How expensive is your cell phone?

[Kaleva]

Mine can be bought at Amazon for $8.99 + shipping. It does what I need a phone to do.

https://www.amazon.com/TracFone-Alcatel-A205G-Contract-Phone/dp/B015ZXJ2VE/ref=pd_sim_107_5/137-8248603-8966252?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B015ZXJ2VE&pd_rd_r=3PR0T2MFV04EW207W1KD&pd_rd_w=JU964&pd_rd_wg=gMIVf&psc=1&refRID=3PR0T2MFV04EW207W1KD

[JonLP24]

1. Cheap no cell service

I just connect to internet all I can do with a broken laptop you don't want to see my posts on that thing LOL. My first account got banned at rebeldems.com for nonsensical posts so I haven't used laptop since.

[angstlessk]

2. People who pay so fricking much for a cell phone are SHOWOFFS!

The very first thing I thought when I saw car phones, (back in the day) was...EVERYONE WANTS ONE CAUSE THEY ARE VISIBLE SHOWCASES!

Hell, if I had the money I would have invested!

Fancy stuff in your home can only show your friends...public displays are so much better!

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. wrong, and an awful, rather ignorant generalization.

[angstlessk]

15. OKAY then why pay $800 for a cell phone when $150 would do?

Unless it is required for work?

[crazycatlady]

18. People have different priorities in life

For some, it could be eating organic food. For others it is a cell phone.

My assistant at work leases his phones. He trades in for the latest model every year (he bought the new iPhone on release day).

[angstlessk]

20. I cannot judge anyone on their purchases

I do enough of my own...you are correct!

[crazycatlady]

22. You seem to be doing it in this thread

I had the $10 tracfone once. It was not a good value for my money as it is not designed for the heavy user.

[JonLP24]

47. Tracfone is a terrible value

But you can find things cheap for less than $40. I have like 5 computer phones all cheap.

[NRaleighLiberal]

19. isn't it republicans who tell people what to do? fit everyone into the same mold?

do you know what I do with my phone? what I do for a career? what else I do without?

The way you generalize and attack and assume is not appropriate for this place.

[angstlessk]

24. I agree, I am not to judge anyone...I purchase a bunch of stuff

some of which you would agree is pretty useless except I think is needed for me and my family and my pets.

[NRaleighLiberal]

26. Thanks. It goes beyond purchase. Each of us is a unique individual who only share snippets - atoms

of their lives on sites like these. If we all go around telling people what music to love or hate, which products to buy or ignore, which places to live or avoid...it all just makes this place - the country - a terrible place.

Hopefully, we here share a common goal, empathy, acceptance. Our individual uniqueness is a good thing.

[gopiscrap]

40. I had one that cost 5 dollars and was given with a $10 dollar phone credit

[brush]

37. Wonder how many of the functions of the $1000 phones are even used by those who have them.

Those phones can do so much but calls, texting, email/internet, camera/video, which is what most users do, can be done with even the early smart phones so the price tag doesn't seem worth it to me.

[fleur-de-lisa]

65. Some of us are required to have them for work.

[exboyfil]

3. $25 for a ZTE Cell Phone with Tracfone

Service is $7/mo with extra data at about $4/mo.

Can use phone to listen to audiobooks from library (Hoopla). Hoopla has an impressive selection of books which are immediately available.

[Squinch]

4. Free with the plan.

[rzemanfl]

5. I am on my second TracFone. The first was $7.99 at Walgreens and was upgraded to a free new one

about a year ago. I use it for calls to home when I'm out, travel and emergencies only. I have lots of minutes built up although I used a bunch during Irma.

[Kaleva]

6. I have over 6,000 minutes available on my phone.

The roll over minutes just keep adding up.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

49. I love rollover minutes.

Back when I worked the information desk at my local hospital, I could freely offer my cell phone to those who needed to call somewhere, as I had thousands of minutes available. I used to say that I could manage a small national emergency without worrying about the minutes.

[democratisphere]

7. Some smartphones are a replacement for a laptop or PC.

They can cost up to $1,000.00 or More providing faster processors and up to 128 GB of onboard storage. The screens are also typically larger. Some people need these advanced and enhanced smartphone features.

[crazycatlady]

10. They're also replacements for other things

My smartphone replaces

Camera
Calculator
Alarm Clock
GPS
Scanner
Video game console
TV (I can stream on there)
ETA music player

[NRaleighLiberal]

13. flashlight, night sky map, task list, calendar,......

