skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Cheap cell phone ser vice?

15 years ago

Hi, DH and I rarely use our cell phones. We have them for emergencies, or special circumstances. We average less than 1 call a week. We need 2 phones, which is not the problem. It's the monthly service charges (around $80 total for the 2 of them). We're looking for a more reasonable plan, perhaps pay as you go. Can anyone point us in the right direction?

Thanks

Lynne

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

bigack
15 years ago
I have Cellular One, which is now Verizon. Paid 50. initially for the phone and first couple months, after that it's about 22. every 3 months. Only thing is, you don't know when your minutes are up, but otherwise I like it. It's a pre-pay.
bigack
15 years ago
Sorry, it's now AT&T, not verizon.
Related Discussions
carrier infinity with greenspeed service settings
Q
Comments (49)
Answer to Brad: I m located in Quebec, the weather is quite cold here, also the electricity cost is very low compare to the rest of north america, so comparing to me might not be very useful. I would suggest that you compare your electricity consumption with you neighbors ( ask your neighbor) or colleagues at work, that would give a better idea how your heat pump performing, try also to find out if your your utility company has a tool in there web site where you can compare your consumption with your peers. Hydro Quebec (our only utility company) has tool that gave me how efficient my home versus similar sizes home.
...See More
What do you NOT spend money on?
Q
Comments (53)
Ostentatious stuff - I know who I am, and don't feel any need to impress anyone. Frivolous stuff - when one approaches 80, with a housefull of stuff, (plus garage) one doesn't need more stuff. We in North America and Europe have abused our kids and grandkids ... ... we ran up huge gov't. debts when times were good, and, while Canada has had a balanced budget for a time, the U.S. is still running huge annual deficits, as well... ... we under-funded our pension plans and many are short of funds, plus there are soon to be many more pensioners, and fewer continuing workers to pay into the pension system. We've used up precious energy like it's going out of style: it isn't. But what have we found as alternative(s)? We've polluted air and water. The atmosphere is warming, and whether or not it's a natural change, or we're largely or even slightly responsible ... we can't do anything to alter natural change ... all we can do is alter our actions (and if natural causes are also, or mainly, at work ... altering our actions is the only thing that we can do to alleviate the situation). Some claim that the very continued existence of humankind is close to being at risk: there may be some justification for that claim, distasteful as it may be. We've fished out the seas. We've paved over high quality farmland ... and are running short of food. However, we've chosen to divert substantial quantities of foodstuffs to produce (some say wastefully, inefficiently) ethanol to help fuel our vehicles ... while we've begun to have food riots in several places because the impoverished people can't afford the higher prices. Many of them will be coming here: we can't build a fence high enough to keep them out ... most come by air. While prices of goods have been rising in North America and Europe ... wages haven't (for all but the top 1- 2% of the population), so our standard of living is falling. But many, refusing to accept this, are borrowing using their value of their houses to continue to live at former levels. Question: When they are downsized and forced into early retirement and unable to find comparable employment, with the equity in their homes largely used up ... ... how do they plan to finance their retirement? We're closing a couple of vegetable and fruit processing plants, plus a soup manufacturer locally, and ripping out peach trees that serviced them. Going to bring apples and peach jam (probably soup, also) from China, where stuff can be made cheaply. Yeah - using what for fuel to operate the ships? But there'll be shorter voyages to the east coast, using the nearly ice-free North-west passage. [[End of rant]] I'm getting ready to depart this life ... feeling rather ashamed that we haven't taken better care of this world that God entrusted into our hands. I hope that you all have a happy, thoughtful, fruitful week. Offer a smile and a kindness to the people that you...
...See More
Help!
Q
Comments (44)
"Honestly, it makes me feel like he doesnt care about my feelings at all." Stepmom40, I think you're doing that to yourself... not to mention putting him in a really unfair position. It's going to ---if it hasn't already-- create needless conflict. There are so many excellent, simple, practical solutions that have been offered to you on this thread, and to not at least try them out suggests that on some level you WANT the conflict to continue. My guess is because one way or another you want to find out/establish firmly "who's the most important". Well, it doesn't work like that. Your relationship to DH, his relationship to his daughter, your relationship to your daughter, both of your relationships to your mothers, etc. can't all be put on a ranked list of importance. Or necessarily scheduled perfectly (although you can try to maybe establish a little more of a routine that works as well as possible for everyone). It's like JNM says: "Life isn't interrupted". If you married this guy and had babies with him, you'd be interrupted constantly. Or if he got in a car wreck and got paralyzed, it would certainly mess with the honeymoon period. Or if you both were dirt poor and had to work two jobs each. Or your mother got Alzheimer's and had to move in with you. You get the jist... You simply aren't going to be able ---even if you had the right--- to demand that others in the world limit their relationships with you & DH and adjust their schedules, needs and personalities to accomodate your need to have the perfect little set-up where all family and friends appear exactly when you want them to and disappear when you don't. You can't control the way the rest of the world works, but you do have options as to what YOU do. (For example, picking up the phone or not... or finding something to do with yourself for an hour.) It's evident that you and DH have different experiences of what "family" is, or even conversational styles and needs. He and his daughter obviously feel more attached to frequent contact (my hunch is if SD stopped calling, he'd start calling her a lot more... and vice-versa). Maybe you grew up in a family that used words (and the phone) sparingly, that didn't call all the time or didn't like to chit-chat over "nothing". In that case, I feel sorry for you! There's nothing more embracing and enjoyable than being able to just "hang out" (in person or on the phone) with a loved one (friend, family, or partner) without it always having to be "about something", or even "special time". I think this might be the core of your issue. You apparently aren't used to the idea that "down time" or regular everyday "nothing" is the glue that really matters in connections with people. I suspect it's why you're so anxious about SD calling and taking away too much of your "honeymoon" time together--- because you're afraid of what happens when the shiny, new "honeymoon" phase wears off ---which you fear is any day now--- and can't envision that you can have "special time" indefinitely... or with anyone else around. Going to the grocery store together can be "special time", raking the leaves or driving back from MIL's and laughing about what she said or simply sitting in the same room doing a crossword puzzle while DH has his hour-a-day of being a parent to his daughter, too, can be "special time". "Special time" is what you make it and bring to it, not what others supposedly take away from it. It isn't so much a matter of quantity but of attitude.
...See More
SO frustrated- need advice about builder
Q
Comments (25)
These small company guys are not computer tech guys, they're on the job guys. Hands-on guys. Guys who define themselves as being the company. They assume you are hiring them for their expertise and don't like interference. Fewer of them have an Office Girl to answer the phone these days. The cell phone has changed the way they work, but not necessarily for the better. They are multitaskers who don't physically visit the computer very often. They're in the truck running from one place to the other and you're on their to-do list, along with the gas station and the school conferences and the donut shop and all the other construction jobs that are currently underway. Welcome to the 21st century. Took me 6 months to realize this. I actually believed that the company phone number and the standard modes of communication were the appropriate ones. Even the company website contact list is wrongo with my cabinetmaker. He has an office phone, a company phone, phones for the other two permanent employees in the office, and his cell phone. It's the latter that is the only one which works for me, but even that is problematical. If DH phones him, the topic is more likely to be addressed than if I launch the topic. This is a reality and I cannot change it, have to accept it or I will just make myself miserable. "Oh, yea, you did email me. What was it about again?" is a typical response. Making a formal appointment to talk in person or on phone is helpful, but be sure that you have an itemized list and it's a conversation that has a beginning and an end with a definable middle. Should have followed this advice myself. I was dumbfounded that I had to ask for a bill in print. Am still awaiting it. The emailed bill is a comic piece, but it's his best effort at putting words into print. So it goes.
...See More
doxiemom
15 years ago
Hi Lynne. I just bought 3 TracFones for me and my 2 daughters. I tried every cell phone company that we have in this area and none of them worked very well--we are out in the country in North Carolina. The service plans were expensive to begin with but not being able to use the phone was really bothering me. Any way--I bought the 3 phones and, I think, 60 minutes for each phone and I paid less than I would have paid for 2 months service of the last cell phone I had. The minutes were less than $20 and at the time I bought them, they were offering double minutes for the life of the phones. I don't have to renew the minutes on my phone until August and the girls minutes have to be renewed by July. OH yeah, the phones work better than any other cell service we had in this area. Sorry this is so long!!
lydia1959
15 years ago
DH and I use Tracfones as well. For about $100. you can get a phone plus a whole year of service with probably about 400 minutes (you can always add additional minutes if you need them). Order the service online and you can use coupon codes for extra minutes. Let me know if you decide to go with Tracfone and I can give you some codes. Sometimes you'll get a pop-up screen with a good deal right on the Tracfone website.
tannatonk23_fl_z9a
15 years ago
When we first moved to Florida we used Virgin Mobile pay as you go. Loved it! Great service and cheap! I think we paid about $5 a month per phone. They had great customer service too. I would highly recommend them.
~Betsy
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
15 years ago
You might check out the link below.

