where can I get the dirt cheapest cell phone service

[Tom_ZeCat]

My cell phone service is expiring today. It's a pre-paid one, and I can't stand it. It seems like every time I turn around it's pestering me to top up before I've used anywhere near all my minutes. The unused minutes carry over when you top up, but that doesn't help me. I have some absurd number of minutes that I'll never use. I have a dirt-cheap VOIP landline that I use for most everything. My cell phone is just for occasional use. I use it maybe 10 to 15 times a month, if that. I don't text anyone. Or play games on my phone or go online or use it as a calendar. I have a PDA for that.

My cell phone is just so that if I'm stuck in traffic, I can call whoever I'm meeting or if I need it in an emergency. I'd love to just prepay for maybe a quarter of a year or a half a year for dirt basic service. Who would you suggest I look into? I'm SO dumping the service I have now. And, btw, T-Mobile is not available where I live.

[singing hinnie]

If your in the UK Orange are offering a £5 a month contract 50 mins and 50 free text plus a very basic VGA camera phone.

[hoodedclawjen]

you could get voip on your cellphone yes?

[DaddyKevin]

Tom,

I'm guessing you're using Net10? I had the same problem with Net 10--the cheapest plan I could find with them was $15 a month, and I never used the minutes. So I switched to their sister company Tracfone. The difference is that I bought a phone that came with double minutes for life, 400 minutes, and a year's service--all for under $100. That was in January, and I since I've still got half my minutes left, I don't need to worry about buying any more until January to keep the service contract going. Basically, my phone costs me $100 a year. Hard to beat that price. I only use my phone so I am reachable when away from my kids. My son texts me a lot from his phone, but incoming texts only cost me 1/3 of a minute. Works perfectly for me.

[KelleyMarie]

I'm with VirginMobile. You pay $5 per month and you never lose the money you pay into your phone. It just keeps adding up. For people who rarely use their phone (like me) it is a good deal. The money is automatically deducted from my checking account so I never have to worry about topping up.

KM

[DMZdogs]

Since the people I call the most are my parents, I joined a family plan with them. My cell phone costs $9 a month. We all share minutes, but calling each other is free, calling after 7 pm is free, calling on the weekends is free....we have hundreds of minutes that just don't get used. We actually end up with EXPIRED minutes.