Farewell Land Line

For a while, we've wondered if we really needed our land line.  Jason carries a cell phone, and that seems to be how we do most of our telecommunicating.  We had two obstacles.  1. We got a better deal on our DSL because of the land line.  2. If one of us was at home and the other was out with the cell phone, we'd have no way to call 911 if the house caught fire, became burglarized, or was invaded by insane aardvarks.

Our Crazy Cell Phone Scheme

We looked at some other options.  First of all, Jason's dad already had a plan through Verizon that would allow him to add a line for 9.99.  He had made us an offer to do that in the past, but we declined on principle.  On what principle, we can't remember, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  We decided to compare what taking him up on his offer would do for our bottom line to what we were currently paying.  Here is how much we paid for DSL, phone line, and a cell phone:

Phone (Including taxes and fees) - $33.55
DSL High Speed Internet - $28.00
Verizon Wireless (one phone, including taxes and fees) - $46.13
Total Cost - $107.68/Month

To lower this cost, we went with Jason's family to Verizon and added two lines to their account.  The first one was Jason's current account, and the second went on one of our old cell phones we'd never gotten around to donating.  This second phone will replace our land line for emergencies, but has features our land line does not have such as voice mail and the ability to leave the house, city, state, etc.  Jason also upgraded on his phone the number of texts he can send/receive.  With the upgrade, the second line, taxes, and fees, we expect to be sending Jason's dad about $40/month (less that what we're currently paying for one phone with a less comprehensive plan).

This morning, we called ATT to cancel our land line, knowing our internet would likely go up $7/month.  After we got that set up, Jason asked the representative if they could give us a little "something extra" for being such loyal customers.  The result?  We get the first 3 months of service for $14.95 instead of $35.00.  That price includes everything, so there are no added fees or taxes to consider.  Here are our new totals:

DSL High Speed Internet - $14.95 for three months, $35.00 after that
Verizon Wireless Cells for Home and Away - $40.00
Total - $54.95/First Three Months - $75.00/Thereafter

Just those two action will save us $30-$50 per month, and will add up to $427.31 over the next 12 months.

The Next Step

You'd think I'd be satisfied with that result, but I'm not quite done.  When these three months are up, I'm going to call ATT back to see if they will continue us at the promotional rate.  If they won't, I'm going to ask if we can sign up for a 2-year "term."  Oftentimes, there is a better rate available if you ask for this, although they tend not to advertise it.  This is not like a cell phone's 2-year contract.  Instead, it just shows you intend to stay with them, so they guarantee you a better price for two years.  However, you can cancel at anytime with no penalty.  Be sure you check the terms before you agree to any add-ons or special rates.  It might be good in the short term, but there can be a nasty surprise later down the line.

If you know and trust someone who has the kind of wireless plan that lets them add someone new for cheap, it's worth looking into.  If nothing else, you could each get the same plan together, split the cost, and probably both of you would benefit from a lower bill.  It should go without saying, however, that your relationship needs to be the kind where you can deal with money together without it hurting your friendship.  

In short, there are a lot of creative ways to save money.  Jason told me at lunch that this latest action made him feel we were really serious about eliminating this debt.  I have to agree.

How else can we all save money on a month-to-month basis?  Let us know in the comment section below!