Cell Phone Company Review

So I finally switched from the dreadful Tracfone service to a shiny new one called "Ting". Here's my review of the good and bad about this new service offered under Sprint, as well as my old service with Tracfone.

Maybe I should talk about the problems with Tracfone first...

• Customer Service
• When you call them you of course have to go through an automated robot system to actually reach a person. (and sometimes you can't actually get to one depending on your circumstances) Once you actually do get to a person, you're not going to have an easy time communicating. Listen, I know we all need jobs and it's totally not their fault, but yeah, it's pretty hard to understand the workers' accents. I was always polite, but sometimes I had to have them repeat sentences like 4 times before I finally understood what they were saying. They read from a script, so you can never tell if what you're saying is really getting through to them. If you have a problem, don't expect it to get solved quickly.

• New Phones
• Ordering phones from them was always relatively easy, and they very quickly replaced any that were stolen or broken. However, when it came to activating the new phone, transferring my number to it, etc, it was a bloody mess. Once when trying to transfer my number something went wrong and I had to be transferred from one representative to another for FOUR hours while they tried to figure it out. And this happened multiple times with new phones. 

• Transferring Numbers 
• Should you ever decide to get a new phone, you WILL have to retype in all your contacts. Unless it's a smartphone where you can back them up via Gmail or the like, you will not be able to transfer them. I had three different phones throughout my Tracfone days and despite being able to save the contacts to the Sim card, you couldn't actually transfer the Sim card to the new phone. They wouldn't accept anything but the Sim card they're given to you with. So yeah, that was a huge pain in the ass. (music, photos, etc. also were non-transferrable)

The good?

• Yes, it's cheap. 
• Especially if you just use the prepaid phones and not the monthly plans, it's a good deal. But it's the sort of service I would recommend for someone who rarely actually uses their phone. My parents still have it, and they only use their cell phone when they're out and need to call home, maybe once or twice a month. But if you're someone who actually calls people, texts, etc. then you can get a much better deal with Ting. I mean yes, Tracfone is still a better deal than the usual monthly plans with big companies, but compared to Ting, it's not worth it. 

So Ting... let's just start with the bad, because there really isn't too much of it.

• Acquiring a Phone
• If you plan on switching, be sure to read the requirements first of phones you can bring over to their network. It has to be a Sprint phone, but it can't be for the Boost Mobile network, those are locked. There's a huge list of acceptable models, so it's definitely not limiting in your choices. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a phone I wanted, I like physical keypads but I dislike sliders, so I wanted something similar to a blackberry. I settled on the Motorola Xprt, and got to searching Amazon for a used one. (You can choose to buy new or used ones through a company Ting is partnered with, but they weren't offering the Xprt, so I chose to do it myself.) Now this is where the real problem was. Not necessarily anything Ting did wrong, but the hassle of finding an acceptable phone. The first one I bought was for the Boost Mobile network, the seller hadn't mentioned this. However, you can solve this problem just by asking for the ESN number, and checking it on the Ting website to see if it will work. So phone no.1 went back. The second phone I definitely checked the ESN for and it worked, however upon trying to activate it I came to find that someone had modified the phone (and the seller didn't mention that either), so it couldn't be activated. Finally on the third try I went to Ebay and found one with an ESN that checked out, I successfully activated it within an hour of receiving it in the mail.
• Data Coverage
• At the time, I was living in Marquette, MI. There was pretty much no data coverage up there, but to be honest it's not a big surprise to me. More isolated places don't get much coverage on a lot of networks. And with only a few months of class left it wasn't a big deal, I'd be back in Chicago in no time.

That's it. That's the bad. Pretty slim right? Okay, onto the good.

• Customer Service
• Amazing. Seriously, I have never actually dealt with such nice customer service. First off, when you call, you get a person. A real live person. No robots, just people. And for me, 9/10 you get a person without having to be put on hold first. It was great. Also, they're very easy to understand, and they are polite as hell. Not like "reading a script" polite, but actually easy to talk to polite. They're great. And after your call, they'll send you a follow up email just to make sure everything is working properly. In fact their email service is pretty quick and responsive, it's really nice. Overall, great customer service.
• Prices
• Hot damn just look at this chart. Just look at it. That is a goddamn deal. You are only charged for what you use, and that's it. Fuck yeah. I'm not even going to go into this, you can figure out how much money you'd save yourself.
• Easy Activation
• Maybe this isn't even a pro, maybe this is just a normal thing for most companies, but I got my phone activated and working in under an hour. That was highly unusual compared to the regular routine.

