Comments on: Trying to Avoid Lifestyle Inflation: Blackberry

By: fengshui

fengshui — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:29:54 +0000

“Still the cheapest of the bunch. Perhaps it is cheapest because Sprintâ€™s network coverage is the worst and their customer service is terrible. I wouldnâ€™t know, but customers have been leaving in droves all year.”

I have Sprint. I’ve had Sprint for the past 8 years and have been extremely satisfied with their services. I get a signal most everywhere, and if I don’t, I switch my phone to roam and pick up a roam signal, for free. I have a discount since my employer uses sprint, so I get a 23% discount. My hubby, my parents, and I have a family plan, we all share 1500 minutes, have unlimited texting and picture mail, all for $100 a month. Can’t beat it! We have toyed with the idea of a Blackberry, but we haven’t brought ourselves to do it yet…..

By: Mark @ TheLocoMono

Mark @ TheLocoMono — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 19:00:27 +0000

I have a Blackberry Curve with ATT. I am Profoundly Deaf so I don’t use the voice plan which is probably the best deal for me. At the moment, ATT is currently charging $45 a month (they have been changing their rates the last 6 months to simplify their data plan).

To be honest, I don’t envy voice plans, learned to live without it all my life.

By: Frugality vs. Blackberry lust: I’m not alone! : ProVirtual Solutions

Frugality vs. Blackberry lust: I’m not alone! : ProVirtual Solutions — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:57:22 +0000

[...] I think I can wait… I think. Anyway, here’s a link to encourage me to stay on the low-cost wagon. [...]

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:56:03 +0000

I have a BB 8830 with Verizon. My wife and I are on the 1400 shared minutes family plan. I have the unlimited BB data plan (which is actually only $30 on my bill). We both have a robus text message plan because my wife uses the heck out of them (I use a few, too). My total bill each month is a ridiculous $165.

Ouch.

BUT…it is worth it. To me at least. I have 9 e-mail accounts going to my cell phone and the impression it leaves when you respond instantly to a concerned customer or potential client with a tag line of “Sent from my BlackBerry” is priceless. I have undoubtedly closed many deals and left a lasting impression of professionalism and reach ability with many people.

I use a lot of minutes every month. I wish I could drop down to the 700 minute plan but we routinely use about 850 minutes and the cost of those 150 minutes of overage would blow the cost of the 1400 minute plan out of the water.

If shit hit the fan for me financially I would throttle back and ditch the BB data plan and cut back on minutes. I’d also ditch my cable and any other non-necessities. But until then I enjoy the organizational assistance and professional image the BlackBerry affords me every month.

By: Kari

Kari — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:28:48 +0000

We have the AT&T 550 family plan with 3 lines and 1 iPhone data plan and still only pay $95/month (including a corporate discount as well).

If you will have unlimited BB internet access, it may not be necessary to add $15 for text messaging on that line as well (although I’m not much for texting anyway). If the second line has it, you can email text messages to that line, and text responses would come right to your email, which is all included under the unlimited data plan.
So on AT&T, you could possibly save $15.

I do think having at least 1 data plan is worth it though, Google Maps alone has saved my butt more than once.