Need a cheap cell phone...

[Bogie]

...without the whole contract bit so that I'll have a local number here... Any suggestions at to which pay as you use plan may be better?

[sanglant]

i has a tracfone. works ok but service ain't so hot.

this guy has everything typed up nice.

[CNYCacher]

Step 0: Understand that the ONLY reason you need a contract is to get a discount on a new phone.
Step 1: Go buy an AT&T prepaid phone for $9.99 - $??.??  Do not buy the prepaid SIM card that goes with it.
Step 2: Go to AT&T and tell them you already have a phone and just need a SIM for it and want to buy service monthly.
Step 3: Win.


Alternative Step 1: Ebay/Craigslist but caveat emptor

[Jim147]

A Tracfone is like 8.88 at Walmart and service is only $20.00 for three months if you don't use a lot of minutes.

jim

[Fjolnirsson]

 I have used a number of prepaid plans over the last 6 years. Tracfone is ok, but Net10 is better, and is owned by the same company. Both usually available at Walmart. I tried Boost, they had good rates, but I found the service areas lacking. I finally settled on one I am very happy with. It may not be available in your area, but worth checking. Straight Talk cellular. They are on the web, and also in some Walmarts. $30/month for 1000 minutes and 1000 texts. If you make an automatic withdrawal from your checking, those minutes roll over, also. $45/month for unlimited talk, text and web access. Very good coverage. http://www.straighttalk.com/

[grampster]

I don't know if this applies only in Michigan, but there has been an ad on the TV about a free phone and free 200 minutes.  If I see the ad again, I'll jot down the contact #.  Probably a welfare thing.

[taurusowner]

I don't know if this applies only in Michigan, but there has been an ad on the TV about a free phone and free 200 minutes.  If I see the ad again, I'll jot down the contact #.  Probably a welfare thing.

I've seen that ad, and yes, it's a welfare thing.  Free phones to lower income people.  "Free" meaning paid for by you and I of course.

[Boomhauer]

I've seen that ad, and yes, it's a welfare thing.  Free phones to lower income people.  "Free" meaning paid for by you and I of course.

Shut up and get back to work, you racist Republican neofascist! The people's "necessities of life" must be paid for!

[zxcvbob]

I have a VirginMobile phone.  It costs $5 per month for more minutes than I use.  They bill my credit card $15 every 3 months (it would be $20 if you use the top-up cards from Walmart), and when the balance drifts up too high they sometimes skip a quarter.

The only downside is that the target market is 20 year olds, so the ads and stuff are obnoxious.

[dm1333]

Net10.  The phone works, easy to buy minutes, no service charges.

[S. Williamson]

Virgin Mobile user here, too.  I rarely use my phone for anything more than an alarm clock, so... 

After running the numbers on how much I actually text/talk, which is ~30min a month, it worked out to be the least expensive.  Stay away from Kyocera phones, though.  They're like the Vulcan Armament of cell phones. 

[RaspberrySurprise]

I have a VirginMobile phone.  It costs $5 per month for more minutes than I use.  They bill my credit card $15 every 3 months (it would be $20 if you use the top-up cards from Walmart), and when the balance drifts up too high they sometimes skip a quarter.

The only downside is that the target market is 20 year olds, so the ads and stuff are obnoxious.

Ads?

[zxcvbob]

Ads?

Occasional messages about whatever awesome new MTV-inspired feature they have, or just the loud (visually loud) web page you have to look at when you sign on todo any account maintenance.

It's not very often that you have to put up with it, but it's pretty bad if you're a 50-something.

[S. Williamson]

Or have an IQ over 50-something.