Cheap prepaid plan?

[yhelothar]

So I don't talk much on the phone, but I do text some. I just looked at an AT&T prepaid plan for 25c a min and I think would be much more worth it than the $40/mo for me. The thing is, I already have my own phone and it looks like they're making me buy one. Any advice for a n00b on what plan to get that preferably doesn't require you to buy a phone?

 

[rudeguy]

do you use data at all?

And you are saying that you will use less than 140 minutes a month? That's one call to my insurance company!

 

[yhelothar]

Yeah pretty much. And it's 160 min/month since the lowest plan at AT&T is $40/mo. I still have a landline too.
I mostly only call to give friends an update about where I am before we meet up or to stay in touch with coworkers at work when we need to inform each other about something. All else, I use skype online to chat with friends or I text. Most people I know text now.

I don't use data at all. I'm planning on getting the 200 text package for $5/mo.

 

[rudeguy]

Yeah pretty much. And it's 160 min/month since the lowest plan at AT&T is $40/mo. I still have a landline too.
I mostly only call to give friends an update about where I am before we meet up or to stay in touch with coworkers at work when we need to inform each other about something. All else, I use skype online to chat with friends or I text. Most people I know text now.

I don't use data at all. I'm planning on getting the 200 text package for $5/mo.

Public schools

 

[Slick5150]

Page Plus' monthly plans are pretty good deals for what you get, and you can bring your own CDMA phone. $30 gets you 1200min/1200 texts/50mb data

 

[cronos]

Since you use very little minutes and you don't need to use data and already have a GSM phone, go look at the 'Minutes' plan at H2O Wireless (h2owirelessnow.com). They are AT&T MVNO so they have exact same coverage with AT&T prepaid, and your unlocked GSM phone or even AT&T locked phone will work with their plan.

Their rates for the Minutes plan are: $0.14/min (if you refill with $10 or $20 PIN which expires in 90 days) or $0.06 or $0.05/min (if you refill with $29.99 or $39.99 PINs, respectively, which expires in 30 days). Texts are flat $0.05/txt with the first text of the day $0.10.

Details are here: https://www.h2owirelessnow.com/pageControl.php?page=plans

If you already have a GSM phone, all you need to do is get the starter kit from their website for $10 and then you can activate it through the website or calling in. The kits are available also at BestBuy and other retail stores for the same price, but the gems are the resellers you found on eBay that are selling the starter kit for less than $6. Remember that activating a Minutes plan gets you a bonus of $7 of minutes so they're basically paying you to get a line activated.

I've been with AT&T prepaid for more than five years with even less minutes usage per month than you and it's crazy the amount of money I'm saving with them compared to GoPhone.

 

[yhelothar]

wow h2o sounds awesome. How do i sign up on the site without needing to buy a phone though? It requires me to select a phone to add the minutes package to the cart.

 

[abaez]

They shouldn't make you buy a phone.. at all. If it's GSM it will work. Just go in an sign up and ask for a sim card.

 

[cronos]

wow h2o sounds awesome. How do i sign up on the site without needing to buy a phone though? It requires me to select a phone to add the minutes package to the cart.

If you're buying from the site click on 'Shop'. At the bottom of 'Got a cool phone already?' there's the button that says 'Shop for h2o plan'.

But like I said, you can also go to your local BestBuy/others and get a starter kit there for $9.99, or search for the h2o starter kit on eBay (best value).

 

[yhelothar]

thanks!