CONSUMERMOM’S BACK TO SCHOOL MONEY-SAVING TIPS, PT. 2

If you have older kids going to college, you have my sympathies. I just went to a rate calculator to see how much I would need to save to put my kids’ through college, and boy, it’s an insane amount of money. So savings matter, now more than ever. There are a few things college kids really can’t live without – I know, overly dramatic, but true.

Cell Phones. OK, we didn’t even have these when I was in school … But now, most likely, your child has one. If your college-bound kid has a wireless phone already, get out the last few bills and look at calling patterns and hours of use.

• Make sure you are on the plan that fits your needs – and that includes your changing needs as your child goes away to school. You may want to consider changing plans to accommodate increased calls or texts to home and to friends. Remember, most dorms no longer have pay phones available.
• If you are buying a new cell phone for you student/child, the nonprofit Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC) issued a penny pincher guide promoted prepaid as a money saver. It’s worth it for you and your college bound kid to do the math and compare services, such as Straight Talk at www.StraightTalk.com. I looked at the $45 unlimited text/talk plan and was impressed. As one of my consumer colleagues said, “it almost sounds too good to be true.” Another bonus: Prepaid folks – whether on Straight Talk or other prepaid plans like those offered by Sprint or Cricket -- pay for minutes or by the month and can cancel anytime. That flexibility is great for college-bound and even younger kids – and for parents needing to manage budgets monthly. Finding a plan that offers unlimited texting may seal the deal for you when comparing phone services. From what I saw at the pool this summer, texting is where it’s at for the younger generation.

Computers. If you are going to buy your kid a new computer, there are a couple of ways to dial up discounts:

• See if the university or college has a computer-purchasing program. Many schools have a student store or a not-for-profit department to help kids buy books and computers. Check these out before you head to your big box store.
• If your child’s university doesn’t offer discounts, see if you can buy the computer straight from the manufacturer. Apple and Dell both have special pricing for students.

Full disclosure: I have done work with TracFone as part of my consulting business. However, the views and opinions expressed here are entirely my own and do not reflect those of TracFone Wireless, Inc., or any related party.

Comments

[betathomecom]

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[SavyMom]

Great tips - thanks! With the economy being what it is, cost cutting measures are a must. I made the switch to prepaid a while ago after experiencing the much talked about crazy teenager phone bills. Now, I control my kids' cell phone spending with Net10. The plan is easy to understand and the coverage and service is great. I opted out of the unlimited type plans b/c I don't think kids should spend 24/7 on the cell!!!!

[Anne]

I am a young mother of a beautiful baby girl 12 weeks old and my husband has to travel overseas a lot, he was previously married and brought a lovely 12 year old son to the marriage. James has a simple Tracfone prepaid phone which he takes to school so I can call him to arrange pick-up times and he loves to text his friends. I also have a Tracfone which is wonderful because I can make long distance and international calls to over 100 country's for the same price as a local call so when my husband is away on business I don't have to worry about the call costs and James can say goodnight to his dad every day.

[CharlesT]

Excellent tips, thank you!
We have been using prepaid phones for quite a while now as one of the aids in teaching financial literacy to our kids. The prepaid Tracfones we use are ideal to give them the ability to manage their own phones and minutes without getting surprise bills. They buy minutes out of their own allowances and can decide how much they want to buy each month. They quickly work out that talking a lot means giving up other luxuries! And it so true, Gloria, they do seem to have excellent reception just about anywhere. Great peace of mind for us - knowing that they will be able to get hold of us if needs be.

[CharlesT]

Excellent tips, thank you!
We have been using prepaid phones for quite a while now as one of the aids in teaching financial literacy to our kids. The prepaid Tracfones we use are ideal to give them the ability to manage their own phones and minutes without getting surprise bills. They buy minutes out of their own allowances and can decide how much they want to buy each month. They quickly work out that talking a lot means giving up other luxuries! And it so true, Gloria, they do seem to have excellent reception just about anywhere. Great peace of mind for us - knowing that they will be able to get hold of us if needs be.

[Joline]

I agree with you. Sometimes less is more. I have Net10 which I was skeptical about getting until I got it. The reception is the best I've ever had from any provider, and I've had a few. I just read too that J.D. Power a company that rates other companies, put Net10 at the top of the list for consumer satisfaction. As a Net10 user, I can see why. My kids are eleven and thirteen and they don't have cell phones yet, but they're getting phones when they go back to school. I'm kind of using that as an incentive for A's. And it's not like I'm spoiling them by getting them phones. I'll put a cap on how many minutes they use by giving them 250 minutes for $25. Think that's enough minutes for kids of that age.

[Gloria]

Last week I visited beautiful Danbury, a very quaint town about 40 minutes outside Winston-Salem in North Carolina and home to the Hanging Rock State Park. I rented a gorgeous new log cabin at the Retreat at Hanging Rock, and spent a week canoeing, horseback riding, wine tasting - just glorious! My $600 fabulous iPhone, however, had no reception. My teenage daughter's TracFone, a prepaid device just like Straight Talk, which cost me peanuts to buy and service, had reception because as I later found out it's carried on the Verizon network. Just goes to show you how sometimes less is so much more.