Prepaid Cell Phones

How do you control your spending on the cell phone? One of the easiest and most effective is by using prepaid cell phones. It becomes rather like being on an allowance and a very effective way to control the amount of time teenagers spend on the phone. It is also one of the best ways to help with the budget. You are paying only for phone time, no monthly fees or contracts to contend with if you change your mind.

 I recently have changed to a prepaid cell phone; in fact the whole family is now on prepaid cell phones. I know it may sound silly, but let me tell the reasons why we switched.

New Cell Phone

First of all, I wanted to change phones with my old carrier. You know ...buy a new phone. After all, I had used the last one for nearly 4 years and I wanted some of the newer features now available. The carrier (one of the big national ones) told me that I would have to sign a new 2 year contract with all the penalties involved if I changed or cancelled the contract but  they would waive the penalty for changing my existing contract if I stayed on the same plan or stepped up to the next level. Also the price for the phone I wanted was for ‘new’ customers only. If I opted for a new phone, I was to be charged the full retail price. I had been with this carrier for over ten years (yes, I know, I am rather loyal), and this person was saying that I was not a good risk for HIS company to take my monthly money. And, because I was an existing customer, I was not worthy of any of the special pricing offered to entice new customers. Not only that, if I should happen be late on a payment (not once in over ten years), they would feel free to hit me with a service charge.

No Contract Required

I decided not to get the new phone. With the ability to move my cell phone number, I started to rethink the whole cell phone situation. Now that I could make calls from my computer, I was using my phone less and less for outgoing calls these days, which was another thing to consider.

So off I went to my favorite shopping place, the Internet, to look for options. Boy, was I surprised and pleased. Prepaid cell phones and service have come a long way and with huge increases in service and decreases in price. The cost per minute might sound a little more expensive, but not when I’d consider all the hidden charges of the old carrier: monthly billing, unused minutes, out-of-country charges, information calls. Shall I go on?

I found the phone that I wanted, less expensive than the ‘big company’ was offering their ‘new’ customers. So I bought the prepaid cell phone – told the old carrier, good bye – and moved on to happier ‘cell’ days -- on my terms.