A few weeks ago, I posted on my Instagram page that we cut our cell phone bill from $175 to $85 a month (really $90 a month because the clerk didn’t know I couldn’t receive the additional $5 discount for auto pay and only 1 discount can be applied at a time….boooo)
Either way, going from a $175 bill to a $90 cell phone bill is a huge budget improvement, that’s a savings of $85 a month or $1,020 a year!
To save that much money for relatively the same service (we switched from AT&T to Cricket Wireless which runs on the same network) is kind of mind-blowing, don’t you think? Granted my husband is still a little apprehensive because he thinks his data plan is restrictive, although he has the same 10GB data allowance on the new plan as he did on the old plan.
To make the jump from AT&T to Cricket, we had to pay off our 2 cell phones which had a balance of $100 each and pay our last AT&T bills to get us current on the account. In addition, there were some small set up fees, about $30, that we had to pay to Cricket. I think for the most part this was a win-win move, saving money on a non-important reoccurring bill for the same quality of service.
So, mission accomplished right? I can move on to tackling the next inefficient bill in our life right? Nope, not so fast.
My company also provides me with an iPhone, that I typically use for texts and calls. In fact, my personal phone has become basically useless over the past few months because I spilled water on it last summer and refuse to pay money to fix it. I really only use my personal iPhone for quick calls. I can’t even text on it because the screen freezes up. In reality, I am paying for a cell phone that I don’t need and don’t use.
I think you can see where I am going with this….
Why am I paying for a cell phone that I don’t use? I might as well cancel it and save some more money. But here is what has been mentally/emotionally holding me back. The cell phone number attached to my personal phone. That’s right, I am being held hostage to an unnecessary bill due to my emotional attachment to a CELL PHONE NUMBER! It’s hard to even type that because it seems so silly but it’s true.
I’ve had my cellphone number for over 14 years. It’s been the one constant in my life where people I’ve lost touch with or people who’ve been in my life forever always know how to reach me. I like stability and predictability so I’ve never been one to constantly change my cell phone number. It’s almost like an emotional safety net. What if a long lost cousin wants to find me and can’t? What if someone contacts me at my old number with an important message? What if my job takes back their IPhone? The what-ifs go on and on.
But the reality is that I will contact those who are important to me and give them my work cell phone number should they need me. If my job changes policies and takes back their iPhone, I can always get a new phone and just add back a line on the Cricket plan. There is a logical rebuttal for each one of my what-if’s. But as we all know, sometimes simple logic isn’t even enough to break free of a self-imposed restriction or attachment.
Getting over the emotional attachment to this cell phone number is really just a symbol for pushing through the other mental/emotional blocks in my life. The cell phone number is just one of the limiting attachments that are preventing me from becoming RICHER and FREER.
We as humans have a tendency to hold on to things, habits and beliefs and make them a part of who we are. We identify and attach our ego to what we think we should be or what has always been which limits us from really expanding to new heights and possibilities.
Getting rid of my cell phone will not only save us money, (the bill will go from $90 to $55 a month with just my husband’s phone, an overall additional savings of $420 a year), it will allow me to practice that mental muscle that will help me to detach from the things that just don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
On this journey to launch, I am continually focusing on and putting my energy to what matters, a cell phone is not one of them. Especially when I have another equally qualifying means of communication (my job’s IPhone) and I can save money to help me reach my Financial Independence goal even quicker.
What are some of your limiting attachments or mental/emotional blocks stopping you from reaching your Financial Goals more quickly?
UPDATE- I cancelled my cellphone today (4/1)! I have 30 days to change my mind and get my phone number back but hopefully by the end of the 30 days I won’t even miss not having it.
12 Responses
My kids piano lessons! The kids want to stop and my husband’s ready to let it go. But for some reason, I have this weird thing that my kids should be in piano lessons!
Hopefully you get to a place where you make whatever decision is best for your family. I can imagine piano lessons aren’t cheap!
Congrats on discovering a way to slash your monthly bill!!! We’ve been with AT&T for several years and are sorta stuck right now with paying on our phones. The last time we renewed our contract and bought new phones (because my wife’s literally died,) I had a lengthy discussion with a customer service person about how they needed to perform some simple math to see that they were ripping us off on the purchase of the new phones. Without going into too much boring detail, just know that the thought is currently making my blood boil a little! 🙂
So anyway, I hadn’t heard of Cricket before but I just looked and they have incredible coverage so I’ve bookmarked them and will be looking in to them when the time is right (our contract is in about 12 months.) I completely understand your topic of “emotional attachment;” oddly enough, I feel that way about being with AT&T. We’ve been with them for so long that it’s weird to think about changing but if it’s better from a financial standpoint to switch and the service is comparable, it’s really a no-brainer on what to do. Thanks for this topic and pointing me towards Cricket! 😀
It’s crazy to think how much cell phones (particularly IPhones) cost. The fact they come out with a new and better version every 2 years which then makes you feel like you have to upgrade makes my blood boil.
Let me know if you make the switch and how you like it. My husband thinks his data plan is wonky but otherwise I haven’t seen a difference.
I agree that it’s rather infuriating but it’s pretty awesome how quickly technology advances. Almost makes me wonder if they purposely create these “in-between” models to go obsolete about the time they release the next AMAZING GOTTA-HAVE model, just to increase sales…that would be quiet a conspiracy! :-S lol
Anyway….I mentioned Cricket to my wife today actually and we will definitely look into it around the time our contract comes up.
But now you’ve got me wondering…what do you mean that your husband thinks his data plan is wonky??? I need details please…lol!
So he has a 10gb plan , which is about the same gb he had with AT&T. About maybe 20 days into his cycle his data ran out and now runs slow. He doesn’t have access to wifi at his job and is always watching sports or using his phone on his breaks. With AT&T he feels that his 10gb lasted longer though the entire billing cycle. I think we should give it another month to track what’s going on. You won’t have this issue like my husband if you don’t use a lot of data.
Okay that makes sense; we only have 3gb with rollover and I think the most we’ve yet to use was about 2.5gb anyway, so that wouldn’t be an issue. Tell him to check out the various applications on his phone…a lot of apps and programs will utilize data in the background and can really bleed you dry if you don’t turn off their capability of doing so. Back when we only had 250kb (:-|) of data, I had an issue with that awhile back and we nearly went over our limit. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s part of his problem. I’ve never let that happen again and, once I went through and stopped allowing the data to get sucked up by programs running in the background, the passive data usage stopped. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thanks, I’ll tell him to double check his apps too!
I need to quit taking the more expensive mode of transportation to work which would save me about $180 a month, but I have a weird hang up about being on the subway. My ego tells me it’s beneath me and that I’m slumming it. Which makes no sense – especially in NYC where everyone takes the subway, from millionaires all the way down.
Wow a savings of $180 a month! I think you can do it. Or just try it for a few days at first to see how you feel.
Ha! Trust me, you’re not the only one who thinks like this! My cell phone number has only changed twice since I graduated from high school and that was 14 years ago! I’m afraid that someone won’t be able to reach me. Unfortunately, my company isn’t offering me up a cell phone plan, but if they were, I would definitely be dealing with your struggle. I applaud you for actually giving it up…I probably would have persuaded my hubby to take my old number just in case, lol:) BTW, stopping by from your interview at The Personal Economist and I thoroughly admire you for being able to save from age 14 and purchase your own house at 22. If only I had the same frame of mind at that time. Talk soon:)
Hey there. Yes I’m lucky to have access to a free phone through my company so I might as well take advantage of it! Thank you for checking out my blog 🙂