The big squeeze: How to get the most out of your wireless plan

The economy may be slowly recovering, but that doesn't mean you need to hand over more of your hard earned cash to your wireless provider.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I help two different readers figure out how to get the most value out of their wireless service. Of course, cheaper isn't always better. If the service doesn't work or doesn't offer you enough data for your needs, then the lower price tag is irrelevant. In the first question, I offer one reader some advice about switching from Sprint to either AT&T or Verizon Wireless for the iPhone 5. And for the second reader, I analyze whether he should keep his unlimited data plan with Verizon Wireless and pay full price on a Samsung Galaxy S3 or whether he should take the subsidy and sign up for one of Verizon's tiered data services.

One thing is clear from both of these questions, a one-size solution does not fit all.

Does it make sense to switch carriers?

Dear Maggie, I have a dilemma. I have an iPhone 4S on the Sprint network. While I am glad that I have unlimited everything, I rarely go over 4GB of data per month. And I barely use my voice minutes, since texting has taken over my life. My problem is that I am really dissatisfied with Sprint's 3G network. I plan to upgrade to the new iPhone 5 in a couple of weeks. But I am not planning to stay with Sprint. Their 4G LTE network is not up and running in the Los Angeles area where I live. So I'm stuck trying to choose between... [Read more]