Who else doesn't own a cell phone?

[heybro]

I think cell phones cost at least 50 bucks a month now, more likely 100-125 with all features and taxes (even a 911 fee right?)

I currently pay 9 something a month for my phone (what they used to be called before cell phones were invented).

Anyone else not use cell phones?  Besides saving money, I just don't like them.  I use a computer for the internet and think that we all have way too much 'screen' time in our lives.  I prefer doing the activity I am doing (watching the movie, shopping for groceries, enjoying a walk) as opposed to having these things interrupted by cell phones.

And, before anyone makes the 'what if there is an emergency' argument, I offer you this:
1. Cell phones cause emergencies.  I wasn't able to call my neighbor about his lights being on in his car (and he wouldn't answer the door) cause he has no landline number for me to look up.  Just a cell which is not listed.
2. Aren't most of your cell phones currently NOT CHARGED.  How ya gonna call 911 when your phone isn't even charged and what if that 911 call is partly due to your power being out?
And let's not even start with all the car accidents created by cell phones!

[alsoknownasDean]

I think cell phones cost at least 50 bucks a month now

I think you're mistaken there. Pick the right MVNO and handset, and it's quite a bit cheaper than that.

But hey, if you're happy with a landline, more power to you.

[markbike528CBX]

I don't own and never have owned a cell phone.
 I get one for and from work.

and anyway, cell phones are the owners of people, kinda like cats are, not the converse.

[Kwill]

I think cell phones cost at least 50 bucks a month now, more likely 100-125 with all features and taxes (even a 911 fee right?)

I currently pay 9 something a month for my phone (what they used to be called before cell phones were invented).

If you're happy, you're happy, and that's good. But you can easily find cell phones that cost $12 a month including tax.

If you have a smartphone with no cell plan or cell carrier at all, you can get many of the benefits of it with no cost because it can still work over Wi-Fi the same as a tablet would. And phones that aren't activated with a carrier (land lines or cell phones) can still be used for 911. So it might be worth it to have a hand-me-down phone with no paid service just to keep around and maybe play with if it gets Wi-Fi and takes pictures.

About 911 on old phones:
https://www.verywell.com/can-my-old-defunct-cell-phone-still-call-911-1298359
http://lifehacker.com/5894480/repurpose-an-old-cellphone-as-an-emergency-phone-for-your-car-other-strategic-locations

[boarder42]

99% sure this dude is just a troll

[ender]

99% sure this dude is just a troll

+1

My smartphone is less than $15/month after taxes on average.

[csprof]

99% sure this dude is just a troll

The number of his posts that he's edited to read only "Edit to post" are sure a bit odd.  And the relatively large provocative-topic-poll-to-content ratio.

[heybro]

99% sure this dude is just a troll

The number of his posts that he's edited to read only "Edit to post" are sure a bit odd.  And the relatively large provocative-topic-poll-to-content ratio.

I am not a troll.  I'm a good guy.  Most of those deleted posts are cause I had second thoughts after posting personal information and they are mostly the older posts as well. 
If cell phones are a controversial subject, then I'd hate to know what 'retiring when you are 30' is considered !!!!!

I like to think i have posted good content and if it seems that I need to post more, I'll take that as an encouragement to do so!

I've got the basics down and really wanted to talk about little nuances that I've discovered such as actually buying less causes me to buy less (as opposed to buying more things just cause they are on sale).  Also, I've always disliked cell phones and was hoping I'd find support for not liking them at least here.  That is ok if not.  I think the cell phone lure even got to the retire early crowd.  No problem.  My next big mission is figuring out what to do with my time once I go part time at work.  You guys rock and I'd like to think we can disagree on things in order to figure out what works best for each of us.  New ideas, discussing old ideas and why we believe in them, is healthy.  Thank you.

[former player]

I agree with not liking cell phones: there is great pleasure in being free of someone getting in touch and wanting something from you, even if it is just a friendly chat.  I also agree that they need not cost much, as I have a pay as you go that has just run out of the £10 I put on it in January.

