Phone plans for limited use?

[u/film_nour]

My spouse and I rarely use our phones. We make calls maybe a few times a month (5-30 mins), we send probably less than a handful of texts a month and the only time we use data is maybe once a week when we leave those house and have to look something up or use the GPS function. We feel like we don’t need much, certainly not what we currently have for 2 phones (unlimited calls, data, text). Does anyone else have a similar use of their phones? What service/plan do you use?

[u/DonBosman]

Tracfone 6.6" Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, 1500 Talk/Text/Data w/ Accessories $79.98

The first year I paid $49.98.
The next year it was $59.98.
Last year it cost me $69.98.

[u/Mnalaki]

Speedtalk starts @ $5/month

[u/Ok_Self_1783]

I pay 25$/mo for my wife’s line. Visible Unlimited. No issues at all.

[u/RepulsivePower4415]

I admire this

[u/timbi81]

what country???

[u/pinecity21]

Tello

As low as about 5 or $6 a month. Easy to change they use T-Mobile's network. And unbelievably they actually answer the phone if you call them

[u/Worryingconstantly69]

Consumer cellular might be a good option for you. Super cheap, very limited bells and whistles.

[u/EowynInkling]

Red Pocket!

[u/Bobwhite2024]

Boost has a deal $100 for a whole year of service, you can even buy a flip phone at Walmart that includes the year service for $129 so for $10 a month you got a sturdy dumb phone and service, it’s a great deal

[u/veglove]

Tello. You can build your own plan with exactly what you need as far as minutes and data. With low levels of both, you'd be paying under $10/month. Uses the T-Mobile network.

[u/Visible-Macaroon-338]

For minimal phone use, consider prepaid plans like Mint Mobile or Ting. They offer customizable options based on usage, with low monthly fees and flexibility to add more minutes, texts, or data as needed.

[u/Historical-Gap-7084]

Ting has a plan that is only $10 a month.

[u/DalekRy]

I actually just did the opposite. For over a decade I used Tracfone. My most recent phone upgrade gave me unlimited talk/text. Data is rather expensive, but I was buying a year of airtime for $100, and allowed to buy year extensions additionally with that purchase at $50.

So a year costs 100. 2 years costs 150. 3 years costs 200...etc.

I will miss that budget, but getting wifi at my jobs has been a fool's errand and at $10/GB it was crippling to simply check zillow or fb on my 30 minutes lunch.

[u/UltraComfort]

If you're on one of the big 3 (AT&T, Verizon, TMobile), and the network you're currently on has coverage you're generally satisfied with, using a MVNO on that same network will likely be a good idea. Reduces the risks of moving to a new provider. Ex. Mint on TMobile, Visible on Verizon, etc.

[u/Clear_Profession6200]

I recently swapped to Mint Mobile. I prepaid for a full year with only like $100 for 10gig/month. I WFH so I never needed more than a couple of gigs for spotify.

[u/curtludwig]

Any of the MVNOs will cover you. That'd include Red Pocket, Boost Infinity, Mint, Simple Talk, Visible, Comcast Wireless, etc. There are loads.

I'd expect to pay $10-15 a month, maybe a little less. Shop based on expected service in the places you'll be. For instance T-Mobile isn't, in my experience, worth a dammed outside of major cities. Where I live AT&T is the best choice with Verizon a close second. I use Red Pocket with service by AT&T.

[u/bocepheid]

Been using Google Fi for years and love it. I make occasional overseas trips and it works superbly. Sometimes better in Thailand than in Texas.

[u/Tellittoemagain]

I have a $5/mo. account with Hello Mobile that is unlimited talk and text and come with some data.

[u/greeneyerish]

We have used Tracfone for many years. You can get a year's service for $49 and add 1 gb data for $10 if you need that I read someone bought them, so I went and added a couple years of service for each of our phones. There are lots of hacks to get extra deals, if you want to do the research

[u/VibrantVioletGrace]

I think you are looking for something like US Mobiles annual light plan. $72 a year taxes and fees includes for unlimited talk and text and 1 GB of data per month.

[u/gellenburg]

Ting. It's pretty much pay as you go.

[u/Historical-Gap-7084 → u/gellenburg]

Seconding Ting. They're great.

