Prepaid Cellular Service

For years I've felt that consumers were taken advantage of by telephone companies. Three years ago, I had a phone at home that I didn't use enough and cellular service where my usage was somewhere in the stratosphere. The financial impact of this was simply wasteful.

Today, I no longer have the traditional phone service and I use prepaid cellular where rarely even I know the number for the phone I'm using. The number that is important to me is the VoIP number I have through AT&T. The VoIP service actually rings through to any and all prepaid cellular numbers as well as any other traditional landlines where I might be found. This is the number I give out and is why I don't actually need to know the number of my cell phone. In addition, the VoIP service provides all traditional extras without the extra charge. Finally, voicemail is only in one place. The VoIP service is capable of disconnecting from calls to phones where voicemail picks up.

I finally got ticked off with Cingular, TMobile and Verizon generally for the same reasons. They get you on those service agreements and then they don't live up to the terms of those agreements as the termination date approaches. I have since found that prepaid plans can be great alternatives if you go with the right ones. Their phones are disposable. The numbers are disposable. And most importantly, if the value offered degradates, the service is disposable without penalties.

I've learned that by having a few of these phones around, it is good insurance. If my son's baby sitter doesn't have a cell phone, I give her one of these to use so I can reach her when she is with him. When I'm out and about, rather than trying to find that one cell phone I used to rely on, I know there is one at work, one in the car and then the one 'I misplaced' and will find later.

Prepaid phones can be obtained for as low as $30 from either TMobile or NET10. Then, by purchasing 1000 minutes for $100, the minutes last for one year. This minimizes the risk of actually loosing the minutes from non-use or running out by not having enough. Look at it as a little measure of prevention.