I got a phone 13 years ago for emergencies.  It's the one I still have, a Nokia 1100.  It is cheap, seemingly indestructible and kept switched off most of the time.  It gets more use as an alarm clock and a torch than it does as a phone.  I have used it for convenience although thankfully not yet for an emergency.

[ender]

I've got the basics down and really wanted to talk about little nuances that I've discovered such as actually buying less causes me to buy less (as opposed to buying more things just cause they are on sale).  Also, I've always disliked cell phones and was hoping I'd find support for not liking them at least here.  That is ok if not.  I think the cell phone lure even got to the retire early crowd.  No problem.  My next big mission is figuring out what to do with my time once I go part time at work.  You guys rock and I'd like to think we can disagree on things in order to figure out what works best for each of us.  New ideas, discussing old ideas and why we believe in them, is healthy.  Thank you.

The reason people think you are a troll is that your initial justification for why you don't own a cell phone makes no sense at all.

"I don't own a cell phone because they cost $50-$125 a month" is not true. Hence, assumption of trolling.

[prognastat]

You can get a subscription for below $30 per month depending on how much you would use it and pre-paid can go even lower though with pre-paid data can be even more costly than with monthly.

If you want to cheapest and will be using little to no cellular data then pre-paid would be the very cheapest option.

If you still want some data then you should still be able to get by with 30 or less a month so long as you use WiFi for most internet related tasks and don't do streaming.

[plog]

If you can turn on a cell phone and it can ping a tower, you can call 911 from any cell phone in America:

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/911-wireless-services

A service plan has nothing to do with the conversation. 

[Trudie]

I get my cell phone free from work (telecommunications company).  I will always have a landline in my current house.  We live in some tricky topography and cell signal cannot be relied on in an emergency.

We love having a smart phone for traveling.  We will keep one between us someday for this purpose alone. 

My cell phone pretty much stays in my purse.  I don't carry it on my person and ignore it a lot when I'm at home.

[nereo]

heybro - to answer your question my SO and I share a single cell phone, and she carries it 90% of the time in her purse.  I'm not sure if that means I only own 10% of a cell phone or what...

As others have said, your premise that a cell must cost >$50/mo is completely baseless. We pay less than $15/mo and have had the same flip-phone for over three years (which I think we paid $40), complete with unlimited texting and coast-to-coast calling.  Like former player, our phone gets used more as an alarm clock / watch than anything else. Most of our calls are done using our computers or an old iTouch and WiFi.

regarding your posting history - whenever you delete old posts it leaves 'holes' in the threads.  I recommend not deleting your posts.  Rather, if you want to alter a post follow the convention of modifying your response and then adding "ETA (edit to add)" followed by whatever you want to change. 

[jim555]

If I had to pay for it I wouldn't have one.  Have one, but only for emergencies.

[nereo]

If I had to pay for it I wouldn't have one.  Have one, but only for emergencies.

Just adding:  Any cell phone can be used to call 9-1-1 (as long as it holds a charge).
There is NO contract necessary to call 9-1-1.
It's hard to tell exactly what heybro meant when he said "even a 911 fee right?" - but you do not need a contract for true emergency calls. One of the reasons they give free used cell phones to abuse victims.

[Physicsteacher]

I've had a smartphone for just over five months now. The monthly bill including all taxes and fees has ranged from $13.30 to $15.01 depending on data usage. It's perfectly fine not to want a cell phone, but my costs are slightly lower than what a landline would run in my area.

[robartsd]

I got a phone 13 years ago for emergencies.  It's the one I still have, a Nokia 1100.

Awesome - someone who's using a cell phone older than mine! I didn't get a cell phone until Feb 2006.

[kd2008]

Some people like tech free existence, and by all means pursue it. I admire such people. I need my smartphone to call my folks living half way across the world via hangouts, share pics, look up recipes, post in online forums, read news, track expenses, flash light, bar code scanner, travel apps esp on work trips, listen to music, watch youtube series, jot down thoughts, play few games, hail uber rides, borrow audio books from library, buy train tickets etc. I could do all this without a smartphone but having one helps me to be far less stressed.

