mobile friendly

I decided to revisit my mobile phone bill. The amount I pay each month, purportedly for data, is seriously silly! I started by seeing what services I need and reviewing the amount of data, talk, and text I consume each month. I only use 1% of the data available to me, making 99% of what I'm paying each month obsolete. Not really an acceptable deal in my mind.

Shopping around was a bit of a hassle but in the end totally worth it! 

I called my current phone provider, Verizon, and asked to explore plans. Apparently, I'm on the lowest plan available; however, I did negotiate them down. How? I asked about price matching and switching providers, and they stated that while they aren't encouraged to offer this, it was a possibility to assist in the short-term. They agreed to take $10 off my bill for 6 months. 

This provided me with more motivation to find savings, so my next action was to call Spectrum Cable. This was the best deal I could find. Unlimited talk and text AND only $14/month for 1GB. Sold! But first, I needed to see what AT&T and others offered before committing.

I found that AT&T was offering a $250 Visa gift card for new customers! The plan was more expensive than what Spectrum was delivered, but it was the same as what I was paying with Verizon. There are no contracts involved, and you receive $250 after being a new AT&T customer for 45 days. Also, you received a free 6-month HBO Max subscription. Sold! 

So this is what I did. I paid off my iPhone (only $150 left) to freely switch mobile service providers. I accepted the AT&T offer. The AT&T offer will cover the remaining balance I paid off and give me funds for holiday gifts! Then, once my 45 days up, I'll switch to Spectrum! I'm pretty happy with myself. 

This week, I did have a couple “fails” if you will. First, I had family in town. I spent money. Way too much money. Money I didn't have. So I had to pull from savings to cover expenses. I also let myself fall back into bad habits, and I'm really mad at myself for it. Shopping for plant pots and eating takeout. I'm set for no-spend November, however. It’s going to be hard, but I can do it. Second, although this isn’t really my fault, my car is dying. The repairs are more than the car is worth. This means figuring out how to pay off my car loan fast and budgeting for a car payment.

Life. Small steps back, small steps forward. Overall though, a really good week.