So, in conclusion... Tracfone is a good service for those who barely use their phones. It's good for mom and dad. But if you actually plan on using your phone frequently, then I would go with Ting. Some advice for switching to Ting, either buy a phone from them or be careful who you buy from online (if you're buying a used phone). The first two phones I bought were from Amazon "companies", you know the sellers who consistently have hundreds of items. I've found that despite them having good reviews, they're less trustworthy, because they don't necessarily know the history behind each of their products. The third phone I bought that worked was from an individual person just selling their husband's old phone. She had good reviews for the few things she had sold (under 50 items), and the package I received contained the original box, charger, and even the instructions. So if you're going to go for a used phone, you might want to try someone who actually knows where their phone has been. I think the "company" sellers tend to just pick them up from other people and not really get the full story on whether or not they've been modified or have any problems.

And that's it! If my opinion on Ting changes in the future, I'll definitely write another post about it, but so far so good.

Update!!

So last month I received my first bill from Ting. I was charged $3 for falling under the S size minutes plan, another $3 for falling under the S size messages, then $6 for using my phone on their network. Overall with taxes, my monthly bill was $15.15. Pretty cheap right? Well it gets better. In the email I received detailing all this, they said that I had $9.85 in credit for next month. Because when I was charged $3 for falling under the minutes and messages plans, I had barely actually used any minutes or messages. I had sent 33 texts and only made a single phonecall. Because I was closer to being in the XS ($0) plan, they rolled over the money that I really didn't spend on those minutes and texts. Awesome right? So this month the $9.85 will go towards my bill so I'll more than likely only pay like $4 or something. If I got any of this wrong I'll correct it when I get my next bill, but so far it looks like this is the coolest goddamn plan I've ever seen. Fuck yeah Ting. Fuck yeah.

DIYish: Cheapo Medical Kit

So when I went to college, I very quickly realized it was smart to have a medical kit nearby. Perhaps my friends were just a bunch of hoodlums, but regardless, time and time again that kit came in handy. I've been slowly building it up with cheap and sometimes free medicines, bandages, etc. So here's a DIY (sort of?) medical kit.

I used a Legend of Zelda lunchbox because it makes me feel like the Hero of Time. And Band-Aids.

disclaimer: it should be obvious but i'll say it anyways, pay attention to expiration dates on medicine.

So from the top left, that's Ibuprofen, Align (for digestion), Prilosec, vapo rub, Tums, cough drops, antacid tablets, alcohol (for cleaning wounds), Breathe Right strips, adhesive tape, Band-aides, elastic bandage, gauze pads, Biofreeze, Theraflu, Gluten Relief pills, more gauze, Clariten, antibiotic ointment, and a forehead reader thermometer.

Now the great thing is that I got a few of these for free. The Align, Prilosec, Gluten Relief, and Breathe Right strips were all samples I signed up for online. (And I have multiples of each!) And using samples is a great way to fill up a medical kit. I don't get heartburn, but chances are someone around me at some point in time will. Well I don't need a whole pack of Prilosec, but a few samples just in case someone needs one? Hell yeah that's a good idea. 

A lot of the other items in here I got rather cheaply as well. Now there are some things that you shouldn't buy at the dollar store, things like pens always run dry, and batteries never last, but there are other things that it's great for. The gauze pads, elastic bandage, and band-aides for example are pretty hard to mess up, so it's safe to buy those there.

Anyways, I hope this gave you some ideas for a medical kit of your own. They're good to have around, just in case. And I'm actually expecting another sample to arrive in the mail soon, they're 3M doggy bandages, just in case any furry friends hurt themselves.

Foxy Frugality: Samples

Samples are fucking awesome. My boyfriend thinks it's funny that I'm always getting free samples in the mail, but let me tell you that it is completely worth the teasing. I only started sampling hardcore about five months ago, but it's kind of been awesome. It's like I get presents everyday in the mail :D And no, it's not just a bunch of crap, there's some quality things in there. Don't believe me? Let me just list a few things I've gotten off the top of my head...

• 1 year subscription to Popular Photography, Martha Stewart Weddings, Wine Spectator, and Brides. (and no I'm not engaged but when I am I'll be prepared. :] )
• (speaking of engagements) A nifty ring sizing chart, little plastic punch outs to determine what size all your fingers are. How handy!
• Tons of tea bags, k-cups, and other coffee samples.
• Some very nice personalized labels.
• 500 business cards. (say whaaat?)
• Medicines and medical supplies. (that you can view here!)
• Herbs and seasonings for cooking.
• Granola bars. Yum.
• Shampoo and conditioner. SO MUCH SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER. I actually had enough samples to make an entire bottle of each.
• Pads and tampons, lots of them.
• Child locks for cabinets and doors.
• Oh and duh, all sorts of perfumes and cologne.

