Speaking of phones, and "part-time"...

[+ friendofsheila]

As someone who does not have a cell phone, I am now finding out that pay phones are disappearing right and left, especially when I went to LA.

 

So, when I visit LA one day, I'm going to need one. But limited funds means I can't afford a "full-time" cell phone.

 

Has anyone heard of options?

 

(If anyone wants me to discuss WHY I don't have a cell phone, I ask that you do that in a separate thread. Thanks.)

[+ deej]

Next time you're in Target or Best Buy (or, heck, I've seen them in Walgreen's) ask about pay-as-you-go phones. There's usually no monthly charge/service fee. Put $25 on the phone and when you've used it up, just add more. (They work like a pre-loaded debit card.) For someone who rarely uses a cell phone, they can make a lot of sense.

 

HOWEVER, pay close attention to the terms & conditions. A lot of them have a one-year expiration on the time you buy, but a provision where you can call them to roll over unused minutes at the end of your year. If you miss the end of the year to make the call, you'll lose expired unused time. Also check out service coverage. If you buy it for travel but it only works locally, it would be a colossal waste.

 

Beware, though. Your first cell phone might be a gateway drug.

[Irtwo]

Deej is right. You can also try Tracfone, they have phones for $10. Keep in mind that these type of cell phones are usually only for calling and texting, the "smart phones" that connect to the internet are more expensive.

[+ honcho]

I have a prepaid phone from ATT. I have a plan which is $1 for the first time I use the phone on a given day, and $.10 a minute. I have bought 2 batches of $100 worth of minutes with the roll-over provision mentioned above, which has been

good for more than 2 years and I still have $145 of credit.

 

When my 3 year old phone bit the dust, I went into radio shack, bought an ATT compatible dumb phone for $50 with

a built in camera (which I've never used) and moved my phone number over to it.

[+ deej]

Oh, how could I have forgotten Nerd HQ Radio Shack? Yeah, there too.

[+ friendofsheila]

Thank you guys. I will keep this thread in mind when I take my next trip.