Mobile Ministry Magazine

In this section:

• What is Total Cost
• Calculating the Contract Costs
• Options

What is Total Cost

Given what we have covered so far, its apparent that mobile phones can cost more than just what that simple number advertisments would say. There is the cost of the phone, the cost of a voice plan, SMS/MMM plans, email/Internet, insurance, and numberous other add-ons that the carrier can offer. This can take a simple contract that looked very affordable, and make it not so much so - especially after any taxes are added onto it.

This is in effect that total cost that needs to be looked at when thinking about attaining a mobile device.

Calculating the Contract Costs

If you have a mobile contract, the best and easiest way to calculate the total cost of the mobile device/service is to:

• Start with the cost of the phone that was paid upon signing the contract
• Add the base contract cost (usually the voice aspect) times 12 or 24 (the months that the contract was signed for)
• Add the costs of all additional services times 12 or 24
• Add $15 per month for taxes
• Compute

This will give you a very rough, yet near accurate estimate towards what you are paying for your mobile device over the course of a contract.

Options

Given all of this, what are your options. Many people cannot afford to purchase a phone at its market price, and seeing how much a mobile really costs puts a sad note on what is looked at as a near-needed means of communication. Here are some suggestions for cutting costs for using mobile devices:

• Purchase a used or refirbished mobile from sites like eBay and Craigslist
• Decrease the number of minutes for the voice plan and exercise discretion towards what calls need immediate attention
• Purchase a mobile with Wi-Fi, cut the internet service plan, and utilize free/low-cost hotspots to get mobile data to the device
• Have a carrier that is similar to the bulk of those whom you speak to, then lower the minutes plan, since in-network calls are usually free
• Always ask about doing one year contracts
• If your contract has finished, ask about any additional fees that were related to the subsidy paid on your mobile and getting those taken out of your monthly charge.

Labels: MMM Smartphone Guide, purchasing, smartphone