Hopefully our kids have enough consumer savvy to know what is realistic and what is too good to be true — which means that deep down, they should know the family cell phone plan will have to end one day.

This is going to be a big change for them.  So I recommend doing it gently and with plenty of lead time. To soften the blow, you may want to make a big, heroic gesture like buying a brand new iPhone for them. iPhones have a tendency to reboot bad attitudes which may justify spending $1,000 on one if you want to make your life easier.  However, make sure it’s a quid pro quo.

Why to Cut the Cord of the Family Cell Phone Plan

Young adults need the resources to be solid breadwinners.  That includes more than just the cash they save on a family cell phone plan. Having an emergency credit card is a vital part of being an adult.  This is especially true for pet owners!  When timely payments are made on a cell phone plan, credit is built. 

Family car insurance presents the same dilemmas as family cell phone plans. Let’s say Janey or Johnny has been on the policy since time immemorial and it saves them a lot of money because of the homeowner’s insurance tie-in. Well, their individual insurance rates are going to stay high if they don’t start taking out their own policies.

Cutting the cord is a form of tough love. It’s going to be very tough for you to push your little baby bird from the nest.  Just do it. Trust me.  Your child will still love you.  They’ll even respect you for this.  Really.