Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
flip phone here-pay as I go. If/when I can't use this one and need a new one, I'll go with a flip again. It takes pics and, if I payed extra would have internet access.
Landline is my preference. Unlimited US calling. Works for me.
^^Same thing for spouse & myself after the iphone that our daughter gave him ended up in washing machine! We had just (finally) gotten out of the clutches of a "major provider" account. We have Tracfone flip phones & pay as we go. The phones have cameras, texting, all that stuff. We use them for brief calls & if we have an emergency. They seem to have better reception in the remote area that we live in, better than our former "major provider" did! So far we have saved a lot of money, and I feel unburdened from that ridiculous monthly bill. That, and cutting the cord from cable TV!
I use daughter's "obsolete" iphone as an ipod, but it's not working that well, as it needs to be "updated", but can't be, as it's being forced into obsolescence...another reason I don't want a smart phone...you have to keep buying new ones...I hate being forced into spending more money!
BTW, we do a lot of off-roading way into the boonies, where there is no GPS...that's what DeLorme maps are for...haven't gotten lost yet!
Last edited by MarciaMarshaMarcia; 04-06-2015 at 03:49 AM..
I have a net 10 flip phone I carry in my pocket. $25 for 750 minutes is usually plenty but if I need it $35 for unlimited. That's the phone number everyone calls. Or they can text that number. I also have a smart phone in case I need to send texts. A lot of the younger generation doesn't listen to voice mail or they are at school, work etc. so a text is better. A tracphone 90 day plan costs $19 - 29 and that is plenty. It's nice to be able to surf a chat room when you are in line or something. The map feature is nice though I have an atlas as well. The phone cost $50 on sale - I don't know how apple gets away with their prices.
I don't like the size/weight of a smart phone so it stays in my purse if I carry it at all.
I had a smart phone, and got tired of paying Verizon $90 a month. After my contract ended I got a cheap flip phone and pay as you go service which is $10 a month. I love technology, build my own computers, etc. But won't pay that much for a stupid phone.
I still have an old dumb phone (and it's not a flip phone) and only use it to text and talk. That's really all I need. It's a prepay and I put $100/year on it. My twins have iphones and I pay for their cell phone plan ($100/month) and can add an additional cell phone for just $10 more per month (my pre-pay phone isn't on their plan). I would only have to pay for the phone…which I don’t know if I really want….so I’ll wait until mine breaks and make a decision then as to whether to move on to a smart phone or not.
Just IMHO.. and having retired at age 56 which was 7 years ago.. I have to ask why is a Cell Phone so important to retires? Yes I have a flip phone.. I seldom carry it.. I dont want to be the selfcentered obnoxious person on the phone , at Stop Lights... In The store.. The Movie House, or Church or anywhere else you see people totally unaware of their surroundings and making pest of themselves..
Just IMHO.. and having retired at age 56 which was 7 years ago.. I have to ask why is a Cell Phone so important to retires? Yes I have a flip phone.. I seldom carry it.. I dont want to be the selfcentered obnoxious person on the phone , at Stop Lights... In The store.. The Movie House, or Church or anywhere else you see people totally unaware of their surroundings and making pest of themselves..
We're "retired" but we still have very active lives and find them very useful. Plus the spouse has a small business and most of his customers prefer to use cell phones and text (and email) for info and appointments. Because you can't find a use for them or don't like it when other people use them doesn't mean everyone else views them the same way.
A year ago I replaced a PC with a Mac and recently decided to replace my pay-by-the-minute phone with a used iphone 5c. Although I paid a lot for the phone on Ebay, it works fine and with no problems. One of the reasons I wanted an iphone was to have the calendar synchronization capability. I'm a caregiver for my SO and being able to check if a date is available when making appointments is very handy.
I went with Ting.com. Here are my bills since I started using Ting in January:
January: $16.74
February: $13.52
March: $16.74
Ting uses Sprint as their primary carrier and Verizon for roaming (there's no extra fee for roaming). Ting doesn't charge extra for using the phone as a hotspot. That means I can access the internet anywhere on my ipad by connecting to the hotspot.
LOL, I carry both - let me explain. The flip phone no longer has a SIM but it is the best compact/tiny FM radio I have. My smart phone (a small screen Android) also has FM but NPR comes in weak but all the other stations are fine - go figure. I am amused when I get "looks" from some people when they see the flipper.
BTW, my smart phone uses the same SIM as a flip phone - am using the $3/month T-mobile prepay plan. Even if I go over the 30 min/30 texts I still come out ahead. My next smartphone could be the $170 Lenovo A7000. Will cut my regular SIM down to microSIM and carry on!
I should admit that I also use a $40/mo Clear 4G wifi hotspot - now owned by Sprint. Will probably have to find a replacement service in a year or 2 as this is now a legacy service. It's been perfect for me - no speed throttling after 5 or 10 gig. I use laptop, tablet and even phone on it. Sure am hoping there will be alternatives to the ~$50/mo for 5gig data - what a ripoff!!!
edit: am checking out that ting.com thing - thanks!
I believe anything we buy or maintain should earn its right to be there. So I do have the new phone and have and continue to learn how to effectively utilize this device. So far (10 months) I have decided it will stay. It continues to earn its keep.
I pay $35 a month for a Moto G smartphone with Cricket. I get unlimited calls, text, and 2.5 GB of data a month, which is more than I will ever use since I am usually on WiFi.
My phone cost me a whopping $25 ($100- $75 rebate) and does everything my wife's iPhone does.
It is on the AT&T network which means I will get good coverage (except in NE).
Good advice. For those who like Verizon Wireless coverage, Page Plus uses their network. And they have cheaper plans: https://www.pagepluscellular.com/plans/
I'm guessing most won't even use 1GB, especially if you're always on wifi anyway.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
