I have a verizon talk plan, I bought a cradlepoint ctr500 router, got online and instead of the page I wanted a page from verizon came up asking me to accept terms for mobile broadband at $49.99 -is there a cheaper way?

No, not from Verizon. But you can turn mobile broadband off and on by the day, so if you only need it a fee days a month they will prorate.