Best Phone/Data plans - reducing data consumption

[bluemax]

I live in an area where the only practical internet access is phone based, with the possible exception of satellite ($$$). I've gotten along pretty well for the past 5 years with my 5G/mo. Verizon plan - at least until MS stopped supporting XP and I went to W7. I'm not sure if it's W7 or the concurrent switch to Firefox, but I'm finding that I can't get through a month on 5G anymore and overages are billed at a much higher rate than the monthly service. My usage is primarily mapping sites, bike forums, ebay, craigslist and emails. I avoid anything that I think might involve a lot of data and suspect a good percentage of my usage results from stuff that I'm not smart enough to avoid viewing.

I'm considering switching to Sprint's 20G/mo. data / unlimited phone plan and tethering the phone to my PC for internet. It's $100/mo. which is $5 more than what I'm paying now for my separate phone and internet services, but will have 4X the data and many more phone minutes (which I don't need).

Am I on the right track here, or is there a better option?

thanks

[kramnnim]

Seems like it would be worth it for the extra $5, unless Sprint coverage is bad. I'm sure there ware ways to reduce your data usage, though...ad blockers, etc.

[Dead Man]

I was so tempted to jump on the Sprint deal when we went looking for new phones... but I just couldn't get past my sordid past with Sprint. Their coverage SUCKS.

So what if I get more for my money, if I can't use it in half the places I go?

Stuck with Verizon.... though I did finally talk them into giving me two new free iPhones for sticking around, so thascoo.

[bluemax]

I do have adblocker, but there's much it doesn't block. I wish there was a browser that would block ALL pictures unless clicked on. It's always annoying to click on a thread here and find someone has quoted with the OP's pictures included - I don't really need to see them more than once.

I don't carry the phone much, so functionality at home is the main concern. Not sure if Sprint's coverage map is accurate, but I should be OK if it is - and have 2 weeks to bail out if it doesn't work well.

[kramnnim]

There's this- http://www.techdreams.org/browsers/firefox/how-to-disable-loading-of-images-in-chrome-firefox-and-ie/5331-20101229

But I'm not sure how you would go about loading the images...hopefully you could just rightclick on where the image would be...?

[bluemax]

^ that link worked for Internet Explorer but there was no place to deselect pictures on the version of Firefox that I have. Seems that right clicking pictures that you want to see works, but some pics (ads on ebay) come through anyway. thanks

[MeatPuppet]

T-Mobile has some really attractive plans, particularly for multiple lines. They also offer a 20(?) day bail-out option if you want to give them a spin. Unlimited data, but they do down-throttle after a certain amount.