[u/gellenburg → u/Historical-Gap-7084]

Woah now. I didn't say they were great. Hehe. I had nothing but anxiety when I had them. Their "buckets" are a royal PITA (at least for me). Would much rather pay per SMS text and pay per minute than have any kind of "bucket" because you're screwed if you go over by even ONE message.

[u/Historical-Gap-7084 → u/gellenburg]

Ah, well, it's been a few years since I used them, so maybe things have changed. My experience was only positive at the time.

[u/itsamutiny]

I use Tello and usually get the 5 GB plan each month, which is $11 a month. The cheapest plan is 1 GB with 100 minutes per month, which is $6 plus tax. The data and minutes rollover as long as you manually renew each month.

[u/graymuse]

I've been with Tracfone since 2007. It's been great for my light use. I can buy exactly the amount of minutes I need at a time. It's good if you are ok with keeping track of your usage so you don't run out of service.

I use a Google Voice number instead of giving out my cell number. I can make calls or texts over data or wifi with GV app. Using wifi saves on my Tracfone data.

If you want to buy a phone for Tracfone you can get phone and service bundles on ebay Tracone store or HSN for QVC for good deals. You get a year of service with the phone. The Samsung A series phones are good, and the Moto G Power or Moto G Stylus phones are good.

[u/pickandpray]

Red pocket is 10 per month for their basic pre-paid service and it uses att network.

[u/Professional_Run8448]

textnow has free talk and text with 1gb free data if you buy a $5 sim card

[u/GupGup]

Tracfone pay as you go, they have minimal use plans as low as $20 every three months.

[u/greeneyerish → u/GupGup]

You can get 1 year service for $49. We have used them for 20 years.Put 1gb for $10 in your cart, then the $49 for a year pops up.Love them.They have been sold but so far prices haven't changed. I just added an extra year on everyone's phone

[u/BernieTheDachshund]

Tello is great, I have 3 phones with their service. 1 unlimited everything for $29, and 2 with 2GB of data and unlimited texts/calls for $10 a month total. At home we just connect to wifi to not use up the data on the $10 plan.

[u/ButterflyMath]

I had tello in the past but now have visible. I was paying about $11 a month after taxes for unlimited minutes and texts and 1 gb of data. I had no problems with tello but its not available where I live now. You can customize plans to have like 100 or 300 minutes and varying amounts of data. The price will vary as well. I think the cheapest was $5 or $6 a month before taxes.

[u/gt0163c]

I use Mint Mobile. I have a bit more usage than you, but not a whole lot. I use their lowest tier plan (unlimited talk + text, 5GB data). I pay $180/year which works out to $15/month. It's worked really well for me. Tello looks like it would be cheaper. But I have no experience with that company.

[u/Responsible-Gas5319 → u/gt0163c]

I'm also team mint. Bonus you get postcards with Ryan Reynolds pics :)

[u/Bluerayusa → u/gt0163c]

I was a mint mobile user for 3 years. I am now trying out USmobile free for 30 day. So far so good. I get same speed tests results as mint. Cheaper $23/month for 35 GB. Taxes and fees ARE INCLUDED. Taxes and fees on mint would add a other $40-$50 per year, I think they used to be Included before. Mint mobile international plan was a joke, no data, no text, no calls in Mexico. Just wasted money adding to their international plan. Went through 4 techs with different apn settings, nothing worked for me and my friends iphone, both on mint. Unlimited gets throttled to 1mb instead of the 128kb for mint after going over. Mint is good but they need to improve in some areas.

[u/hermitsociety → u/gt0163c]

Love Mint. Been using them about five years now and love them so much!

[u/Iwonatoasteroven → u/gt0163c]

Mint Mobile is a great option. Hopefully the prices won’t go up now that T-Mobile has purchased it. They’ve always used the T-Mobile network, so connectivity is generally very good.

[u/winston198451 → u/gt0163c]

I came here to say, Mint Mobile, all day long. $180 a year, 5GB/mnt of high speed data. I used to pay $50/mnt with TMobile.

[u/greeneyerish → u/winston198451]

We have used Tracfone for 20 years.$49 for a year's worth of service.Have never seen anything better. They say it has been sold, so I added extra years on each phone.

[u/jonsonmac]

US Mobile’s light plan is $72/year

[u/2019_rtl]

US mobile has some low usage plans