Benefits

I am very passionate about making my money work for me in all aspects of my life and always looking to maximize my spend. For many of us, we couldn’t imagine a life without our smartphones and paying a cell phone company is now a fact of life.  Have you looked to see if your provider offers? 

I have been with T-Mobile now for decades not only because of the coverage but specifically because there are extras that come with my plan – even I was surprised by how many benefits I have been able to take advantage of and those that I haven’t been able to yet! Here’s a deep dive into why T-Mobile has delivered so much value for me – not only with travel but even within my day to day life. 

TRADE-IN/UPGRADE DEVICES

One of my favorite things with T-Mobile is that they treat their existing customers as well as their new customers with no differences in trade-in values towards new phones!

This was a HUGE bonus for me this year as I was able to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro and received $830 trade-in value for my iPhone 13!

Value received in 2024: $830

TRAVEL: INTERNATIONAL DATA/TEXTING

The travel part is the number one reason I have kept T-Mobile as my mobile provider all of these years. I am even more dependent on my phone when I am traveling and especially if I am solo.  With T-Mobile, I don’t have to stress and try to find wifi and can simply use my iPhone when using maps to navigate places, searching for coffee or restaurants, researching what to do and for staying in touch.

My plan gives me unlimited text and up to 5GB of high-speed data, then unlimited data at up to 256Kbps in 215+ countries and destinations.  

Even with 148 days of travel and for extended periods overseas this year, I never ended up buying more data/international plan since the 5GB allowance refreshes accordingly by billing cycle.  

Value received in 2024: $300-$800 (based on buying daily passes @$5-$15/monthly passes @$50-100 on T-Mobile vs other carriers VS buying e-sims)

TRAVEL: WI-FI – FLIGHTS

It has been really great to have complimentary wi-fi on every domestic flight that I have flown this year (and on the domestic portion of international flights).  

On American Airlines, even with having the highest earned status, I would have had to pay anywhere between $15-$28/segment for Wi-Fi.

And on Southwest and United, I would have had to pay $8 for Wi-Fi/segment

And while, I wouldn’t have ever paid for Wi-Fi otherwise, I have been able to catch up with people via texting, social media which makes this benefit priceless.  Seriously, I get so far behind whilst traveling that the dedicated flight times helps me with keeping me focused and engaged in a way that otherwise wouldn’t happen.

Value received in 2024: $458

TRAVEL: MAGENTA STATUS (Various Travel Programs)

• Hilton: 15% off at all 22 Hilton Brands worldwide
• Hilton Honors: Upgrade to Silver Elite Status
• Dollar Car Rental: Return your rental car and refuel ON US
• Hertz: Return your EV rental car and recharge ON US

While I have not been able to take advantage of these benefits, there is some amazing value to be had and look forward to using them in the near future.

Value received in 2024: $0

ENTERTAINMENT (STREAMING SERVICES + CONCERT/FESTIVAL TICKET, ETC!)

• Apple TV+: On US:$4.99/mo
• Netflix Standard (w/Ads): On US:$6.99/mo
• Hulu (w/Ads): On US: 6 months, then $9.99/month
• SiriusXM All Access (App only): On US: 6 months, then $9.99/month
• Pandora Premium: On US: 4 months, then $10.99/month
• MLB.TV: On US:$149.99/season
• 25% off concert tickets
• $5 Movie Tickets

Value received in 2024: $298.74 (actually over that amount since taxes/fees aren’t accessed with the on US subscription plans!)

T-MOBILE TUESDAYS

There haven’t been as incredible deals as in the past, but I do occasionally take advantage of these deals such as a free Shutterfly calendar (with a $7.99 shipping fee!), free photo prints to help keep the photo wall refreshed or $5 movie tickets

Value received in 2024: $50

THINKING OF SWITCHING?

I am honestly sharing this because I like to showcase how I look to make my money go further – I am going to spend $ on a cell phone plan since it’s an important need in my life and all of the extras help keep me with T-Mobile and saved me a lot of money over the years.

If you are thinking of switching, consider using my referral link and we’ll both get $50! Important things to note is that you have to activate service within 15 days of accepting the referral, maintain service for 45 days and not have been a T-Mobile customer in last 90 days