Wireless Changes Can Save You Enough to Buy More Than Two Tanks of Gas Each Month
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 17, 2008 – Most Nashvillians have a powerful weapon in the fight against high gasoline prices in their pocket or purse – their wireless phone. In fact, by making smart use of a wireless phone, the average person can save enough money to entirely cover the cost of gasoline, and have money left over.
That’s right. The average gas tank holds 16.5 gallons. With the cheapest gasoline in the Nashville metropolitan area currently at $3.95 per gallon, the average Nashvillian today spends $130.35 per month on gasoline by filing up once every other week, or two tankfuls per month. If you know how (and read on to find out how), your wireless phone can save you this much and more every month – regardless of who your wireless carrier is, and even more if it is Cricket.
“By using current wireless technology and unlimited service plans to their full potential, you can cut down on some expenditures and be more at ease with your finances,” said Bill Boyce, Middle Tennessee district director for Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of unlimited wireless services. “The best part is that you don’t have to go to extremes to save money. Little changes can really add up.”
Here’s how:
“Cut the cord” – terminate your landline home phone service and use your cell phone as your only phone – There are several wireless options available that allow consumers to keep all of the features of their home phone service, while eliminating a monthly bill and allowing them to take their primary phone everywhere they go.
All major wireless service providers now offer unlimited plans that give consumers the freedom to talk as much as they would like without worrying about going over their allotted minutes. Cricket provides the least expensive options, starting at $30 per month, and offers more unlimited options than the competitors. Sprint offers unlimited plans for $89 and $99 per month, while AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile all have unlimited plans for $99 per month. Comparatively, in Nashville, landline unlimited local and long distance plans range from $39.95 to $49.99 a month plus tax, fees and the price of additional calling features consumers choose to add.
• Average amount saved per month by dropping your landline: $44.97 (Plus, you could save up to $69 a month more, or an additional $828 a year, if Cricket is your wireless carrier)
Use your phone to find cheap gas – Sign up for free text messages from www.gasbuddy.com. Messages inform recipients about changes in gas price. To receive free text messages, visit the Web site and click on “Wireless” for instructions. Or use your phone’s mobile Web browser to visit www.gasbuddytogo.com and search for the cheapest prices. Using GasBuddy today would save you 20 cents per gallon for regular gas in Nashville – the difference between the most expensive gas ($4.15/gal) and the cheapest ($3.95/gal). That’s a savings of $3.30 to fill up the average 16.5-gallon gas tank, or $6.60 per month, based on filling up every two weeks.
• Average amount saved per month using GasBuddy: $6.60
Use your phone to get coupons – Mobile coupons allow you to save money on food, services and entertainment without cutting coupons. Services such as Cellfire send special offers to your mobile phone via text message four times a month. Users can also search all available offers from a phone’s mobile Web browser. Cellfire provides coupons for Subway, Quiznos, Hardees, Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, Hollywood Video, 1-800-flowers, Sears Portrait Studio, Supercuts, Valvoline Instant Oil Change and more. Cellfire estimates users save $40 per month. To redeem, simply save the offer details on your phone and show at checkout. To sign up, use your mobile Web browser to go to www.cellfire.com and follow the instructions.
• Average amount saved per month using Cellfire: $40
Use your phone as an mp3 player – If shopping for a new mp3 player, consider purchasing a mobile phone designed to play music, such as the Motorola Rokr, instead. Having one device that can serve as a media player and phone is more convenient and costs less than purchasing multiple devices. The Rokr can be equipped with removable memory cards that are able to store hundreds of songs. It is also compatible with Stereo Bluetooth for better sound quality. And it saves you the cost of buying an mp3 player, the least expensive of which, the Apple iPod shuffle, is $49 – which averages out to $4 a month.
• Average amount saved per month by not buying an mp3 player: $4
Use a wireless data card to access the Internet – To streamline your Internet bill and avoid paying for WiFi at restaurants and coffee houses (which can cost $3.99 for two hours at a national coffee chain, for instance, or $15.96 a month, if you access the service once a week), consider wireless broadband. Wireless broadband allows for Internet all over Nashville. At $40 per month (or $35 per month for mobile voice customers), Cricket’s wireless broadband service is cheaper than the standard monthly fee for high-speed cable Internet. Or if you only use the Internet for basic functions, such as sending e-mail, checking weather reports, viewing news headlines or getting sports scores, consider using only your mobile phone. Unlimited mobile Web access is included in Cricket’s $45 plan, and by dropping your home Internet service, you can save $20 - $60 a month, or an average of $40.
• Average amount saved per month by not paying WiFi charges: $15.96
• Average amount saved per month by dropping home Internet service: $40
“Even if they don’t use Cricket, if a wireless phone user takes advantage of all of these money-saving opportunities, they’ll save, on average, a total of $151.53 per month – which can make a big difference to just about everyone’s budget, particularly as gas prices continue to climb,” said Boyce. “However, if they choose Cricket as their wireless carrier to take advantage of all the money-saving ideas we have listed, they could save a total of $220.53 per month – enough to pay for more than three tanks of gas a month. Saving our customers money has been key to Cricket’s business since the beginning, and it is more important now than ever.”
About Cricket
Cricket is a simple, affordable wireless service offering consumers and local businesses a flat-rate unlimited service over the latest technology, high-quality, all-digital CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO wireless network. Designed for customers whose basic and advanced wireless needs have not been met by traditional communications companies, Cricket is the pioneer of unlimited services with no long-term commitments or credit checks required. Cricket offers customers access to a variety of the latest devices and feature-rich mobile applications such as unlimited text, instant and picture messaging, Mobile Web, popular games, ringtones and wallpapers. For more information on Cricket, visit www.mycricket.com. Cricket services are offered by Leap Wireless International, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information on Leap, visit www.leapwireless.com.
