My motivation to start this website was fueled by my realization that there was SO many more things I could be doing to save money. Here are the services and things I recommend to save money.
Cell Phone Service – Mint Mobile
I used to pay $70 to have unlimited data on T-Mobile. Then I got married and qualified for ‘better pricing’ by adding a line to my account. For my wife and I to have unlimited data and basic Netflix, we were paying $140 a month. To be totally honest, I didn’t think a thing about it until I came across a recommendation to look for a prepaid cell plan to save tons of money.
After switching to Mint Mobile, we pay $480 a year. By prepaying for 12 months of service with 8G of 4G LTE data, we realize a monthly expense of $40 for both of our phones. Neither my wife nor I have noticed a difference in speed or anything like that.
99 Cent Only / Dollar Store
There are so many things you can get at your local dollar store that are the exact same thing you can find at Target. We typically get all of our gift giving items like cards, bags, and wrapping paper here. I get all my work office supplies here. We get cleaning supplies, sports equipment, and hardware here. This has become a place of significant savings for us as the items are typically 1/3rd the price of major retailers like Target.
Cell Phone – Android
For anyone wanting to save money on their phone, I feel compelled to tell you that going the iPhone route is not your best bet. Like it or not, they work on a model of ‘Planned Obsolescence’ which is a fancy way of saying they will make your phone worthless whenever they want to. Typically, after two years.
As someone who had iPhones for years, I finally got fed up with my phone basically breaking overnight after a major software update and switched to purchasing android galaxy’s unlocked and outright from BestBuy. These phones will last much longer than iPhones. It’s just a better bang for your buck.
MacBooks
I go back and forth on this one because I know they’re expensive. But mine is on year 6 of being my daily driver and I’ve already discussed how it has only cost me $0.26 per hour to own one. This is one of those areas I don’t advise skimping on because for something like a phone or computer that you will use everyday, buy quality.
Costco
Buying in bulk pays. It just does. Don’t let them talk you into the Executive Membership. They will pull out all the stops to get you to do it, but don’t. Stay strong. Get the $60 annual membership and let the savings roll in.