Switching Cell Phone Providers with Kylie and Christie
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Kylie Lipinski, Level 2 Certified Financial Trainer, and she is joined by Financial Gym client Christie Welsby. Today's topic is reducing your cell phone bill by switching carriers. Christie was hesitant to use a 'non-traditional' cell phone provider. After a negative experience with her carrier that she'd been with for a long time, she decided to take the leap and is here to talk about her experience using Mint Mobile.
Podcast Notes
Cell phone bills can be a pricey line item for many clients in their fixed expenses. It's something we want to examine and reduce if possible.
Like many other folks, Christie started examining her finances more closely in 2020. Around that same time, she started listening to podcasts, found Martinis and Your Money, and became a member of The Gym a few months later.
Christie was with the same cell phone carrier for twenty years and never considered changing. She thought it was a good deal with everyone in the family on the plan and a military discount, so she didn't question the bill too much.
Christie and her family went in to make a change on their account, and in the process, a mistake was made that took hours to resolve. Even after that terrible experience, there were still issues with the line, and Christie was frustrated with the entire experience.
She first heard about Mint Mobile on The Frugal Friends Podcast with Jenn and Jill. At first, she wasn't sure, but as time passed, she decided to try it!
Mint Mobile is an MVNO or Mobile Virtual Network Operator. These are like the TJ Maxx of cell phones. Instead of using its own network, it provides service through one of the bigger networks. Mint operated on T-Mobile's network.
What do you need to consider when switching cell service providers?
You have to own your phone outright.
Not all plans have unlimited data. Check your last few months of cell phone bills to analyze how much data you use, so you can pick a plan that works for you.
How do I switch cell service providers?
You can transfer your phone with a physical sim or e-sim card. They've done both, and each has its benefits and drawbacks.
Go to your current carrier and request a transfer pin number. You download the Mint Mobile app, it walks you through the process, and they break up with your old carrier, which is the best part.
Other than being more intentional with her data, she has noticed little difference between her old carrier and Mint Mobile besides overall savings.
What other options of cell service providers are out there?
Mint Mobile: Mint operates on T-Mobile's network. Their cheapest plan is $15/month for unlimited talk and text and 4GB of data. You can get unlimited data with Mint for $30/month.
Visible: Visible runs on Verizon's network. Its cheapest plan is $30, which includes unlimited talk, text, and data, but speeds may be limited when the network is experiencing heavy traffic. For a premium experience, you'd need to go with their $45 per-month plan. By contrast, Verizon's cheapest unlimited plan is $65 per month (not including taxes and fees) when you enroll in auto pay and paper-free billing.
Metro: Metro runs on T-Mobile's network. Its cheapest unlimited plan is $40 per month. The price per line decreases as you add more lines. For example, a plan with 4 lines costs $100 per month ($25 per line).
Resources
Click here to check out Mint Mobile.
Frugal Friends podcast
6 Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill blog post