[Valerie]

iPhones. Ours are embarrassingly old and I’ve been thinking of upgrading. We are super happy with our carrier so don’t want a new contract. Are there ways to save money when getting a new iPhone?

Looking for smart ways to save money on purchasing a new iPhone while staying with my current carrier.

Any tips or strategies for discounts, promotions, trade-ins, or alternative buying options that don’t involve switching providers?

Would love to hear your experiences or advice!

[Donna]

I had to chuckle. I am still using my IPhone 6S plus…

[Patti]

I think the bigger question is why are you “embarrassed”? Are your current phones adequately serving your needs? If so, what is there to be embarrassed by?

The reason I think you should consider that is because if you are replacing phones that are already getting the job done out of what you think others are thinking, in what other ways are you doing this and how is this affecting your attempts to live a frugal lifestyle.

[Carol]

If the phone still functions, it should not be embarrassingly old, unless other people are making you feel this way.

I waited a long time to get an iPhone, had it for about a year and then a young kid laughed at me for having such an ‘old’ phone.

If it’s giving you trouble, such as not having enough memory or being able to operate that’s a different story.

[Amber]

Refurbished from best buy.. I’m still using an iPhone 7 I got 5 years ago for 200

[Amie]

Phones purchased thru carriers are not “free”. You are paying by signing a contract and monthly charges.

We buy phones straight out and have a no contract plan that is $25 a month including taxes for unlimited coverage.

[Delisa]

I am using an 8 and it didn’t take the last upgrade. It’s slow, goes blank and generally won’t hold battery. I have to get a new one today and I am not doing it for vanity.

Good luck on your search.

I am considering a 13 or 14 but I don’t want to be a few years then in this shape again.

Don’t get me started on having to get new charging cords….

[Allison]

I always wait until our carrier offers a free phone deal. Usually starts around Black Friday and lasts until the beginning of the year.

They also offer it occasionally at other times throughout the year

[Jeannie]

BUy used.lots of people have to have a new phone every two years so they sell them

[Emily]

Open box online at Walmart! I’ve never had an issue with them and it’s always at least half the price of the brand new.

Normally they’re returned because they have a scratch that’ll be covered by a case anyway lol

[Diane]

We don’t worry about upgrading until we have issues. Recently ordered refurbished for much much less than new and absolutely happy with them.

[Tiffany]

Call your carrier I just called mine I have an iPhone 7 they upgraded me to iPhone 13 for free just had to pay the upgrade fee of 37$..

but the phone was free so no additional costs to my monthly bill… also Black Friday is coming up… good time to buy

[Lou]

You can shop on the Unclaimed Baggage site. They get different ones in weekly. They are cheaper there than any other site I’ve seen including Ebay and Amazon.

I’m very frugal and had an IPhone 6 to start with. That was a few yrs ago. Mine would no longer take updates, was getting very slow, and wouldn’t hold a charge.

I bought a preowned unlocked 11 Pro Max from a seller on EBay. (IPhone 13 was current at the time.). My screen is shattered but smooth and it is still really fast.

I will hang onto it until it starts having the same issues the 6 did.

[Donna]

If your iPhone is not updating your important apps then it’s time if you can’t function without them.

[Bernadette]

Go to Amazon Renewed – you can get a 12 for about $300. Clark Howard suggested this and said he always buys his phones there and never had a problem.

[Megan]

I JUST upgraded to a 12 mini after having had an 8 for a long, long time…my 8 was smashed in the back for literal years and it was finally not even holding a charge anymore…I believe I had a 6s before that.

We use Visible and I pay a straight $25/month.

The phone was refurbished and was well under $300. So far it has been working well.

[Christina]

Either you can buy one cash, or you can pay for it monthly with a contract.
Usually a contract costs more when you calculate it.

There are no “free phones”.
For example, if my parents bought their phones outright and switched to Mint, I calculated that it would be cheaper than them getting a free upgrade and staying with T Mobile because they paid more per month than I did, even if you added the cost of the phone in per month, if that makes sense.

Phone bill + cost of phone each month = more than buying phone outright and having Mint Mobile.

They were not getting the phone for free because they pay more each month, with to offset the cost of the “free phone” and MORE!

[Anita]

Last December near Christmas my carrier that starts with a V gave away two free iPhones for our2 lines. We just had to pay the activation fee.

I was not happy with my carrier that started with an A, and this has worked out really well for us in every way!

Less money and much better coverage. They probably will run another deal like that this year.

[Norma]

I just buy a refurbished phone from e-Bay. They include a one year warranty if it’s refurbished.

[Wendy]

We buy refurbished on eBay. An iPhone SE (2022) is oftentimes less expensive than some of the others.

I think it is comparable to an iPhone 13. The SE has less features.

[John]

Buy aN iPhone SE and wait for a new model to really last. Newest one coming March 2025. Hoping to upgrade my phone at the 4.8 year mark then!

[Author]

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