Tell me about your cell phones. I need advice on a plan.

[Smartie_Pants]

On Wednesday I was in a car accident. It was raining, and as I pulled out onto a main street my tires lost all traction and I started sliding toward the side of a church on the left side of the street. Then my mini-suv did a 180 turn and I jumped a ditch and landed sideways on a lady's bank. The car doesn't have a scratch on it, and the only thing I hit was a dead branch in one of her bushes. I sat in the car having a panic attack for a long time, then I got out and needed to stop someone to get a cellphone to call my mom who worked nearby and a police officer. Only one, ONE, lady stopped to help me. I'm a 5'3 teenage girl standing in a ditch of ankle deep water in freezing weather with her car sideways on a bank and can't even get any help.

After that, I've decided I need a cell phone. I need to be able to call my mom if something happens, and I will be going off to college in the fall and I'll need something to use while I'm on the road. I won't text, and the calls will be a max. of 5 minutes long. I do all of my talking from my home phone, and just need something for an emergency and to get ahold of someone if I need to while out and about.

I don't know what kind to get though. We don't have much money to spare at all, and I definitly can't afford a 60.00 a month 2-year plan. I don't know which prepaid plans are good, and it doesn't even have to be prepaid. I just want a decent phone that isn't connected to an expensive plan. $20.00 a month or less is ideal. So what do you all have and what can you reccomend for someone who won't be using it very much?

 

[ky chicks]

Thank goodness you're all right! You definitely need a phone!

I use a pre-paid Tracfone. The phones aren't fancy, but they're pretty inexpensive, and you can get them at Wal-Mart. Sometimes you can get a special that is double minutes for the life of the phone (so if I were to buy 100 minutes, I get 200). I bought a one year card, 300 minutes (so I got 600 minutes) for about $90. There are lots of minute/month options, but I find it easier to just pay for the whole year. You can also get a phone and minutes through tracfone.com. I really like mine.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I know! Once I stopped hyperventilating and took a look at the car, I couldn't believe there wasn't even a scratch! God must have wanted me NOT to crash into that church so bad, he planted me firmly between two bushes in that ladies yard. It looked almost like I parallel parked BADLY between them.

 

[KDbeads]

I have a Trac Phone. I hate cell phones but this one is a little flip phone that came with a double minutes for the life of the phone promotion. I spend $20 every 3 months and it rolls over the minutes. I use it only for a few minutes at a time or if I really have to use it because I'm stuck somewhere or late or lost (which is rare for me). I don't even have voice mail set up on it, still haven't figured out how to text on it, have no clue how the camera works and I've had it for a year and a half. No complaints at all. Well worth the few dollars a moth I spend on it.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I also recommend the TracFone. That's what I had until we upgraded to a Verizon plan. The phones aren't fancy, but you buy minutes as you need them. Also, if you do a 1year card, it will double all of the minutes on any size minutes card you buy for a year. It's my son's phone now.

 

[coffeelady3]

I don't know if it's in your area, but my friend has Boost Mobile. They either have a $50/month unlimited everything plan (talk, texts, etc) or a $.10/minute pay-as-you-go plan. He hasn't had any trouble with them.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

If you did a 180 & jumped a ditch while PULLING OUT on a street, you need to lay off of the accelerator a little. Think maybe?

 

[crazy cat lady]

id, the phones aren't fancy, but I look at it as a need for emergency anyway, so I don't care what the phone looks like. I have the flip phone, too. I just recently bought the 1 year minute card and I still buy additional minutes when needed.

Thank goodness you are alright. I know how you feel as I just last week had a fender bender with a post. Tried to move it I guess. Only thing is it didn't budge, but my right side fender and the right side if the bumper got damaged pretty badly. So you are definitely lucky there was no damage to your car either.

Good luck on deciding what phone you do get.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i would suggest you go to each of the cell phone carrier's sites and check to make sure you will be able to get service in the areas you frequent. especially in the area around your home!

i have a friend who has T Mobile and says he only seems to get service in big cities, and he tends to travel often.

i had At&t/Cingular prepaid and everywhere i go and need to use it in my area seems to be a dead zone or it drops the call when you move an inch. my whole street is a dead zone and where i work is almost that! i just wasted $80 for the last year because i just couldn't make calls to use up the remainder.

i've asked people in our area about prepaid phones and so far the only one that everyone seems to recommend is Verizon. and their prepaid plans are decent, similar to At&t's. you can get their phones from Wal-mart or one of their stores if you have them in the area.

 

[Barnyard]

I would have to agree with the Tracfone. That is what I used for a long time before I finally went to Verizon. They are great little phones and you have no contracts. You can add minutes for $20 and then that expands your service for another 90 day's I believe. Walmart also has a new thing called "Straight Talk", no service contract and you just buy the airtime card when needed.


I am glad you are ok!!