[heybro]

I've got the basics down and really wanted to talk about little nuances that I've discovered such as actually buying less causes me to buy less (as opposed to buying more things just cause they are on sale).  Also, I've always disliked cell phones and was hoping I'd find support for not liking them at least here.  That is ok if not.  I think the cell phone lure even got to the retire early crowd.  No problem.  My next big mission is figuring out what to do with my time once I go part time at work.  You guys rock and I'd like to think we can disagree on things in order to figure out what works best for each of us.  New ideas, discussing old ideas and why we believe in them, is healthy.  Thank you.

The reason people think you are a troll is that your initial justification for why you don't own a cell phone makes no sense at all.

"I don't own a cell phone because they cost $50-$125 a month" is not true. Hence, assumption of trolling.

When I owned a cell phone in 2007, it was 50 at least per month.  I haven't been in to a cell phone store since then so I don't know how much they are running these days.  When I see commercials, they say 'unlimited everything for 99 a month' so I was assuming they were at least still 50 a month.  If they are not, then I still like my 9 bucks a month phone!  Besides, first thing I saw when I opened the box was 'warning: cell phones may cause cancer' or something to that effect.

[heybro]

If I had to pay for it I wouldn't have one.  Have one, but only for emergencies.

Just adding:  Any cell phone can be used to call 9-1-1 (as long as it holds a charge).
There is NO contract necessary to call 9-1-1.
It's hard to tell exactly what heybro meant when he said "even a 911 fee right?" - but you do not need a contract for true emergency calls. One of the reasons they give free used cell phones to abuse victims.

I thought there was a fee attached to your bill in order to finance 911.  Since no one owns landlines anymore, they needed to find ways to pay for 911.

[boarder42]

If I had to pay for it I wouldn't have one.  Have one, but only for emergencies.

Just adding:  Any cell phone can be used to call 9-1-1 (as long as it holds a charge).
There is NO contract necessary to call 9-1-1.
It's hard to tell exactly what heybro meant when he said "even a 911 fee right?" - but you do not need a contract for true emergency calls. One of the reasons they give free used cell phones to abuse victims.

I thought there was a fee attached to your bill in order to finance 911.  Since no one owns landlines anymore, they needed to find ways to pay for 911.

that would be your local area taxes / property/ sales / income.

[nereo]

If I had to pay for it I wouldn't have one.  Have one, but only for emergencies.

Just adding:  Any cell phone can be used to call 9-1-1 (as long as it holds a charge).
There is NO contract necessary to call 9-1-1.
It's hard to tell exactly what heybro meant when he said "even a 911 fee right?" - but you do not need a contract for true emergency calls. One of the reasons they give free used cell phones to abuse victims.

I thought there was a fee attached to your bill in order to finance 911.  Since no one owns landlines anymore, they needed to find ways to pay for 911.

You misunderstood me.  You don't need a phone contract to CALL 9-1-1.  You can get an old cell phone off craigslist/freecycle/community-groups/recycling centers, pay absolutely nothing for the phone OR the contract and it will still connect with 9-1-1 throughout the US and Canada. People upgrade their phones so often that its easy to find models that are just 2-3 years old that people will give you to take off their hands.

It's a very simple, free thing to do if you truly just want a phone for emergencies.  The only trick is that you need to keep the battery charged in order for it to work.

[Daley]

When I owned a cell phone in 2007, it was 50 at least per month.  I haven't been in to a cell phone store since then so I don't know how much they are running these days.  When I see commercials, they say 'unlimited everything for 99 a month' so I was assuming they were at least still 50 a month. If they are not, then I still like my 9 bucks a month phone!

There's a whole world out there of options much cheaper, even back then... and these methods don't require potentially exploiting or using the Federal Lifeline program or getting reamed on anemic "bundle pricing" options from a phone or cable company to do it.

[Kaydedid]

FIL doesn't own a cell phone, mostly so he can truly escape MIL for part of the day.  Marriage win.

[GuitarStv]

I don't own a cell phone.  At work there's a phone on my desk.  At home we've got VOIP for a couple dollars a month.  If I'm not in those two places I'm either cycling, relaxing in my back yard, or getting groceries.  WTF would I need a cell phone for?