I have the Page Plus. Initial cost $20. Minutes are good for 4 months. Buy an additional $10.00 Minimum (70 minutes every 4 months) ...total yearly cost $40. One can also check the available amount of minutes left, and when they will expire. If your minutes are purchased b4 the prev 4 month period 'expire' they will roll over.
Phone has texting, and voice mail capabilities, which I never use.
I 'was' buying 200 minutes for $25 but I never used them, so now I just buy $10 worth. I have over 400 minutes on it now due to not just buying the minimum a couple of times.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Prepaid Plans
sjarz
15 years ago
I use Virgin Mobile - phone cost me $100 two years ago, minutes are 10c each, no monthly fees, I wouldn't use anything else. Don't know about in the U.S., but in Canada they give you 10% of your minutes purchased back in more minutes - I get between $5 - $7 each month in free minutes.
My daughter has Bell Mobility and the fees are awful. As soon as I am able I am going to buy her a virgin phone.
Suzan J
shea
15 years ago
My son wanted a phone just in case of emergencies. He has a plan with Sprint in which he gets 50 minutes (local, not long distance) per month for $10. Additional minutes are pricey, $1 per minute, so you really don't want to go over!
kayjones
15 years ago
Walmart has this phone, which is prepaid minutes:

TRACFONE Motorola GSM C139-4

I used this for a couple of years, refilling the minutes for $10 every three months. It is a cheap way to go.

