jimindenver Life Stream w/ Bob, is it really ~$60/mo?

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Watched the life stream recently:


And while I don't doubt the monthly service costs of Jim's various cellular solutions are around the ~$60/month mark, when you factor in all the upfront costs of the hardware/MiFi devices, I would think the cost would be significantly higher on a month to month basis if one had to amortize those costs over a year or two?

Also it seems some of the great niche deals he finds are terminated from time to time, thus (possibly) necessitating the purchase of new MiFi device with another carrier or at least to paying for a 3rd party to flash existing hardware he may have for an additional fee.

So can anyone (Jim included! ) estimate a monthly or yearly costs of data when factoring in things like hardware costs?

Many thanks!

 

[John61CT]

Unfortunately that can't be predicted in advance.

Everyone investing in 3G-only hardware in the month their provider announces EoL will be upset, may only get one year of service.

Stuff does break, often randomly.

I would say if a given choice saves at least $20 per month over your current provider, then it's worth gambling on a hardware investment.

 

[jimindenver]

A few years back I spent $300 in hotspots over a years time. The Mobley was free. The 4Gcommunity hotspot had to be replaced last year to the tun$74 and I bought the 4G Verizon hotspot for $275. I didn't really need it except to continue on the path of bringing you all the best deals.

So yes I have bought hotspots and phones but A they last for years and B you have to have the devices one way or another. Considering what I pay monthly it is still a good deal.