[GuitarStv]

I don't own a cell phone.  At work there's a phone on my desk.  At home we've got VOIP for a couple dollars a month.  If I'm not in those two places I'm either cycling, relaxing in my back yard, or getting groceries.  WTF would I need a cell phone for?

To call 911 after some giant jacked up truck hits you on your bike and you get thrown into the woods and the grizzlys and wolves are circling? Or maybe just to call your SO to tell her you'll be late ;-).

Since I don't have a cell phone what I do is plan out my trips so that I'm not late.  (I know, I know . . . a thousand asshole cell phone users will now tell me that this is impossible to do and that they need a cell phone because of the impossibility of doing this.)

Also, I regularly cycle in heavy city traffic.  Fighting off wolves and bears wouldn't even faze me at this point.

[nereo]

I don't own a cell phone.  At work there's a phone on my desk.  At home we've got VOIP for a couple dollars a month.  If I'm not in those two places I'm either cycling, relaxing in my back yard, or getting groceries.  WTF would I need a cell phone for?

To call 911 after some giant jacked up truck hits you on your bike and you get thrown into the woods and the grizzlys and wolves are circling? Or maybe just to call your SO to tell her you'll be late ;-).

Since I don't have a cell phone what I do is plan out my trips so that I'm not late.  (I know, I know . . . a thousand asshole cell phone users will now tell me that this is impossible to do and that they need a cell phone because of the impossibility of doing this.)

Also, I regularly cycle in heavy city traffic.  Fighting off wolves and bears wouldn't even faze me at this point.

Dunno... maybe it's just because I watched the movie last week, but

However, I agree with you that a person doesn't need to carry a cell around just to update people on whether they are running late.  We did fine for hundreds of years without cell phones.  Be responsible and just make it a habit to arrive on time.  Personally I feel our reliance on instant communication devices has made us less responsible, less organized and less considerate.

[nereo]

Also, I regularly cycle in heavy city traffic.  Fighting off wolves and bears wouldn't even faze me at this point.

So what if your spouse and kids were being circled by bears and wolves at home and you were off on a 100 mile bike trip and wouldn't be home for hours?, They have no way to contact you until you return (on time ;-)!) if they needed you. For around $7/month you can just get a cheap Tracfone and never talk on it or even turn it on most of the time. Mine sits turned off in my purse or pack and I just check it occasional to see if anyone left a voicemail.

I've never, ever understood this logic.  If my loved one(s) were being attacked by a bear or trapped in a burning building or stuck on mars without enough food, I would not want them to call me. Call 9-1-1.  or possibly NASA is that last case.  There's nothing I can do for you that they can't do better and faster. My notification is not necessary or even helpful. AFter the bear is gone, the fire is out or the potatoes are grown (and hopefully cooked into a nice cheezy gratin) I can help with the fallout.

[GuitarStv]

Yeah . . . that's exactly the kind of idiotic cellphone behaviour that I'd like to avoid in my life.  Tweeting 'Ooopsies!!!!1111 LOLZ!' after running over a pedestrian because you were checking your voice mail rather than driving.  Taking selfies with a bear that's attacking you.  Calling a spouse rather than someone who can help you in an emergency.  Something has to be seriously wrong with the wiring in your head to even consider that.

[nereo]

Also, I regularly cycle in heavy city traffic.  Fighting off wolves and bears wouldn't even faze me at this point.

So what if your spouse and kids were being circled by bears and wolves at home and you were off on a 100 mile bike trip and wouldn't be home for hours?, They have no way to contact you until you return (on time ;-)!) if they needed you. For around $7/month you can just get a cheap Tracfone and never talk on it or even turn it on most of the time. Mine sits turned off in my purse or pack and I just check it occasional to see if anyone left a voicemail.

I've never, ever understood this logic.  If my loved one(s) were being attacked by a bear or trapped in a burning building or stuck on mars without enough food, I would not want them to call me. Call 9-1-1.  or possibly NASA is that last case.  There's nothing I can do for you that they can't do better and faster. My notification is not necessary or even helpful. AFter the bear is gone, the fire is out or the potatoes are grown (and hopefully cooked into a nice cheezy gratin) I can help with the fallout.

