My frugal 79 and 83 year old friends got new cell phones!

Today I helped an older couple set up their new phones and I have to be impressed with how they spend their money. <br><br>This is a couple where the wife is 82 or 83 (I always forget), and the husband is 79. They’re both in what I would say is excellent health given their ages. <br><br>They have the very basic flip phones with the small alphabetic buttons and not the kind of flip phones that are basically touch screen on the inside. <br><br>So last Saturday I was at their house and the husband was complaining that his phone is not functioning as well as it should and maybe it was time to get a new one. I told him that I’d be happy to help him pick out a new phone that day if he wanted me to! <br><br>He didn’t want me to, so I told him the following:<br><br>To be honest, if you were to get a smartphone like I have, it would be far more cost-effective. My bill is $7.50 a month. That’s $90 a year. When I first switched to this provider two years ago I thought surely my bill would go up after a year or two, but it’s been the same price the entire time. <br><br>Every month our house gets a text message saying “You used 100% of your data, and have been throttled until the start of your new billing cycle!”<br><br>I never noticed any difference. So that’s what I have. <br><br>Even if you were to pay $40 a month for a cell phone provider instead of the $15 you’re paying now per line, you would still at least be saving $30 per month compared to what you’re paying now. <br><br>Someone who is 79 years old, that’s $30 extra per month you can use to go to the movies or go out for burgers! It’s a win for you! <br><br>So that was my pitch. All of what I said is true, and I wasn’t trying to pressure them into anything. <br><br>But on Tuesday, I got a text message from the husband that said “Can we call you on Saturday and talk about getting a new phone?” <br><br>So today I went to their house and they said they were looking at the website of their current provider and it looked like they could get two phones for $45 a month. He asked me what that sounds like to me, and I said that it’s half the price of what they’re paying now, but the plan does not include data. He wanted to know what he needed data for, and I told him that I never use my phone for anything that requires data. But even when I’m not using my phone, it’s still gathering data by sending my location to who knows where, constantly gathering information about my surroundings, the weather outside, send notifications about the news and traffic, tons of things that I never actively think about. <br><br>So if you don’t have data, you can’t do any of those things. I told them that they could get a data package at the same provider at a much lower cost than the $45 they’re spending now. <br><br>I also asked them if they would feel OK with switching providers. They said yes, so I asked them to pull up Google on their laptop and type in “cheapest cell phone providers”. <br><br>That’s where we found the provider I use. I told them that I have unlimited calls, texts, and data, that my bill is $7.50 a month, and that my phone was $170. <br><br>I showed them pictures of my phone, and asked them if that’s something they would be interested in, and they said yes. <br><br>I went to their current provider’s website and showed them the different phones they had available, and also how much it would cost to get the unlimited data plan I previously mentioned. <br><br>The plan I previously mentioned was $45 a month for two phones, with no data. The plan with unlimited data was $60 a month for each phone, with a savings of $25 per phone if you signed a contract, bringing the price per phone down to $35, and the overall bill down to $70. <br><br>But $70 is way more than $45, and since they’re both in their 80s, I’m pretty sure there’s no reason why they should have to sign a contract. I’ve had contracts in the past and hated them. <br><br>So they said “Let’s go get those phones you have! And that provider you have also!” <br><br>I was at their house for about an hour and a half, and then I went back home, got my car, and drove them to 2 stores that carry this provider, one of which was right in front of mine. <br><br>At the first store we went to, which really wasn’t that far away, they didn’t have the new phones that I have. But they did have an older model that still did everything that I loved about my phone that was only $130. When they heard that price, they both agreed that it sounded like a great deal. <br><br>But I told them that I was going to drive them to the other store that carries this provider and see what they had. <br><br>So that’s what we did. We got to the second store, which was a 30-minute drive away at rush hour, and they did have the exact phone that I have. <br><br>So they bought two of them, and they still spent less than $400. <br><br>The guy who helped them set up their phones told them not to worry if they didn’t learn anything from him. He said he would answer all of their questions the next time they came in. <br><br>I said to the husband “You guys don’t have to worry about that! I’ve been using this phone for two years now, and not only will I answer your questions whenever you ask, I’m actually giving you my old phone!” <br><br>So now they have four phones. Two brand-new ones from the provider, and then two old phones from me. A samsung and a smart flip phone. <br><br>I no longer have a phone other than my new one, but there’s a lot of people I know who would love to have a free smartphone. <br><br>They even offered to pay me for the phones, but I told them “No! I don’t need a phone anymore. These phones are old to me, but they’re probably better than any phone you’ve ever had. If you want to do something nice for someone, give it to your grandkid! It would be a great way for you to spend your $30 a month that you’re saving on your cell phone bill.” <br><br>So now they have 4 phones, they’re going to be saving around $50 per month, they get to feel like they’re treating themselves, and they have an excellent frugal friend (me) who will answer any questions they have!