Independent Living
Independent Living
TECHNOLOGY
B Y R o bert N a z arian
Plan B Costs
Plan A Costs
Plan C Costs
Plan D Costs
INSIDE ADVICE ON HOW TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE RIGHT CELL PHONE & PLAN
T
he cost of owning a mobile phone has skyrocketed over the years, but there are simple ways to minimize
your costs. The first thing you need to decide is if you really need a smartphone. Smartphones are great,
but if you are already out of the workforce and do not need to be connected constantly, I recommend
buying a Wi-Fi tablet and using a basic phone for the times when you need to receive or place calls.
If you go this route, your best bet is to sign up with a pay as you go or prepaid plan. Not only are they
cheaper in the long run, you also won’t be tied down with a contract. Phones are as low as $20, and you
can purchase minutes that are good for various periods of time. Verizon’s Per Day plan is one of the best deals around.
You can purchase $100 of credit, which is good for one year. Calls to other Verizon phones are free, while other calls are
billed at $0.10 per minute. There is also a one time charge of $0.99 for each day you use the phone. If you find that you
don’t make or receive calls on a daily basis and most of your family and friends are on Verizon, you will save as much as
$300 to $400 annually over traditional plans. Other carriers offer sim