Go to Walmart.com and put in 'prepaid cell phone' for details.
irishdancersgram
15 years ago
My DD gave me a phone for Christmas last year...It's the Oyster, through Virgin...I believe she got it at Target, under $25.00, great reception and every 3 months, I have to put $20.00 worth of minutes to keep it activated....I really can't see paying all that money for those plans... This little baby is a great phone...
country_bumpkin_al
15 years ago
I recently bought DH, my MIL and then myself the Net10 phones. Phones were about 20.00 and came with 300 minutes. I think the minutes are good for a couple of months, but you can add as little as $15 (150minutes) before those expire and they roll over.

I already have a contract with Verizon, but bought this as a backup in case I go over my minutes!*S*
Silverdove
15 years ago
My daughter bought me a cell phone a few years ago. I have a Virgin Mobile pay as you go plan which is only five dollars per month. It's 25 cents per minute for the first ten minutes per day, and ten cents a minute after that. I seldom use it, so I have about $100 worth of credit because the unused amounts accumulate.
lynne_melb
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks very much, everyone. We are going to try the T-mobile service, since the teenagers in the neighborhood told us that it provided the best connections in our area.
Kathsgrdn
15 years ago
I just added time and minutes to my Tracfone, which I've had for about 6 years now. They were having a special, $99 for a year's service and 600 minutes. That's $8.25 a month. I only use it for emergencies and contacting the kids when I need to so it usually lasts the entire year without having to add minutes.
cynic
15 years ago
You need to check on the coverage in the areas you'll want to use the phone. They vary dramatically. I had Virgin as my first cell service and liked it. I miss it actually since it was the PCS service and clear as could be, when it worked. But PCS is in metro areas and major highways. When I travel I need coverage in the boonies too so I switched to Tracfone and have switched types too. Right now I'm using the CDMA which gets me on the Verizon network which is good in my areas. Clarity isn't as good but it works fine and the coverage is superior. I don't use more than about 20-30 min a month so it works great for me. I usually needed time extensions rather than minute additions so I just added the year card special too. I've got over 1200 minutes now that will go until July of 2009. I'm in good shape for cell service. I've been averaging $3-$9/month for my cell service. I won't even consider a postpaid service for that money. I look at it as a safety issue for traveling and a cost saver in town. I can make a call before driving somewhere and save on gas when I'm out. And if I should break down I can call someone.

Per minute is far cheaper than PagePlus for me. I'd have to buy another phone, pay 15Â¢ per minute for around town, which would be ok but I use roaming a lot and at 60Â¢/min roaming rates on PagePlus it'd get spendy. (and they recently dropped it from $1.99/min roaming!) I'll stick with Tracfone at 8Â¢-16Â¢/min cost with the promos and bonus codes.

For that money I think every vehicle should have one in it when being operated.
anne_ct
15 years ago
I'm another Tracfone fan. It's saved me during a couple of on-the-road emergencies. Other than that...I never use it...but knowing that it's reliable and at hand...is very important to me.

Anne

Related Stories

COFFEE WITH AN ARCHITECT What My Kids Have Taught Me About Working From Home

By Jody Brown Architecture, pllc

Candy and Legos aren't the only things certain small people have brought to my architecture business

WORKING WITH PROS 9 Questions to Ask a Home Remodeler Before You Meet

By Ventana Construction LLC

Save time and effort by ruling out deal breakers with your contractor before an in-person session

HOME TECH Why Google Just Paid $3.2 Billion for a Company That Makes Thermostats

By Mitchell Parker

Smart home technology just got a new champion — and everyone is speculating about the reasons

HOME TECH A Vision of the Future for the Smart Home

Intel, a smart-home platform developer, offers a peek into the tech firm's experimental ‘living lab’

MODERN ARCHITECTURE Building on a Budget? Think ‘Unfitted’

Prefab buildings and commercial fittings help cut the cost of housing and give you a space that’s more flexible

MOST POPULAR Design Debate: Is It OK to Hang the TV Over the Fireplace?

By Mitchell Parker

In the spirit of the upcoming political debates, we kick off a series of conversations on hotly contested design topics

BUDGET DECORATING 21 Free Ways to Give Your Home Some Love

By Laura Gaskill

Change a room’s look or set a new mood without spending anything but a little time

COLOR Take a Tour of Popular Colors Through the Decades

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Journey back in time to see how culture and the economy have affected the colors of our homes

Sponsored

Remodel Repair Construction

9 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Westerville

More Discussions

25 years of gardening from the beginnings to the decline

81

Let's start a chain reaction game -- Part 4

128

Few People Get Shingles More Than Twice

11

House buyers LOVE this

25

Sunday Brain Game

6