Well duh - I was talking calling after little Timmy is rescued from the bear and taken to the hospital and needs emergency surgury or only has hours to live or he's lost in the woods and would you like to come home sooner to help look for him or some silly thing. I guess I don't understand why people get their panties in a bunch at the thought of "owning" a cheap cell phone even if you never use it. No one's making you talk on it or text on it or take selfies.  You don't even need to give your # out to anyone but family for emergencies.

i guess i just don't see the point.  why should i pay for something that i don't really want, even if it's cheap?  what good would giving others my phone number do when it would be left off most of the time?   what color panties? and what are these "emergencies" you keep speaking of that I have to be able to be notified instantly at all times? If Timmy is in the care of doctors and needs emergency surgery to save his life, why aren't they saving his life?  Does he have a DNR?

[nereo]

Also, I regularly cycle in heavy city traffic.  Fighting off wolves and bears wouldn't even faze me at this point.

So what if your spouse and kids were being circled by bears and wolves at home and you were off on a 100 mile bike trip and wouldn't be home for hours?, They have no way to contact you until you return (on time ;-)!) if they needed you. For around $7/month you can just get a cheap Tracfone and never talk on it or even turn it on most of the time. Mine sits turned off in my purse or pack and I just check it occasional to see if anyone left a voicemail.

I've never, ever understood this logic.  If my loved one(s) were being attacked by a bear or trapped in a burning building or stuck on mars without enough food, I would not want them to call me. Call 9-1-1.  or possibly NASA is that last case.  There's nothing I can do for you that they can't do better and faster. My notification is not necessary or even helpful. AFter the bear is gone, the fire is out or the potatoes are grown (and hopefully cooked into a nice cheezy gratin) I can help with the fallout.

Well duh - I was talking calling after little Timmy is rescued from the bear and taken to the hospital and needs emergency surgury or only has hours to live or he's lost in the woods and would you like to come home sooner to help look for him or some silly thing. I guess I don't understand why people get their panties in a bunch at the thought of "owning" a cheap cell phone even if you never use it. No one's making you talk on it or text on it or take selfies.  You don't even need to give your # out to anyone but family for emergencies.

i guess i just don't see the point.  why should i pay for something that i don't really want, even if it's cheap?  what good would giving others my phone number do when it would be left off most of the time?   what color panties? and what are these "emergencies" you keep speaking of that I have to be able to be notified instantly at all times? If Timmy is in the care of doctors and needs emergency surgery to save his life, why aren't they saving his life?  Does he have a DNR?

Well when Timmy has a pink panty bunching emergency and you can't be by his side at the hospital for the emergency extraction (Bunchectomy) you  may regret it. Or not. I look at it like l do bringing a patch kit for my bike when riding - doesnt cost much, doesnt take up much space, and may never need it but nice to have just in case.  But everyone's mmv.

sure... i carry a patch kit too... when I'm actually riding my bike.  But I don't see the need to carry one with me when I go to the toilet, or while watching a movie, or while staring into a microscope trying to develop a more effective bear spray for little Timmy.  My patch kit also doesn't cost $7 every month, whether i use it or not. Given that I only get a flat every year or two, that would be one expensive-ass patch kit - maybe $100+ per use. yikes!  imagine how many panties I could buy with that if i can't get my current ones sufficiently untangled.

[GuitarStv]

If I'm hiking or out riding somewhere remote, I tell people when I'll be back and where I'm going.  Since I'm always on time, they'll get worried and look for me if I'm not back when I say I will be.  I carry enough repair stuff to be able to get home with my bike if something were to break, and generally keep everything in good condition so stuff breaking isn't really much of a concern.

I keep my car in good condition, drive carefully, and check everything over before any long trip . . . and have never been stranded somewhere as a result.  If I was, I'm reasonably certain that I could flag down another car and get them to call for service.

[robartsd]

I keep my car in good condition, drive carefully, and check everything over before any long trip . . . and have never been stranded somewhere as a result.  If I was, I'm reasonably certain that I could flag down another car and get them to call for service.

And on many highways where there is good cell service there is a call box nearby.

