A New Way to Lower Your Cell Phone Service Bill
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Your cell service is a cost you’ve always wished you could lower, but couldn’t.
Forget counting minutes. There’s a new way to get unlimited cell phone calls even on the cheapest plan.
The game changer is the beta release of Google Voice. This new, free service for calls provides a robust set of phone features like callerID, text messaging and voicemail, as well as advanced services such as “call find” and voicemail-to-text transcription. More importantly, you can make unlimited, free, domestic U.S. calls from Google Voice (international rates apply).
Google Voice is currently invite-only, but you can apply online for an account and should receive your invite within 10 days. If you just can’t wait, though, there are eBay auctions to investigate.
It’s simple to use. Determine whom you want to call and select where you want the call routed (such as your home, work or cell phone). A few seconds later that phone rings and your free call is under way. Then you dial your Google Voice number and tell it which number you want to call. There are other ways to place the call, too, such as using the Google Voice application for your phone:
Now, here’s the trick.
T-Mobile’s myFaves plan allows subscribers five phone numbers to which you can send and receive unlimited phone calls free of incremental charges or minute/plan limitations. Other carriers have similar programs. Simply set your Google Voice number as one of the “Faves.” If you call anyone via Google Voice and have it routed to your cell, your cell sees it as an incoming call from your myFav Google Voice number! Free call!
The least expensive myFaves plan is approximately $40 per month. While that gives you only 300 minutes, you won’t care! Your Google Voice calls are free as a myFave number.
Someone who currently spends $70 month on just the phone portion of their bill will save $30/month. That is a savings of $360 per year and $720 over two years!
Of course, if you want data services on your phone so you can access the Internet, you’ll incure an incremental charge. T-Mobile’s unlimited data package is $25/month. If you currently pay $50/month, you’ll realize savings of $300 per year or $600 over two years.
Family alert! Add lines for greater savings. T-Mobile lets you add a second line for an additional $30 per month, plus data service if you want it. Lines 3, 4 and 5 are only $10 per month plus the data service.
| Individual | Family of 2 | Family of 4 | ||||
| Present | New | Present | New | Present | New | |
| Cell Service | $70 | $40 | $140 | $70 | $280 | $90 |
| Data Plan | $50 | $25 | $100 | $50 | $200 | $100 |
| Total Monthly | $120 | $65 | $240 | $120 | $480 | $190 |
| Annual Total | $1440 | $780 | $2880 | $1440 | $5760 | $2280 |
| Annual Savings | $660 | $1440 | $3480 | |||
| Two Year Savings | $1320 | $2880 | $6960 | |||
Finally, for incoming calls (where people call your Google Voice number), the service simply routes the originating number. In other words, your cell will not see your Google Voice number when receiving calls and therefore won’t be part of the myFaves plan – unless, of course, that number is one of the other four myFaves numbers.
How to get free cell phone minutes checklist:
- Sign up for Google Voice invite or buy an invite on eBay
- Got the invite? Follow instructions to sign up for account
- Sign up for T-Mobile myFave 300 minute plan with or without data plan
- Set one of your five myFave numbers to your Google Voice number
- Optional: Install Google Voice App (Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile or “jailbroken” iPhone)
- Cancel your existing cell phone service.
- Save money.
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great article, Ezra. Thanks! I have google voice #, but didn't realize how to route the calls so they were free. Spending waaay too much on verizon right now.
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Great article... however would like to add one vital piece of information to get free incoming calls.
Google Voice allows you to display your own GV number for incoming calls. While this would render the caller ID feature meaningless, it would allow you to get free incoming calls if your GV number is saved as one of your 5 myfaves number.
Instead of caller ID, try using the call screening feature on Google Voice which allows you to hear who is calling while the caller continues to hear the phone ringing. When someone calls you, they are asked to state their name and then the phone starts ringing. Before you take the call, Google voice allows you to hear the recorded name and then decide if you want to take the call.
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Also, you don't necessarily need to 'jailbreak' your iphone as Google Voice does have a web based application specially designed for it.
You can just create a shortcut to the web address on your iphone desktop.
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Would the sms portion of google voice work if I only added the unlimited web from t-mobile?
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Yes, sms's both incoming and outgoing through google voice are relayed through the internet and as long as you have a data plan it should work.
HOWEVER, if you opt for that method, then you will have to manually check for new sms's as you will not be alerted when you receive a txt.
The alternative is to have google voice fwd your txt to your tmobile number but then your provider may charge you for incoming txt msgs. But as long as you have any txt msging plan on tmobile or AT&T, I think incoming txts are free.
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I think this is just ok compared to what you can get through GI Connect. If you have att&t or T-Mobile, you keep the account at the lowest rate and open a $20.00 account with GI Connect to get an sccess number for long distance, including international calling, at the lowest rates available. $10.00 of the $20.00 set up is credited on your cell account and you only need to deposit to the account once you've used up the $10.00 in call charges. You will get your personal account access to see the cost of each call and your account balance. Keep you phone, your phone number, and your contract, just go to the lowest calling plan which may be as low as $29.95 or $39.95, then call unlimited long distance and internationally using your new access number that can be a Fav 5 or 800 number. Check it all out at www.giconn.com/224131
Save more than you thought possable.
Enjoy
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I just noticed today that AT&T introduce a plan called "A-List" it is basically their flavor of the "Fav 5" from T-Mobile. I added my Google Voice number and will be more likely to give this number out to new people I meet now that all these calls are free.
Details of the program:
- Individual plans 900+ minutes ($59.99 and over) per month, and
FamilyTalk plans 1400+ minutes ($89.99 and over) per month
qualify for A-List
- No extra charge with your qualifying plan
- Add up to 5 numbers on your individual plan
- Add up to 10 numbers on your FamilyTalk plan
- Add any domestic number, on any network – including landline numbers
- Calls to and from your A-List numbers are not charged against your rate
plan, Mobile to Mobile, or Rollover® minutes.
- Update your list online as often as you want, right from your
myWireless Account
Program link: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-sales/promotion/a-list.jsp
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Brian Plain replied 19 days ago
This works even better if you add GVDialer to your cell phone and make your outgoing calls via your cell phone from your Google Voice number.
Here's the link:
http://www.gvdialer.com/
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