How to Select the Most Economical Verizon Pre Paid Cell Phone Plan

If you’re one who doesn’t want the monthly Verizon wireless cell phone bill each month, then the pay as you go option is for you. There are benefits to the prepaid option as long as you keep track of your spending and periodically compare it to the monthly contract plan.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
   Cell Phone

   Analyze your cell phone usage. If you’re already on one of the Verizon wireless INPulse plans, you know that you can switch your plan from the INPulse Core of 99 cents per day and 10 cents a minute to the INPulse Plus for 1.99 per day and 5 cents per minute to the INPulse Power which is $2.99 per day and 2 cents per minute. As your cell phone usage changes, you can change your plans.

2. Think long term. Even though you can replenish your time for as little as $15, realize that $15 only buys you 30 days worth of time. That sounds good in the short run, but if you intend to use your Verizon pay as you go cell phone for a year, replenishing your time at $15 increments means you’ll spend $180 at the end of the year just to keep the phone active. To save money, why not refill your time with $100. $100 buys you one full year of cell phone usage, an annual savings of $80.

3. 
   Cell Phone

   Decide if you are a “textaholic.” If you spend a lot of time texting, spring for the $20 per month unlimited text messaging service. Over a period of a year, you will spend $240 for text messaging. This Verizon text messaging option is only recommended for the most serious of text messagers.

4. Consider your talking time. Do you use the cell phone a lot or do you use it for emergencies only? Here’s where the variable comes in. Now that you spent $100 for the annual usage of the phone and determined whether or not you need the $20 text messaging option, decide how much actual talk time you use. Remember, you can switch between INPulse prepaid plans as needed, but the bottom line is to determine how often do you run out of talking minutes.

5. 
   Cell Phone

   Total your annual pay as you go cell phone expenditure and divide it over a period of 12 months. Now compare that monthly number with the Verizon individual contract plans that start at $39.99 per month. When comparing, remember to compare apples to apples. If you have unlimited texting on your Verizon prepaid cell phone plan, to get a proper comparison, you would have to begin by looking at the Verizon wireless Select Plan that starts at $59.99 per month because it is the cheapest plan that includes unlimited text messaging.

Resources

• Verizon Wireless Plans
• Choosing Verizon Prepaid Plans

[sneedc]

on 12/28/2008 good advice, the pay-as-you go; I know a couple textaholics around here. Thanks for the article. 5*