Verizon: More expensive unlimited data plan or More Everything plan?

woodyt74

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Where I live, Verizon is my only viable cellular option. I have a grandfathered promo plan with unlimited data for 5 lines - 4 smart phones & 1 basic phone. 1,400 minutes, unlimited texts & data all shared for $232/mo including taxes and fees. We average around 4 GB of data per month and with the current discounts Verizon is offering, we can save ~ $40/mo with the more everything plan and 10 GB of data. I'm reluctant to give up the unlimited data but saving $480/year is nothing to sneeze at. Opinions on what to do?
 

AImbriano

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Im in a similar scenario. I currently have 2 lines with unlimited data and 2 dumb phone lines. same voice plan as you and pay around $175 with my wifes employee discount. We probably use 3gb total between both of the smartphone lines, and have been unwilling to go the tiered data route, but lately been tired of having to get phones at full price just to keep the unlimited data when i really dont consume too much. Seriously am thinking of the more everything or edge option
 

dusoccer10

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Where I live, Verizon is my only viable cellular option. I have a grandfathered promo plan with unlimited data for 5 lines - 4 smart phones & 1 basic phone. 1,400 minutes, unlimited texts & data all shared for $232/mo including taxes and fees. We average around 4 GB of data per month and with the current discounts Verizon is offering, we can save ~ $40/mo with the more everything plan and 10 GB of data. I'm reluctant to give up the unlimited data but saving $480/year is nothing to sneeze at. Opinions on what to do?

Ultimately, there are no right answers because for some people the More Everything plan is fine. However, be very careful with your math as it may work right now, but not when it comes time to upgrade your phones. For instance, I'm assuming that all of your phones are month to month. So, 4 smartphones ($15 a month), 1 basic phone ($20 a month), plus 10 GB ($80 a month since it is on special right now-- pay for 6GB and receive 10) would be $160 before taxes and fees. This would probably put your monthly bill around $180. So, you would definitely be saving right away.

Where the math gets tricky is when it comes time to upgrade your phones. If you buy your phones outright (or used on a 3rd party market), then your bill would stay the same. Of course, now your behavior is the exact same as being on unlimited (i.e. buying phones outright). If you decide to finance them through the Verizon Edge program, then your monthly bill would increase. For instance, say you wanted to four Galaxy Note 4s on Edge for each of your smartphones, this would add another $116.64 to your bill ($29.16 times 4) bringing a total monthly bill to $276.64 (the $160 before would stay the same as you receive the same $25 line discount on the smartphones). Granted the Note 4 is on the high end of Edge plans, but your bill would definitely increase significantly if you are not careful.

It's this math that has caused me to stay with unlimited for now (of course I only have 2 unlimited smartphone plans to worry about). I can't make it work so that I have a comfortable data plan since my wife and I travel a lot for work.
 

dpham00

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^well said. Also keep in mind that if any line starts to stream anything, data consumption will go way up.

Also consider keeping unlimited but getting the subsidized phones via loopholes and selling the phones to recuperate the difference.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4
 

ahamick

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Also keep in mind if you switch to more everything and use edge for your smartphones, you get a $25 credit on each one per month ($100 per month for you) so the Bill increase for paying for edge can be lessened or even nullified depending on what phone you get through edge

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dpham00

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Cleaned up posts. Please do not offer to buy sell or rent accounts here. I have seen some on ebay, if one needs it

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4
 

woodyt74

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dusoccer10 Actually the math is the same since we are paying full retail for the phones either way, one just provides an interest free way of financing the purchases. The monthly bill for access and usage is what is different between the two plans. I just don't know if it is worth $480 per year for unlimited data I might use in the future, thus my quandary.

Thanks to all who responded.
 

dpham00

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You can use one of the loopholes to get subsidized phones and keep unlimited

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4
 

woodyt74

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You can use one of the loopholes to get subsidized phones and keep unlimited

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4

Sorry but they don't work with my promo plan which is a shared unlimited data plan for all lines. If one line goes subsidized the whole account loses unlimited data.
 

dpham00

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Sorry but they don't work with my promo plan which is a shared unlimited data plan for all lines. If one line goes subsidized the whole account loses unlimited data.
Ah ok, that is a special plan.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4
 

dusoccer10

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dusoccer10 Actually the math is the same since we are paying full retail for the phones either way, one just provides an interest free way of financing the purchases. The monthly bill for access and usage is what is different between the two plans. I just don't know if it is worth $480 per year for unlimited data I might use in the future, thus my quandary.

Thanks to all who responded.

Very true. It's more a matter of cash up front or spread out over 24 months. I only wrote it that way since too many people are focused on monthly payments rather than actual expenditures over the life of owning the phone.

Good luck in your decision!
 

berdinkerdickle

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I remember when I let my unlimited go.
Infact, I hear the same from others.
The common reason for why most give it up willingly, (some got sucker punched) but the common reason most give it up willingly is because they say they only use around 4gb of data. But it was mysteriously weird for me that month after month I would max out at 6gb, but as soon as I gave up the unlimited, I couldn't stay under 8gb. Now I have a hard time staying under 10gb.
Doing it over; I'd do everything in my power to keep the unlimited.

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