I put mine to very good use

[crazycatlady]

14. I will admit that for 2018 I bought an old school day planner

I've tried the note taking app on my phone (S-memo) and the only thing it works well for is writing out my email address when selling pussyhats at marches (if people don't have cash on me, I take paypal)

Some things just don't sink in unless I physically write them down. Calendar is one of them.

[Kaleva]

16. I use the back of old envelops as my day planner

I save the envelops that junk mail comes in and on the back of them, I'll list the tasks I wish to accomplish within a reasonable amount of time. Every job I do gets lined out. When the back of one envelope becomes full, I'll start another list on another envelope. First listing jobs i haven't got done yet.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

51. I use post-its on my bathroom mirror as my day planner.

The note is where I see it every day, and I don't miss anything.

[Madam Mossfern]

58. I use index cards

Appointments go on the calendar hanging in my kitchen.
That's so my husband can make plans around it - or just remind me.

[democratisphere]

23. Exactly the same for me. At-A-Glance or Day Timer for Appointments and Scheduling Jobs..

[CountAllVotes]

53. I still use Month-at-a-Glance

It is a pocket diary. I've been keeping the same one since ... 1985!

I have all of them in a bag. They came in real handy a few weeks ago when I received an inquiry from my health insurance co. wanting to know what/when I was doing on a specific day in July of 1995 (I kid you not!).

Glad I have them, ALL OF THEM.

[NRaleighLiberal]

21. You know what? the next time you judge me about my life and my choices....decide not to.

[angstlessk]

25. I already have...enjoy the sky!

[NRaleighLiberal]

27. I do. I could tell you where all of the constellations are, the names of many of the stars,

it is just one of my many hobbies - it gives me peace. It makes me realize how tiny and insignificant I - all of us - are in this universe.

[angstlessk]

28. Darn...I spent as much for a telescope for my grand kids 10 years ago

and they can't phone anyone from it

Wish I could have given that phone instead

I am not being snarky...I like that the new phones have evolved so far from the dial phones we had with party lines (we could listen to their conversations)

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

52. Ahhh, but can you walk outside at night, look up,

and identify those same constellations and stars?

[uppityperson]

31. I've 2 sky maps and 2 ISS trackers, a couple bird books too

Yes, I like astronomy and wildlife observation. They cost zero, compared to even used books. What's wrong with using a free calendar either? Do you seriously think calendars are only used to tell what day it is?

What an odd judgemental comment.

[NRaleighLiberal]

34. amazing isn't it - someone who often comes here to DU for so much help, so easily trashes

people for the choices they decide to share.

How republican of them!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. The sky map app is a star map for people who are interested in astronomy.

I am interested in astronomy, and I have an app called Star Walk that shows where all the stars and constellations are at any given date and time. It's fascinating.

I also have apps that do the following:

Locate airplane flights
Provide stock quotes
Identify birds and bird songs
Identify garden weeds
Be a calendar
Be a flashlight
Be a calculator
Be a dictaphone
Be a level
Be a pitch pipe
Be a metronome
Be a piano
Figure out unit conversions (miles/kilometers, etc.)
Correct tuning for a musical instrument
Weather reports
Weather radar
NWS hazardous weather alerts
Scan .pdf files
Control my home security system
Play all my iTunes music
Lets me pay at parking meters downtown
Locate traffic problems before I'm stuck in them
Call AAA if I need them
Find restaurants, gas stations, hospitals, etc. near me

I don't need all of these things but they often come in handy.

[mucifer]

29. magnifying glass.

[uppityperson]

33. What app do you use for that?

[mucifer]

38. I don't. But, I saw someone using one to read a menu in a restaurant.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

50. Since I prefer a real keyboard, largely because

I'm a very good touch typist, I HATE anything other than an actual keyboard.

[crazycatlady]

8. I'm have a 3.5 year old Samsung Galaxy S4

It will be upgraded around its 4th birthday next year (when the S9 is released).

My cell phone is my only phone. I have not used a landline since 2002.

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. 30 a month...for 2 years. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Computer, Camera, GPS, music source

I put it to excellent use. It does what I need it to do with lots of travel, emails to answer due to what I do with gardening and writing.

We got rid of our land line 8 years ago.

[YOHABLO]

57. 30$ a month .. who is your provider? ( I hate saying provider )

[crazycatlady]

11. I had a Tracfone once

It was a temporary replacement when my phone broke when I was on the road.

For one week's worth of use, I paid over $50 for it. It was a bad deal for my usage (I use my phone for long business calls and not having unlimited minutes is expensive in my line of work).

