It’s been over a month since the great experiment to slash our cell phone bill in half began. Like all the exciting scary adventures in our marriage, I made Mr. P go first. Ziplining, cenote jumping, breaking up with Sprint and spending a month with Boost Mobile. Now that thirty days have passed, I’m ready to dish on the service, the true cost, the biggest snag, and if I’m ever going to take the plunge.
A Month with Boost Mobile
When we first decided to make the switch, we wanted to choose a carrier that used a network that we were already using. That didn’t stop me from being particularly nervous. While it was clear from the start that Boost Mobile worked just as well at our house, around our town, and at Mr. P’s work, I was hesitant to write anything definitive until we branched out. And by branched out, I mean visited the cornfields.
Not only did Mr. P’s phone work fine the entire drive from the Chicago suburbs up to my parents’ cottage in Wisconsin, he even got service from the middle of the lake. And yes, while we drove through cornfield after cornfield. Phone calls, group messages, web browsing. It all worked just as well as Sprint. In fact, he swears his phone stays on LTE more often and runs faster now.
But What Does it Really Cost?
Ever the skeptic, I was fully prepared for the second bill to be more than the first. Sure, I knew they promised $50 a month for unlimited everything for the first line. But there’s always a catch. Always.
And there is. At least, sort of. The second Boost Mobile bill just cleared our Discover card, and Mr. P actually paid $50.72. Before you think that these are the world’s lowest taxes and fees, know this. Because he signed up for auto bill pay, he receives a $5 discount. And then he pays those pesky taxes and fees. Still, when you remember that his phone bill was over $80 with Sprint, it’s hard to not call this a win. The real savings, though, happens if I switch. We can add my line for an extra $30.
The Single Hiccup
That’s not to say that the switch has been entirely smooth sailing. Aside from having to buy a SIM card for $15, there’s been one other hiccup that’s been a bit more costly and infinitely more frustrating. Sprint still hasn’t credited our account for the final bill. After a half dozen phone calls that ended with promises to prorate the bill for the month, nada. Mr. P has pledged to put himself back in customer service limbo one more time this week. After that, he’ll notify Discover and see if they can do anything for us. Otherwise, we’ll consider the $30 a parting gift. Because you can only spend so much of your life on hold listening to that awful music, right?
The Verdict
My contract is up with Sprint this month, and I can’t wait to make the switch. After watching Mr. P spend a month with Boost Mobile, I can’t think of a single reason not to make the switch. Since we both brought over our iPhones that we had purchased, there’s no real risk. If we switch to a lesser plan, no worries. If we test out another low-cost carrier, fine. If we let one of the big wig companies lure us back with a new customer promotion, we’ve got nothing to lose. In fact, we gained an extra $960 a year by switching to Boost Mobile. I’d say that makes this experiment a success.
Note: This isn’t a sponsored post and there are no affiliate links. It’s just the honest-to-goodness truth. If anything changes in terms of signal or service, you can bet that I’ll post an update.
So Tell Me…What’s been your most successful money saving experiment lately?
I’m so glad it worked out for you! I’ve been using Virgin Mobile for many years (also on the Sprint network) and it’s always worked great for my needs. I get unlimited everything, with a 5GB cap on high speed data, for $30/month ($5 discount since I have an iPhone).
It’s such an easy way to save money, especially since phones are rarely used for calls and there’s wi-fi everywhere. I’m surprised more people haven’t switched to a discount carrier.
That’s so good to know, Kate. If we didn’t spend so much time up north sans wi-fi, I think we would have looked into something more like this. I’ll definitely keep this in mind if things change!
My husband and I share a monthly plan with 2 over people for Verizon. We pay $70 for both of us a month. I’ve been trying to convince my husband to try cheaper plans such as Republic, but he keeps saying nothing is as good as Verizon and doesn’t want to give it a shot. *sigh*
Leverage your awesome Twitter following to get that Sprint money back. Just send a tweet complaining about the issue and be sure to tag Sprint in it. If that doesn’t get their attention, not sure what will…
That’s a great idea, Daniel! If you see a tweet later this week, you’ll know the phone call didn’t go well.
I’ve been waiting for this little post so I could see how it went with your Mister. So glad to read the good news and now, with our Verizon contracts ending (from my parents plan!) this month it helps to know we’re making a good choice with Boost. I was so worried that there were a million “catches” that you don’t see til it’s too late.
It’s gone really smoothly for him. I don’t know why I expected otherwise since they run on Sprint’s network, and we had good coverage with them. But yup! I’m glad it’s worked out so well for us. Can’t wait to hear how it goes for you two!
Have you found the service to be similar?
I recently switched from Verizon to Google Fi. I had a grandfathered plan with unlimited everything for $50 with Verizon, which was a hard deal to leave. I had to buy a new phone with Google, but I had to buy a new one with Verizon anyway and would have lost my plan. My Google bill has been right around $30/month, which includes the monthly cost of the phone (0% interest, so why not?).
From what I observe, yes. Mr. P actually thinks his phone works better now (placebo effect?). It does seem to stay connected to LTE longer. I was just hoping for an even exchange in terms of coverage, and I think we’ve found it! I’d love to hear more about Fi, Matt!
That’s awesome Penny! Congrats on the big savings. It’s hard to make the switch at first, but we’ve always been satisfied with the different MNVO’s we’ve tried. They all have drawbacks – but the $ saved is SO worth it!
I’m waiting for a big drawback. I can’t really see one yet. But it’s nice to know that we could just walk away with our phones at the end of a billing cycle.
Just wondering – are you able to use your existing phone number? We have four cell phones on Verizon and it costs a fortune. Been thinking about making a switch – but losing your number after years and years of having can be a challenge…
Thanks for asking, Brian! I totally should have included that. Yes! My husband kept his number, and it was a really painless transfer.
I’ve looked into MVNOs, hoping to realize the sort of savings everyone else seems to be getting, but our rural location has limited our options. Only AT&T has adequate coverage in our house (we ditched the land-line years ago) and other areas we frequent, and the third-party carriers available on AT&T’s network look like they’ll actually cost more than our AT&T plan. Can’t win them all, I guess. But I’ll be watching the market as services continue to expand.
I think that’s the key. Just keep watching. And now that full-price carriers see the success of the MVNOs, I think they’re getting much more competitive with their pricing as well!
I’m so envious that you’ve found a cheaper phone plan. Our cell phones are waaaaaay too high and I hate it. But because we live in a remote area, our choices are very limited.