[sam]

I pay £20 a month which includes unlimited everything (including data of which I use around 10gig a month on streaming podcasts during my commute).

I don't have a home landline so overall we pay about the same.

Sam

[nereo]

Also, I regularly cycle in heavy city traffic.  Fighting off wolves and bears wouldn't even faze me at this point.

So what if your spouse and kids were being circled by bears and wolves at home and you were off on a 100 mile bike trip and wouldn't be home for hours?, They have no way to contact you until you return (on time ;-)!) if they needed you. For around $7/month you can just get a cheap Tracfone and never talk on it or even turn it on most of the time. Mine sits turned off in my purse or pack and I just check it occasional to see if anyone left a voicemail.

I've never, ever understood this logic.  If my loved one(s) were being attacked by a bear or trapped in a burning building or stuck on mars without enough food, I would not want them to call me. Call 9-1-1.  or possibly NASA is that last case.  There's nothing I can do for you that they can't do better and faster. My notification is not necessary or even helpful. AFter the bear is gone, the fire is out or the potatoes are grown (and hopefully cooked into a nice cheezy gratin) I can help with the fallout.

Well duh - I was talking calling after little Timmy is rescued from the bear and taken to the hospital and needs emergency surgury or only has hours to live or he's lost in the woods and would you like to come home sooner to help look for him or some silly thing. I guess I don't understand why people get their panties in a bunch at the thought of "owning" a cheap cell phone even if you never use it. No one's making you talk on it or text on it or take selfies.  You don't even need to give your # out to anyone but family for emergencies.

i guess i just don't see the point.  why should i pay for something that i don't really want, even if it's cheap?  what good would giving others my phone number do when it would be left off most of the time?   what color panties? and what are these "emergencies" you keep speaking of that I have to be able to be notified instantly at all times? If Timmy is in the care of doctors and needs emergency surgery to save his life, why aren't they saving his life?  Does he have a DNR?

Well when Timmy has a pink panty bunching emergency and you can't be by his side at the hospital for the emergency extraction (Bunchectomy) you  may regret it. Or not. I look at it like l do bringing a patch kit for my bike when riding - doesnt cost much, doesnt take up much space, and may never need it but nice to have just in case.  But everyone's mmv.

sure... i carry a patch kit too... when I'm actually riding my bike.  But I don't see the need to carry one with me when I go to the toilet, or while watching a movie, or while staring into a microscope trying to develop a more effective bear spray for little Timmy.  My patch kit also doesn't cost $7 every month, whether i use it or not. Given that I only get a flat every year or two, that would be one expensive-ass patch kit - maybe $100+ per use. yikes!  imagine how many panties I could buy with that if i can't get my current ones sufficiently untangled.

well you don't have to carry it in the bathroom or the lab while trying to develop bear proof panties but what about in your car in case you breakdown? What if hiking or biking off road somewhere remote? Maybe alone. Don't get me wrong, I'm firmly in the "I hate cell phone" camp in the way they are used by most people but I see them as a great tool when needed. Maybe you guys have a much more structured daily life then I do and am rarely at home or at any fixed place with phone or internet access. So I throw the cell in my pack, check it occasionally to see if Timmy has been attacked by bears yet,  and if not go about playing.

I think little Timmy could use a few of these lessons and avoid all of this.
Mostly I'm just being antagonistic here.  We do own a cell that we share between us.  For most of our cohort the idea of sharing a phone is as bizarre as if we shared a leg.  We also leave the phone at home about half the time.

As for feeling the need to take a phone in case of an emergency everywhere I go... I still don't buy that argument.  People drove places for half a century before anyone carried a cell phone. Most places we hike are either frequented by other people (and therefor filled with people who will lend aid) or too remote to have decent coverage.  If friends need to change their plans at the last minute I don't get my panties all twisted about it... but i also don't need up-to-the-minute updates describing how little Fido's being rushed to the vet because he stepped in between him and Timmy and now he is oozing some sort of fluid..oh wait, here's a photo of it...
It doesn't matter.  It doesn't help.  It doesn't make us any safer. It's an illusion of security, and while cell phones are often  touted as a breakthrough in keeping humanity connected from my vantage point people have become less responsible, more flaky and ironically aren't any better at genuine communication.  If people really wanted it "just for emergencies" they wouldn't bother to activate it at all.  It's a similar argument I tried with my parents when I was 16 and wanted a laptop, telling them how 'educational' it would be.... mostly i just wanted to play warcraft.  A phone will still dial 9-1-1 even if you can't text your BFF about seeing his doppelganger.