[brewens]

30. I think about $60 for my flip phone. The guy at the Verizon store was trying to scam me out

of $200 for a similar phone. I heard that and decided to go home and do some research. I found I could do everything that asshole was going to do for me and get the phone for almost 1/4 the cost right from the Verizon web site. The new plan was cheaper and I had the phone in a couple days.

[sweetloukillbot]

56. $60 for a flip phone?

We got my mother in law a cellphone because she was travelling - $10 a month service (no contract) with AT&T and they gave us the flip phone.

[defacto7]

32. Zero

My phone co. just gave us 2 Samsung Galaxy primes and we didn't even ask for them. But I suppose they were concerned that I was still using a Blackberry Razor.

[58Sunliner]

35. I paid for an unlocked phone, android, and I only pay 25 a moth for plan.

Smart phone-use it as a computer away from home, a clock, apps galore. I use it for everything. I used to have a Trac phone and the minutes were killing me.

[Turbineguy]

39. As I told the Verizon people about my smart phone,

"The thing I like best about this phone is that it's expensive!"

[HeartachesNhangovers]

41. My several-year-old Moto X smartphone was

free with the plan when my wife got them. She has since upgraded to the latest-gen Moto variant (which cost $150 or so).

As long as Google maps works, I'll keep this one. If I replace the screen protector it'll look like new!

[Yavin4]

42. Given the importance of many apps, it's almost necessary to have a smart phone.

A good phone can get you a ride when you need it. Can help people locate you. Can help get you a job. Etc.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

54. I will break it to you gently.

It is quite possible to function with a dumb phone. Make phone calls, send and receive texts. The basics. It is not vital to have apps, although I do understand why others my like such things.

I'm reminded of the old VW commercials: It goes forward and it goes backwards. Isn't that wonderful?

[crazycatlady]

60. I suppose you can get a ride with a horse and buggy too

Uber and Lyft are killing taxi companies across the country (and world). I've never used either (I use my own car or public transit) but I know you need a smartphone to use those services.

Texting on a flip phone is a royal PITA.

[Tikki]

43. Our son gives us each a phone when he buys himself the newest phones..

He knows how to do all the phone sim chip transfers within the communications company.

The Tikkis

[csziggy]

44. $30 Tracfone

I really didn't want that fancy a phone, but they had discounted the model my husband bought so I got it to make it easier to learn. I haven't dented the minutes, data or text units I got with my last renewal - paid $99 for 1 year with tons of units + another $50 for a second year of service. I will not use up the units by the time the service runs out so will roll them over.

My first Tracfone was $10, the next two were free upgrades. The second upgrade's battery was crap so rather than buy a new battery for it - $40 - I bought the new phone.

[moriah]

45. Essentially free -- Amazon Fire phone on closeout.

I paid $99 for the phone and got a free year of Prime, which I needed to renew anyway. BYOP to Cricket, $35 a month.

[sakabatou]

46. About $150

Samsung Galaxy S.

[appleannie1943]

48. Mine is a Trac phone. The only time I use it is

when we are traveling to visit one of our offspring. They worry themselves silly when we old folk are on the road. I have to buy minutes to travel so they are not in a hospital when we get to their homes. The really nice thing is they now book hotel rooms for us halfway. Now we get to go to casinos or museums etc. halfway to their homes.

[customerserviceguy]

55. I go for cheap

The base price of my phone was about $150, including taxes. I also bought a tablet for a similar price, and together, the hotspot data that I have for them replaces home Internet services, so I have no cable, etc. bill. It's about a hundred bucks a month until both are paid off, then I think it drops to about $80. Unlimited data for the phone and tablet, so I try to watch whatever shows on them that I can't get on antenna TV. But only if I don't have to pay for them!

[bagelsforbreakfast]

59. Wow - you beat me - got mine for $9.95 - same kind of deal but from

Tracfone. LG - screen a bit small but does all I need now (but I also got an Amazon Fire on sale for under $40; not a phone but wifi and bigger screen to do the rest of stuff).

[marked50]

61. I got letter from some guy named Ned Ludd

who said I shouldn't get any thing called a cell phone. Said he didn't know what they were but they would be bad. Think I'll check this out.

[SwissTony]

62. My phone is about as basic as you can get these days.

I can make calls, send/receive text, use it as an alarm clock, play games (but am not interested), basic calculator, convert units. That's about it.

For other things, I tend to use other equipment. Photos? My DSLR. Concert bookings, flight bookings etc? My laptop. It's almost certainly an age thing. I'm hurtling towards my late 60s and my 2 year old granddaughter knows her way around a modern phone better than I do. And I'm the one with a maths/stats/computer background. LOL.

