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Help for Kid Moving to Kelowna - currently on Freedom in Calgary

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Dec 20, 2011
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Help for Kid Moving to Kelowna - currently on Freedom in Calgary

My 18 year old is leaving the nest to seek his fortune in Kelowna. He is on Freedom prepaid, some $30/mo plan with 5G of data. I don't think it's cost effective for him to keep in in Kelowna as he will be roaming all the time. He has told me he really just needs data, and can live without text/call. So that means the petrocan $15/mo plan is not really needed, if he can get the Fido data (3G for $15/mo) at least at first. Then see how his usage is. I am wondering if there are any other options I should be looking at, as he really will be on a starvation budget considering his new $12.50/hr job... TIA
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May 8, 2009
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Why not get the SK or QC plan on Koodo? Seems like a no-brainer.

Your kid should move to Ontario (or to whatever province happens to be more awesome for minimum wage jobs). Minimum wage in Ontario will soon be $15 per hour.

Lolz to those downvoting this post.
Last edited by titaniumtux on Sep 5th, 2017 7:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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titaniumtux wrote: Why not get the SK or QC plan on Koodo? Seems like a no-brainer.

Your kid should move to Ontario. Minimum wage will soon be $15 per hour.
Because he can't afford $50/mo and doesn't need text/voice. I guess he will have to live with Fido $15/mo for 2G for now. And wifi it for the rest.
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kotoula wrote: Because he can't afford $50/mo and doesn't need text/voice. I guess he will have to live with Fido $15/mo for 2G for now. And wifi it for the rest.
In that case port Freewind number to Fongo :)
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Do you know how much data he'll use per month and does he need LTE speeds?

Another option is TbayTel's prepaid....$125/yr for 20gb of HSPA data (4G speeds) and it roams on Roger's network outside of thunderbay (no roaming charges).

If he doesn't need speed, then this is another option and will last longer. And if he does find he needs SMS, Tbaytel SMS packages are cheap...

More info here:
tbaytel-prepaid-data-125-20gb-365-day-expiry-1397855/
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Aug 2, 2004
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@kotoula how is he going to survive on $500 a week? He needs to pay for transportation, food, and rent.

For $12.50 an hour, he's better off staying in Alberta and working at McDonalds
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Gee wrote: @kotoula how is he going to survive on $500 a week? He needs to pay for transportation, food, and rent.

For $12.50 an hour, he's better off staying in Alberta and working at McDonalds
His rent and food, car ins and gas etc should be around $1000/mo. If he's earning $2000/mo he will have a little leftover hopefully lol. Adulting is hard lol.

How is it any better in AB? Economy is tanking here, no future here at all IMO. I've encouraged all of my 5 sons to move away, so far 3 have listened.
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ji2o0k wrote: Do you know how much data he'll use per month and does he need LTE speeds?

Another option is TbayTel's prepaid....$125/yr for 20gb of HSPA data (4G speeds) and it roams on Roger's network outside of thunderbay (no roaming charges).

If he doesn't need speed, then this is another option and will last longer. And if he does find he needs SMS, Tbaytel SMS packages are cheap...

More info here:
tbaytel-prepaid-data-125-20gb-365-day-expiry-1397855/
Yes I had thought about getting him the TbayTel option, wasn't sure if it was still doable, as that thread is pretty old. His dad lives in MB so he can legally sign up for a MB plan on one of his visits to pop, but he said he will see how freedom works with roaming first, as he needs a phone when he gets there, and he's prepaid so he won't get any large bill surprises. Fido Data will ultimately be better I think as he will use 2G a month at least and TbayTel only has 1.6 G a month if you divide it by 12. The kid is used to having 5g a month, so it will be a shock for sure. I'm hoping he can use my Shaw to go wifi in Kelowna.. I think they have Shaw there.

It's too bad we have to jump thru so many hoops just to get 'affordable basic' cell service in this country. Kelowna is full of Aussies and they all complain about Canada's ridiculous mobile plans and prices. Triple what they pay in Aus.
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Aug 17, 2017
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just putting in my two cents. He could get a data only plan on Public Mobile.

90 Days and 18GB of data (at 3G speeds) for $136 every 90 days (around $45 a month). Add auto pay and it goes down to $130 every 90 days
Edit: 90 Days and 6GB at 3G speeds for $106 every 90 days (around $35 a month). Goes down to $100 every 90 days with autopay
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xCameron94x wrote: just putting in my two cents. He could get a data only plan on Public Mobile.

90 Days and 18GB of data (at 3G speeds) for $136 every 90 days (around $45 a month). Add auto pay and it goes down to $130 every 90 days
Edit: 90 Days and 6GB at 3G speeds for $106 every 90 days (around $35 a month). Goes down to $100 every 90 days with autopay
Yeah once we are talking $45/mo then he might as well get the SK MB koodo thing. The $35/mo option on PM is 2G a month, and Fido has that for $15/mo so he'd be way better off with that for just data.

He is only making $12.50/hr so yeah every penny counts lol. He is *hoping* to secure an electrical apprenticeship, but that might be tough considering the area and the surplus of under employed youth. He can't get one in AB at the moment either, so might as well try for BC.
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kotoula wrote: His rent and food, car ins and gas etc should be around $1000/mo. If he's earning $2000/mo he will have a little leftover hopefully lol. Adulting is hard lol.

How is it any better in AB? Economy is tanking here, no future here at all IMO. I've encouraged all of my 5 sons to move away, so far 3 have listened.
It's better because he won't have rent and mom provides food.

