DH ordered the 2 kids phones. We are entitled to a 22-24% Discount through DH's employer and when we order new phones I will probably fess up b/c through his employer we will get additional discounts on the phones.

Add ons are total equipment protection on 4 phones and a 19.99 fee on 3 of the phones for additional line. Family locater $5.00 and an international calling plan on one line $4.00 + 2.80 last month in international LD. Then we have a 6th phone piggybacked onto the plan with an additional 450 anytime minutes costs us about $23. extra.

Taxes and surcharges are $32.28 bill averages out to about $250/month for 6 phones 5 of which have unlimited texting and data usage. When we started on this plan our bill was only about $175/month. Sprint used to discount the fee for the extra lines and the Total Equipment protection but they say they no longer allow that. The bill when up $24 for that alone. I am unsure how they can change what they charge us for mid-contract but they insisted that they were right when I questioned it.

Like you phones 5 & 6 on our plan are for the 'rents and in-laws. I am not going to drop that. I want them to have cell phones and if we stop paying for it they may decide they don't need it.

Three of the phones are Droids 2 Moments and one Hero DD has a Palm Centro (I think) and she says she can access the Internet w/it but I don't think it is really a droid.

[Jake 48]

I too kicked around getting rid of the land line, however due to Verizon and their bundle packages, there was not much savings. Our alarm system uses the land line and enhanced 911 also ties the land line to your address. If you call 911 on a cell it gives the emergency service the address of the cell tower that generated the call.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

If you call 911 on a cell it gives the emergency service the address of the cell tower that generated the call.

It probably depends upon where you are. When I called 911 last month on my neighbor, the EMS verified my address. So they did get my correct address, not the cell phone tower.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Wow. We pay about $50/month for our cell phone. (T-Mobile)

[rumples]

If your bill is that high, you must be getting whomped on taxes or something. We have almost the same thing you have, except that our minutes are $60 and we have a $4.99 insurance plan on the teen's phone. Our bill is almost always $182. I can't see why a $15.01 difference in service plans would make a $55 difference in the bills.

[Cookies Galore]

We have AT&T as well, but don't have iphones or any sort of smart phone. I have what I guess we'll call an "entertainment" phone, the Samsung Eternity and BF has a basic phone, the Samsung Magnet.
Our breakdown:
$60 for the minutes (and we have so many rollover minutes that we pretty much have unlimited calling)
$10 for BF line
$5 for phone insurance
$30 for unlimited family texting
$10 for unlimited data for me (since I don't have a smart phone, unlimited data is cheaper)
We get a 24%, which pretty much takes care of the taxes, as our phone bill is consistently $108.46.

[bean29]

Taking into consideration what rumples said, did you contact AT& T and ask if they have a cheaper plan that would better serve your needs? What I am specifically questioning is if you get a phone plan that includes the data /texting and maybe allows you to have 2 lines so there would not be an extra charge?

I got in an accident on my lunch hour today. 2nd not at fault accident since November. Got out the phone and started by taking a picture of the car and license plate. Come to find out driver did not have insurance. GRR. But that phone with camera comes in handy and it takes real nice pics.

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2011 14:09:22 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

We have AT&T as well, but don't have iphones or any sort of smart phone. I have what I guess we'll call an "entertainment" phone, the Samsung Eternity and BF has a basic phone, the Samsung Magnet.
Our breakdown:
$60 for the minutes (and we have so many rollover minutes that we pretty much have unlimited calling)
$10 for BF line
$5 for phone insurance
$30 for unlimited family texting
$10 for unlimited data for me (since I don't have a smart phone, unlimited data is cheaper)
We get a 24%, which pretty much takes care of the taxes, as our phone bill is consistently $108.46.

I have over 7,000 rollover minutes and about 100 expired this month.
I thought the $80 plan was the only one I could get but it seems you have the $60 one. I will call about that one tomorrow.

And I saw a commercial stating the data plan was $15/now. I will need to see if we could get one.

SO that would save us an extra $50/month

[Cookies Galore]

If you have 7,000 rollovers then definitely check into downgrading the minutes. We "only" have 3,000 rollover minutes, so we're more than covered.
I know that AT&T recently reworked their data plans, so it can't hurt to inquire. I know since we don't have smart phones I didn't have to pay $30 for our data. I think the guy told me that since we have family unlimited texting we can get the family unlimited data bundle, which is $10 per line. I thought at one point the iphone qualified for this, but it could have been a promotional thing. Again, can't hurt to ask!
It also helps to go into a store and be cute and flirty!

[The J]

If you downgrade your minute plan, you lose all your rollover minutes, except as many minutes as the new plan allows (i.e., you go to a 500 minute/month plan, you keep 500 rollover minutes).

[Cookies Galore]

Hmm, hadn't thought of that. I had accumulated a couple thousand rollover minutes when my plan was just for me and was able to keep them when I turned it into a family plan to add BF, but this was also two years ago. Three years ago?

[The J]

Jan 14, 2011 22:09:32 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Hmm, hadn't thought of that. I had accumulated a couple thousand rollover minutes when my plan was just for me and was able to keep them when I turned it into a family plan to add BF, but this was also two years ago. Three years ago?

When you upgrade the plan, you keep them. It's only when you downgrade.

[Deleted]

Thanks everyone... I will call and try to find out tomorrow.
And the J, we barely ever talk on our phones... so even if we could only keep 500 of the rollover it would be just fine.

We mostly texts friends and family members, and when we do talk it is mostly to friends that are on the same network or using the house phone.

[rumples]

I would definitely look up the rate plans again then. There is actually one lower than the one we are on - 550 minutes for $50.

Before you change your data plan, make sure you research your usage. The $15 plan is for 200MB, I think. Once you cancel your unlimited data plan, you can't get it back.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 10:02:08 GMT -5 @rumples said:

I would definitely look up the rate plans again then. There is actually one lower than the one we are on - 550 minutes for $50.

Before you change your data plan, make sure you research your usage. The $15 plan is for 200MB, I think. Once you cancel your unlimited data plan, you can't get it back.

Thank you

[Deleted]

OK I just called. I lowered our current talking plan from 1,400minutes/$80 to 700minutes/$60. Also J was right... I will only be able to keep 700 rollover minutes which is just fine with us.
As for the data plan, rumples was write.... there is a limit on the $15 plan and the moment we cancel it we cannot get it back.

I am thinking about giving up my blackberry to save us an extra $30/data plan since I barely use the INTERNET on it if ever but do text alot. So just need a phone that will be able to do that which nowadays is all phones