How this man lowered his cell phone bill to $12 per month

What would you do with an extra $50 or $100 each month? A man named Mike Timmermann has the pleasure of figuring that out, now that he’s only paying $12 per month for cell phone service.

Considering that the average household paid around $90 each month for service last year, Timmermann’s savings are huge, even including taxes and fees! Lucky for us, he recently shared just how he did it. Timmermann didn’t have to pull any crazy hacks, either; he just signed up for a new plan that worked for his needs.

For Comcast internet customers, Xfinity Mobile is basically an “add-on” cell phone plan. Because they expect you to use wifi most of the time, you can keep your data usage super low—which can bring down the cost of your cell phone service.

In a blog for Clark Howard, Timmermann wrote, “My cell phone bill is now the cheapest it has been since I got my first mobile device more than 15 years ago.”

He said, although he’s paying $12, “…there’s even a way for light data users to pay $0!”

Timmermann says he chose the “By the Gig” plan. According to Xfinity, that currently costs $12 per GB of data that you use.

The plan also includes unlimited talk and text, with the understanding that you can rely on wifi most of the time. Timmermann even spoke with Xfinity and found out that if you use less than 100 MB of data, your bill could be $0.

Comcast hasn’t erected a bunch of cellular towers. Instead, it’s become a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (or MVNO), which means they piggyback off the existing network of other major carriers, according to Tom’s Guide. Other MVNOs that use major carriers’ networks include Cricket Wireless and Consumer Cellular.

So is it worth it?

Timmermann seems to love his new plan. If you’re not already an Xfinity customer, though, you have to decide if it’s worth the hassle to switch over. What if you rely on data when you’re not connected to your own wifi or via an Xfinity hotspot, such as to get directions while driving? You may want to add up just how much you typically use to see if you’ll still see savings.

In Forbes, Ryan Whitwam argues this kind of plan isn’t actually your best deal. He wrote, “you only get the good pricing if you also pay Xfinity lots of money already. The service is only available to Comcast customers.”

Whitwam says people who already have a smartphone they like might not want to try this service, either.

“You have to purchase a phone from Comcast—no bringing your own unlocked device,” he says.