When did you stop paying for your kid’s cell phone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still pay post college. It is cheaper overall. They are totally self supporting otherwise so it like an extra gift. At some point we will stop but no specific time planned.

This is us too. They could pay it but they are independent in all other ways so it seems ridiculous to pay more as a family. If it was any kind of strain on our budget, we would change it. They stayed in our health insurance till 26 are the same reason.

[Anonymous]

I still have both kids on my plan (23 and 27). The older will probably get her own plan the next time she wants to replace her phone.

[Anonymous]

I think if you can pay, make your retirement a deadline.

[Anonymous]

My parents still pay for my cell phone and that of my sibling and we are in our 40s and otherwise independent in every way. They have an ancient plan that's 10 bucks a month unlimited for each additional line. It's like a hundred dollar a year gift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are three good stages to do that.

1. One year after kid gets their first job post college.

2. Once they are engaged.

3. When you retire.

Agree.
We plan on doing this for phone, car insurance and health insurance for our boys. My parents did option #2 for me. My husband's parents did option#1 for him.

You are an idiot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents still pay for my cell phone and that of my sibling and we are in our 40s and otherwise independent in every way. They have an ancient plan that's 10 bucks a month unlimited for each additional line. It's like a hundred dollar a year gift.

What a moocher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents still pay for my cell phone and that of my sibling and we are in our 40s and otherwise independent in every way. They have an ancient plan that's 10 bucks a month unlimited for each additional line. It's like a hundred dollar a year gift.

What a moocher

It's a matter of practicality. They can spend a hundred bucks a year on a cell plan, they can also live half time at my 3 million dollar summer house gratis. No one is mooching, it's family.

[Anonymous]

Ha, my parents still have me and my brother on the family plan. We’re 36 and 38… I’m self sufficient, married with 3 kids, make a good income and don’t receive financial support from them. But my parents don’t mind having us on the plan and have never bring it up. Wouldn’t overthink this.

My parents supported me for a few years after college until I was earning enough money to support myself and save for retirement. At that point, I thanked them for all of their help and told them I no longer needed help with rent etc. I think it’s possible to teach kids self sufficiency without totally cutting them off.

[Anonymous]

We have a family plan so it be a lot more for child to go on their own plan. And it seems petty to collect their share of the family plan. Child is very generous and buys things for family using the money they make from their job, so I see no reason to track who pays for what. It all evens out in the end.

[Anonymous]

We currently pay for car insurance, cell phone and health insurance.

No clue when we will stop.. Not an issue for us.

[Anonymous]

I was on my parents' plan from high school till i was in my late 20s, even after I was married. I only left because I moved and got poor service with that carrier in my new house. A few years later my parents decided to switch and joined my plan. Now we have 3 generations on one plan. Its just so much cheaper that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We currently pay for car insurance, cell phone and health insurance.

No clue when we will stop.. Not an issue for us.

I don't get the health insurance. My kid has a job and receives basically free health insurance, as I would imagine most professionally-employed adults receive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know, I know, a family plan is much cheaper but we didn't want to be enmeshed. When kids went to college, they got their own plan. We paid their bill while they were in college. Yes, I know it was more expensive but that was ok.

What about having a family phone plan is "enmeshed"? I don't look at my kid's phone calls/texts/etc. I just pay the bill. Why pay more?

Hint: one kid is out of college and a fully functioning adult. Even if their cell phone is still on our "family plan"

I'm 40, married with 2 kids and still on my parents plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't get the health insurance. My kid has a job and receives basically free health insurance, as I would imagine most professionally-employed adults receive.

Most do but not all. My 23 yo kid is a state employee in an entry level position with no health benefits. Hoping to move up to higher position with benefits after a year or two.

"In March 2024, approximately 28% of American workers in private industry did not have access to health insurance from their jobs. This figure is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While 72% of private industry workers had access to medical care benefits, the "take-up rate" (the percentage of eligible workers who actually enrolled) was 66%. For state and local government workers, access was much higher, with 89% having access and a 75% take-up rate. "
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ebs2.pdf

[Anonymous]

I’ve never paid for their phones or their plans. They pay.