Cell Phone Help

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just got a Tracfone pay-as-you-go cell phone and am VERY pleased with it.
No contracts, no monthly bills or surcharges. Just pre-pay a chunk of minutes like on a phone card, and use it as you want. It piggybacks onto any cell phone tower in the area, so coverage is good all over the country. No roaming charges, does text messages, long distance is the same cost per minute as local, free voice mail and call waiting. All your minutes roll over as long as you keep your phone non-expired. The phone cost me $50 in Walmart, and it's a really SWEET little silver LG fliptop phone. Bought 4 months service with 200 minutes for $30. That's about .15 cents per minute, but I can get cheaper minutes if I buy like 400 minutes or more. Now I can just buy more months of service and/or more minutes, only as I need them. So for $80 I'm up and running. It really makes sense for people who don't need a big family plan setup, and also is great for people like me who don't gab a lot on their cell phones. I feel much safer now on my bike alone on the backroads miles from home, or when driving alone. Will also be handy when we go on vacation.
Here's their website: http://www.tracfone.com/home_page.jsp

[emily_in_nc]

Lisa ~

Thanks so much for explaining more about the tracfone option. I have been toying with the idea of going with a tracfone once my current contract with Alltel expires, but didn't really know much about them. I like Alltel -- they have very good coverage in rural areas so are good for traveling, cycling, hiking, etc. -- but I pay over $45 per month and use less than 100 minutes all month, if that. That covers all calls (they're always quick) to/from DH and ALL our outgoing long-distance. We are just not phone people and primarily correspond via email these days. We also have no children to share minutes with!

So, I have the least expensive plan available ($39.95 + tax which includes free long distance and roaming) but use it so little. For me, it's more like paying an insurance premium, since in an emergency, I darn sure want my phone to be there, but I'd REALLY like to keep costs down to a bare minimum. I also don't need or want a fancy phone -- I have a cute little white Kycocera flip phone, but purposely got one of the only two Alltel offered without a camera (I have two digital cameras already, don't need another). I just want a basic, compact phone that works well and to be able to call when I need to but not to pay for zillions of minutes and features I don't need. I don't text or access the internet from my phone. Sounds like tracfones might really be the way to go for me!

<Sorry for the thread hijack...I know that Triskeliongirl uses her phone for work and needs much more functionality than I do!>

Emily

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Emily,
I got this tracfone for $50 at my local Walmart:
http://www.compare-prepaid-cell-phon...oneLG3280.html
It's not available directly from Tracfone yet (their website says "Coming soon!"), and they didn't have it at RadioShack, but they did have it at Walmart. I really like it. It is non-camera, but has lots of other features. You have to buy a specific Tracfone phone, like this one was marked as. The saleslady assured me it would work in my area otherwise they wouldn't be selling it there, and also I could return it within 30 days for any reason. It works great. Go to your local Radioshack and Walmart and see which tracfones they offer. You can also order one directly from tracfone online with their specials deals, but i liked the LG model Walmart had better so I got that one. (usually I don't shop at WM but they are a Tracfone dealer).
Tracfone is perfect for people who only make maybe up to a dozen short calls a week or so.

[emily_in_nc]

Lisa -- thanks for the phone info; that looks perfect for me. And since it works well on Alltel's network, which is what I use now, it would be fine. Unfortunately, my contract isn't up until Feb. 2008, so I'll have to check back in about a year and find out what is available then; you know how quickly phone models change. I'm definitely going to check out tracfone thoroughly, though; looks like it is a perfect option for us. And we have a Wal-mart nearby.

Thanks again!!
Emily