Not sure where in AB you are located, but for a province that has no sales tax, how bad can it be?
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Gee wrote: It's better because he won't have rent and mom provides food.

Not sure where in AB you are located, but for a province that has no sales tax, how bad can it be?
My workplace, an EPC went from 1000 to 300 employees. Then a 15% salary cut. Now multiply that tines several thousand more workplaces. Nutley and True Dope will finish off this place. I'm leaving too as soon as I sell the house. Cow Town.
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kotoula wrote: My workplace, an EPC went from 1000 to 300 employees. Then a 15% salary cut. Now multiply that tines several thousand more workplaces. Nutley and True Dope will finish off this place. I'm leaving too as soon as I sell the house. Cow Town.
I thought AB was on its way to recovery, Calgary shouldn't be hit as hard as the rest of the province.

Consider Ontario, the liberal idiots here have sold off our utility, artificially kept costs the same which will eventually come and bite us in the ass.

Still they promise to increase minimum wage to $15 which will jack up the cost for everything, but still manage to crash the real estate market.
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Gee wrote: I thought AB was on its way to recovery, Calgary shouldn't be hit as hard as the rest of the province.

Consider Ontario, the liberal idiots here have sold off our utility, artificially kept costs the same which will eventually come and bite us in the ass.

Still they promise to increase minimum wage to $15 which will jack up the cost for everything, but still manage to crash the real estate market.
This chaos in Ontario is entertaining to say the least. Cost of living (with the exception of sales tax) is still much lower than AB. GTA real estate market needs to be shaken up before it reaches Vancouver's mess.
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titaniumtux wrote: This chaos in Ontario is entertaining to say the least. Cost of living (with the exception of sales tax) is still much lower than AB. GTA real estate market needs to be shaken up before it reaches Vancouver's mess.
Prime rate is at 1%, there is a possibility that there could be another rate increase next month. We're closing the gap with the US dollar, it looks like Toronto real estate is gong to stall and crash within the next 24 months.
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Until he figures out a new plan, he can at least use any shaw wifi hotspot in town with freedom wifi. There are quite a few, according to the map.
Could be a reasonable compromise as a temp solution until something more permanent is figured out. But sticking with freedom long term and paying roaming probably isn't a good idea unless they announce expansion of service there in the immediate future.
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Wow, this has become an off topic political discussion. If data is the only thing needed, the Tbaytel plan is the way to go. At just over $7 per gig and no expiry, there isn't anything out there that is better. I still hang onto my plan and use it when traveling. It gets used where the wifi is crap or not available.
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will888 wrote: Wow, this has become an off topic political discussion. If data is the only thing needed, the Tbaytel plan is the way to go. At just over $7 per gig and no expiry, there isn't anything out there that is better. I still hang onto my plan and use it when traveling. It gets used where the wifi is crap or not available.
That's the RFD way! Get free insider political info with your question lol. The main point is, the kid needs as cheap as possible, so that means he'll definitely have to use Shaw Wifi to go hotspots whenever possible. He gets free internet in his rental place thankfully, so he won't die at least lol.

@will888 how do you figure TBayTel data is better than the fido $15/mo for 2 Gigs plan? You have to jump thru a pile of hoops, I don't know if I can even get a sim card for it, whereas he can sign up for Fido there in Kelowna for $7.50/gig? What am I missing? Sure the bonus promotion of 3 gigs would be nice, and hopefully he can take advantage when they promote that again. As far as I understand he can get this FIDO plan as a standalone 'tablet' data plan and doesn't need to sign up for some other plan for voice/text.

The beauty of PayG with Freedom is that he at least won't incur a surprise bill, instead his account will just stop working until he pays for it.

Calgary housing is still in the cr@pper. Hasn't recovered but on a bright note it's more affordable now than ever!
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kotoula wrote: That's the RFD way! Get free insider political info with your question lol. The main point is, the kid needs as cheap as possible, so that means he'll definitely have to use Shaw Wifi to go hotspots whenever possible. He gets free internet in his rental place thankfully, so he won't die at least lol.

@will888 how do you figure TBayTel data is better than the fido $15/mo for 2 Gigs plan? You have to jump thru a pile of hoops, I don't know if I can even get a sim card for it, whereas he can sign up for Fido there in Kelowna for $7.50/gig? What am I missing? Sure the bonus promotion of 3 gigs would be nice, and hopefully he can take advantage when they promote that again. As far as I understand he can get this FIDO plan as a standalone 'tablet' data plan and doesn't need to sign up for some other plan for voice/text.

The beauty of PayG with Freedom is that he at least won't incur a surprise bill, instead his account will just stop working until he pays for it.

Calgary housing is still in the cr@pper. Hasn't recovered but on a bright note it's more affordable now than ever!
@kotoula , on a usage per dollar basis, the pricing is about the same. The advantage of Tbaytel is that there are no restrictions on how many gigs you use in a month and any purchased data doesn't expire as long as you top up to keep the account active. This flexibility is worth something. I use my Tbaytel data only when I travel. My usage far exceeds 2 gigs within a one month window. I burned about 8 gigs in 10 days on my last trip. Using the Fido tablet plan, I would incur huge overage charges. I won't be using my Tbaytel plan again until my next trip and that could be a month from now or 6 months from now. This doesn't matter because the data will be there when I do use it. In your son's case, his usage is likely to be far more level than mine. However, there is still the 2 gig limit each month.

As far as getting the SIM is concerned, it is still possible via RFD member. The pricing has gone up a lot from the early days, so it takes a bit longer to extract value from going this route.
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I should have put together a group buy to pick up sims when I passed through tbay this summer :)

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