What I don't get is the need shown by some people to immediately get their hands on the newest iPhone or whatever. They sleep outside, bunking down the day before the release, sleeping in the cold. Hey, people, you can pick up the exact same item at 2 o'clock in the afternoon a week later. No discomfort involved.

[Kali]

63. paid about $50 used

flip phone.

still haven't made the move to a smart phone, because I HATE phones in general, but man, it is getting harder to shop - even at the grocery store - without one.

[Awsi Dooger]

64. Tracfone is fine for me

I'm surprised at the negative comments. I picked up a new LG 306g a couple of years ago for $15 total. The phone is triple minutes for life.

I checked the options and saw that I could get 2 years service plus 3000 minutes for about $180 not including 12% cash back from ebates. So I used that option and I still have 2100 minutes remaining. I also used a promo code off the Tracfone Reviewer.com website.

Overall I am very satisfied. I don't text but if someone texts me I can view it. The phone has a decent camera and video camera. I don't have to pay anything else for a 2 year period and it's maybe $8 per month total plus I'll have plenty of minutes remaining when I need to renew the service expiration date.

On the Tracfone site they'll give you the 365 days option front and center but during checkout another 365 days is available for a lesser price. That's what I did to reduce overall price per month, and not have to worry about anything for 2 years.

The only thing I don't like about the Tracfone is I can't block certain numbers.

[crazycatlady]

66. Question for the Tracfone users on this thread

Do you have a landline?

[Kaleva]

67. Yes, that's how I get my internet

I have a corded basic landline phone I keep in a drawer for an emergency back up in case power goes out and the cells phones are dead and the cordless phones won't work. At home, I usually use the cordless phone.

My phone bill is about a hundred a month. 50 for high speed internet access and the other half for phone service with caller ID and voice mail. I pay nothing for the cell phone because I am low income.

[crazycatlady]

68. I pay $50 for internet from the cable company

My share of my cell phone bill is $40, but I get $60 from my employer to cover it.

I never had a landline in my name.

[Awsi Dooger]

69. Yes, through a Uverse bundle

I got the landline down to $12 per month through haggling and discounts. It is 200 minutes per month before extra charges kick in. I never exceed the 200.

I actually like the combo as a handicapper because it gives me another decision to make. I weigh the benefits of each option before deciding whether to call using the landline or Tracfone. The reason I have so many Tracfone minutes to spare is I always use the landline toward those 200 minutes per month when I'm calling a customer service number or somewhere I'll likely be put on hold.

I use the Tracfone mostly while away from home or out of town.

[blogslut]

73. No.

I've been a Tracfone customer since the mid 2000's so I had a good reserve of rollover credits when I first got a smartphone model. As for phone calls, well, I don't get or make many as I am a lonely, bitter old crone who rarely leaves her hovel. I also have a paid Skype number so, at my house, I can have long phone conversations with the family members that actually tolerate me, via my internet connection. When home, I set my Tracfone to wireless so I can use it for little things like Tweeting my kid and listening to podcasts.

When I'm out I've found it doesn't eat much data for my needs, like looking up directions and calling a Lyft.

All told, I pay $21 and $25 every three months for the Tracfone and the Skype number respectively. I pay for too much for the internet service but I don't want or need cable and I'm on the net a lot.

[Loyd]

70. $40

See, I'm a weirdo: I only use it to make phone calls!

[DFW]

71. Nothing, but I think it's worth a fortune on the antiques market

My cell phone has one important feature that I think gets overlooked these days when most people choose a cell phone--it functions as a f***ing telephone, for Pete's sake. That's all it does. I see people glued to the things these days that seem to be not only telephones but do-everything gadgets that determine their whole lives--which are apparently over if their cell phones get busted or lost.

I have absolutely had it with people telling me I need to carry around some device that contains my life's story in it, as well as every hotel reservation I've ever made or will make, flies ten kinds of commercial planes and navigates them, orders my dinner and thinks it knows what I want to order before I do, and probably tells me when my car will get its next flat tire and where, and has called the nearest garage five months in advance.

My cell phone makes and receives phone calls. Period. I think the Smithsonian and the British Museum are fighting it out in court to see who gets it when I'm done with it, the date of which will be the day when there are no longer batteries or charger cords made that fit it.

[stevenleser]

72. I tend to always have the latest greatest gadgets, but my other career is IT.

I have to know how to use them and how to help others use them.

Am getting ready to upgrade from my iPhone 7 plus to one of the newer models, can't decide which, and to upgrade from the original Apple watch to the new one.