And it's real easy. There are plenty of websites solely dedicated to free samples, but you definitely want the one that updates most frequently. Some of them require you to create an account with them, but I'm way too lazy so I never use those. My favorite is Hunt 4 Freebies  but Freeflys is okay too. Be sure to create an alternate email address to use on them though, sometimes the websites will spam you with offers for other things after you've signed up for your samples.

Happy sampling!

Foxy Finds: Thriftin

Thrift shops, they are undoubtedly one of my favorite places ever. Some people get squeamish about the thought of using something that someone else once owned, I like it better than buying something new though. There's just something kind of fun about buying something that had an entire history before you picked it up. Well for me it's fun at least. Anyways, I've heard a lot of people talk shit about thrift shops for the "crap" that they are filled with. So if you're in doubt, let me show off a few not crap finds that have come exclusively from thrifting. :]

This adorable little cabbage soup bowl. $2 

Nifty chinese tea cups. Or mugs. Not sure what to call them, but they're niiice. $5 for the pair

Gah I love this one!! I think he's a Sanrio character or something, but I just think he looks like a blob of pudding wearing an acorn on its head. Anyways, it's for setting your ladles or spatulas on. Whatever those things are called. $.50

Little woodland bears holding raccoons. And they're salt/pepper shakers. Trucking adorable. $2

My favorite find... and I broke him. Yep, you can see the little cracks that I tried to repair on the top left, but anyways, my owl mug is undoubtedly my favorite find ever. $2

Check this groovy-ass casserole dish out. I love it. $3

Another soup bowl, my friend was with me and she has a matching one in avocado green. $3

ps~ sorry for the crummy photo quality, it was dark :P

Foxy Frugality: How to Buy

So I see time and time again all kinds of "advice" on how to save money, waste less, etc. Some of these articles or blogs seem to lack mentioning many important facets of being frugal and some give out advice that I straight up fully disagree with. I know everyone's situation is different, so I can't say my method will work for everyone, but it works for me. I'll keep it one topic to each post, so this one is all about learning how to purchase.

Learn to see the product, not the price. Site after site talks about how to budget your spending, but they rarely touch on the cause of spending problems. They question shouldn't be "Can I afford it?", the question needs to be "Do I really NEED it?". Now I am not saying you should buy that $300 dress because you need a new dress. Take the price into consideration obviously, but don't let that outweigh whether or not the item is actually necessary. This is also not to say that you should never indulge yourself, but it shouldn't be a regular occurrence. When you're shopping, it's easy to be dazzled by whatever new displays catch your eye, but it's there that you let your money slip through your fingers. I have certain techniques I use when shopping for different things.

• When grocery shopping, ALWAYS make a list before heading out, and stick to it. If you happen to see something that sparks your attention, ask yourself how much you want it. Have you been craving that thing a lot lately and haven't had the chance to buy it? Or are you just craving it right now upon seeing it?

• When looking for new clothing, think about what exactly your wardrobe is lacking before heading into the store. If you're really only shopping for a cold weather dress, don't be distracted by shoes or new jeans. Then again, sometimes something else really grabs you, despite being focused on your goal. Whenever I find myself unexpectedly in love with something not on my list, I set it down and continue on my way. My rule is that after leaving the store, if whatever that thing is keeps popping up in my mind days and days later, then I can go back and get it after a week. More often than not though, I completely forget about whatever that item was. And if I can't even remember it, then how fabulous was it really?

• Electronics are a bare necessity category for me. If I have a digital camera that works fine, then I do not need a better one. If my TV works great but it's smaller than everyone else's... too damn bad. You completely forget about the size anyways once it's on. And cell phones? If it works, you keep it. End of story. I've had Tracfone since I was in high school, trust me, unless it's part of your job, you don't need a phone with all the bells and whistles. If I managed to survive all throughout college with a phone that has zero internet access, you can probably survive too. (however I will be switching to Ting soon, and I'll write an entire post later reviewing it. It SHOULD be a huge money saver for me)

• When you are buying something expensive, you need to do your research. I see people do the same thing time after time, they walk into the store and buy something on the spot. That is NOT SMART. When you are buying a cell phone, car, tv, video game, computer, etc. look online for reviews. Cnet has good ones, but look at as many websites as you can, and don't rush into anything. You will absolutely regret not taking the 20 minutes to check online before heading to the store. Of course when doing research, don't just look at the rating, read the actual reviews. I was looking for a new cell phone for my switch to Ting recently, and was checking websites online. One I initially liked was getting crummy ratings, but upon reading the reviews, it was only getting low scores for a feature I wouldn't be using anyways. 

I could go into much greater detail here, but I think I'll save that for later posts. I hope you get where I'm coming from when I say to see the item and not the price. It's really about purchasing something that will last, something that you really need- not something you want at that moment. Living on impulse will only lead to bad choices, so think before you buy. I hope this article has helps!

~Krista