Compare Phone and Subscription Plans
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What you will learn
- 1Compare plans by monthly price and what you get
- 2Work out the yearly cost of a plan
- 3Explain contracts, month-to-month plans and automatic renewal
- 4Spot free trials that turn into paid plans and hidden fees
- 5Leave signing up and paying to the grown-up
Mini Lesson
Many families pay every month for things like a cell phone plan, a shows service or a music service. A small monthly price can add up to a big amount over a year. Comparing plans helps a family pay only for what it really uses. You can help your grown-up do the math and read the details. The grown-up makes the choice, signs up and pays.
🏠 The Life Skills Way (step by step)
- LIST THE NEEDS: what does the family really use? Lots of calls, lots of data for the internet, or shows on the weekend?
- COMPARE WHAT YOU GET: for each plan, write the monthly price and what it includes, like data, minutes or shows.
- ADD UP A YEAR: multiply the monthly price by 12. A $10 plan costs $120 a year.
- CHECK THE LENGTH: a contract locks you in for a set time, like 12 months. Month-to-month lets you stop any month.
- LOOK FOR HIDDEN FEES: read the small print for extra costs, like a set-up fee or a monthly fee that is not in the big price.
- LET THE GROWN-UP DECIDE: the grown-up chooses the plan, signs up and pays. Never sign up or enter a card yourself.
⏰ Free Trials and Automatic Renewal
- FREE TRIAL: many services are free for a short time, then turn into a paid plan by themselves.
- SET A REMINDER: if the family does not want to keep it, set a reminder to cancel a day or two before the trial ends.
- AUTOMATIC RENEWAL: many plans keep charging every month or year until someone cancels. Note the renewal date.
- CHECK IT AGAIN: once in a while, look at what the family still uses, and cancel what nobody needs.
Only the grown-up signs up for plans, enters card details and pays. Never type a card number, password or code into an app, a game or a website. If a screen asks you to start a free trial or buy something, stop and ask your grown-up first.
Words to know
subscription
A service you pay for again and again, often every month.
e.g. Our shows subscription costs $8 a month.
contract
An agreement to keep a plan for a set time, like 12 months.
e.g. The cheaper plan needed a 12-month contract.
month-to-month
A plan you can stop at the end of any month.
e.g. We chose a month-to-month plan so we could stop any time.
free trial
A short free time that often turns into a paid plan by itself.
e.g. My grown-up set a reminder before the free trial ended.
automatic renewal
When a plan keeps charging again until someone cancels it.
e.g. The plan had automatic renewal every year.
hidden fee
An extra cost that is not in the big, main price.
e.g. The small print showed a $4 hidden fee.
💡 Handy Tip: make a simple table with one column for each plan and rows for monthly price, fees, what you get, length and yearly cost. When everything sits side by side, the best fit for the family is much easier to see.
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