i like the view on top of this soap-box... i can see much further now :-)

[kd2008]

This thread is turning into Exhibit A for anchoring bias that the internet says this forum and this cult suffers from. Create a propaganda for minimal use, act as if marginal increase in use is a catastrophe and endlessly obsess over it. Look, nobody dies if you end up using more internet on a smartphone or end up depending on it more than you like. Being on this forum means you all are already sensible then 99.99% of the population. You are not going to spend $200/month on cell phone and data services. This a given.

I use Cricket Wireless - much to certain guru's consternation - but I have made it free for myself for next 3 years certainly and  next 8 years almost if I continue to rack up credits. Yes, I paid for it for a year and since then it has been free. So this talk how of much it costs and is it justified misses the forest for the trees. Cricket Wireless even doubles up as my home internet.

Think outside of the box - for possibilities, for entrepreneurship opportunities. This depression era mentality will live your life less enriched. Again, just my thoughts. Feel free to disregard them entirely.

[GuitarStv]

I disagree with the assertion that a cellphone would appreciably enrich my life.  I could certainly afford one, just have no interest in the product.

[Daley]

I use Cricket Wireless - much to certain guru's consternation - but I have made it free for myself for next 3 years certainly and  next 8 years almost if I continue to rack up credits. Yes, I paid for it for a year and since then it has been free. So this talk how of much it costs and is it justified misses the forest for the trees. Cricket Wireless even doubles up as my home internet.

Despite your thoughts otherwise, my problem with your repeated shilling for Cricket Wireless in these forums (over 30% of your 39 posts here are Cricket related!) has nothing to do with how little you're paying per month for service or how much data you use. The problem has been, and always will be, WHO you're doing business with and HOW you're exploiting others in order to line your own pockets. I don't give a flying fig if you need 10+GB of mobile data a month, I care that you're doing so at the expense of other people's ignorance and at the cost of continuing to support the elimination of what little remaining mobile market diversity this country actually has for your own personal gain.

[redbird]

I pay ~$8.33/month for my pre-paid cellphone (it's actually a once a year $100 purchase, not billed monthly). That's cheaper than the $9/mo landline and it can be taken with you on vacations/road trips in case an emergency crops up.

Mine is a Verizon thing. The way it works is you get charged a $2 flat rate out of your $100 credit whenever you use the phone in a particular day. If you don't use it, you don't use any of your credit. If you do use it, then you can call as much as you want for the rest of the day and no more money is charged. I've personally never had any issues with Verizon, either on the billing end or on the connectivity end. So it's been great for me.

Texts and data are separate but I don't use those. I only use my phone for emergencies and other important needs. I don't talk to friends/family over the phone, so that helps a lot. We just email back and forth. I never actually end up needing the whole $100 credit and the money doesn't roll over to the next year, so the leftovers does go to waste. But this has been the best and cheapest for my phone needs.

[Retire-Canada]

And, before anyone makes the 'what if there is an emergency' argument, I offer you this:
1. Cell phones cause emergencies.  I wasn't able to call my neighbor about his lights being on in his car (and he wouldn't answer the door) cause he has no landline number for me to look up.  Just a cell which is not listed.
2. Aren't most of your cell phones currently NOT CHARGED.  How ya gonna call 911 when your phone isn't even charged and what if that 911 call is partly due to your power being out?
And let's not even start with all the car accidents created by cell phones!

#1 is not an emergency by any reasonable definition. Maybe you neighbour has a landlines and an unlisted number because he doesn't want you or any marketers to call him.

#2 I don't know anyone that owns a cellphone that keeps it uncharged for any longer than the briefest of times. Mine generally doesn't even get to 30% remaining battery before it's charged at night and 100% full for the start of the next day.