If you just want cheap cell service and you don't want to read the below, just click here to get started with Mint Mobile.
No one likes paying their cell phone bill. Especially when it's $50, $60, $70, or more per month.
Yeah, I'm looking at you, Mr-$80/month-wireless-bill.
You've probably thought, "Boy - I really wish there was a way to pay less for my cell phone service."
Oh, you've thought that? I have the answer for you.
Mint Mobile.
What's Mint?
Mint Mobile is an MNVO that is going to transform the industry.
"Isn't Mint the company who had the Super Bowl commercial, the disturbing one with the chunky milk?"
Yeah, that's the one.
"Aren't they the one who got Ryan Reynolds to be an investor and spokesperson?"
Yep.
"Wait, what's an MVNO?"
A MVNO is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. They don't build or own their own cell towers, they let the Big 4 (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint) build them all across the country. Then MVNOs essentially pay these companies to use capacity on those towers - sort of like renting - and they sell that tower time to their customers. There are a lot of MVNOs out there (Cricket, Net10, TracFone, a ton of others including GoogleFi) - but after researching, Mint seems to be the best value for me.
Here's a good analogy for an MVNO - you know how Trader Joe's doesn't have its own wineries, but the Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Cabernet for $15 tastes the same as the $80 bottle of Cabernet? That's because High-falutin' Winery X had extra wine that they didn't have contracts for, then Trader Joe's bought that wine for a low price, and then TJ's bottled it with their own label - since they bought it on the cheap, they can sell it to you for a fraction of the fancy-label price.
So in the end, the winery sold their excess wine inventory (better than getting nothing for it), TJ's is buying and selling it for a fair price, and YOU, the discerning and frugal wine drinker, are the winner in the end by getting an incredible product for a rockin' price. It's the same for Mint and other MVNOs. You're getting the same wireless service that the $80/month fella is paying for, but for a fraction of the price. Because you're smarter than the sucka who paid full price.
"Wow, I get it now, and that's awesome! Tell me more!"
OK, simmer down - here's the pricing:
Unlimited Voice, Unlimited Text, 3GB high speed data per month, for
<drum roll>
$15 per month.
Yep, it's awesome.
"Dude, I do work on my phone, I need more data than that."
OK Ms-Works-Too-Much, how about this:
Unlimited Voice, Unlimited Text, 8GB high speed data per month, for
<drum roll>
$20 per month.
Yeah, I told you it was awesome.
"Dude, I watch a ton of video on my phone, I still need more data than that."
Alright Sparky, you're probably watching too much YouTube. But here's the deal for you:
Unlimited Voice, Unlimited Text, 12GB high speed data per month, for
<drum roll>
$25 per month.
You can see all the plans here.
"Wow, that's super cheap. Does the service suck?"
No, it's really really good. If you must know, Mint uses T-Mobile's towers, which have really good nationwide service (although I heard it's not very good in Nebraska for whatever reason). We go camping in some pretty desolate areas of California and my cell service is perfect with 4G available.
"Can I keep my existing cell phone number?"
Yes, you can keep it - for mine, it took a couple hours for the port to happen.
"What happens when I use all my data? Do they cut me off until I pay more?"
Nope. The data speed does slow down though, to 2G speed, which is slow but you can still check email, text, do navigation - but streaming HD video isn't really going to work. You could pay more for additional high-speed data (additional $10 for 1GB) but I've never had the need to do it. It's truly unlimited data, just that if you go over your high-speed allotment, it kicks down to slower speed.
"OK, yeah this sounds awesome, but what's the catch?"
True, there's always a catch. Here it is:
- You bring your own (unlocked) phone.
- If you're still paying $80/month for your cell phone plan because "they gave me a free iPhone" then you need to switch.
- You're paying like $40 per month to pay for the subsidy.
- Read: THAT FREE IPHONE WASN'T FREE.
- Go to Best Buy or Amazon or wherever and get an unlocked GSM phone (phones for AT&T or T-Mobile) and you're golden. Do not get a CDMA phone (phones limited to Sprint or Verizon are CDMA). It's generally cheaper to get an unlocked Android phone but you can get an unlocked iPhone too (but $$$$). I am really liking the Moto G line. The Moto G7 was $180 for Black Friday and is a really awesome phone.
- You pay for 12 months at a time.
- For the 3GB plan, it's $180 for the entire year*
- 8GB plan is $240/year*
- 12GB plan is $300/year*
- You can pay for fewer months at a time (3 months or 6 months are available) but it's not as cheap - why would you do that anyway?
If you use my referral link we'll both get a discount, Click here.
If that link doesn't work, click the below or paste it into your browser:
http://fbuy.me/ottC8
Seriously, do it. I've done the shopping for you, it's the cheapest plan I've ever found with no discernible difference in quality. Our teenagers are all on it, and if it sucked, they'd definitely tell me about it.
Best cell phone plan ever.
Mint Mobile.
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