Is anyone else debating eliminating their cellphone/cellphone bill??

I've been arguing with myself for some time about whether I should cancel my cell plan and just use my home phone. I feel that my cell just sits around 90% of the time and the cost of keeping it is warranted. I guess I should write out the pros and cons of my cell...

Pros
good for emergencies
texting is my preferred way of communicating

Cons
I feel like it is not in use 90-95% of time
any upgrade costs more and more money
I hate cell phone companies
with my home phone, I have 2 phones
it's one more thing I have to carry in my pocket when I'm out & about
costs more than I think it's worth
my model sucks, the camera sucks, internet speed sucks


I'm homebased and the company I worked for pays for my internet and home phone, so I could save $50/month. I just have to give up text messaging which will be an adjustment (an easy one I suppose, it's not like I'm giving up my car). I prefer to stay under the radar anyway and less accessible. I don't even have a facebook account. Well, I do but I closed it (I know it's still there though).

It's sad that this has become something that's hard to let go of. Anyone else out there that has given it up or is debating??

I think I've made up my mind as you can probably tell.

I was thinking about this myself the other day..

Give up my phone, give up my email accounts.. give up bank cards and use cash only..

Don't supply my name address zip/post code to companies who ask for it when you buy any item from them..

So many things you can actually give up and save you not just money, but time as well.. Very possibly mental and physical health..

Refuse to use emails and send a letter instead and expect a letter in reply..
If you give up mobile phones, then be sure to just have one as a home based one in order to take calls from friends and/or family only.. make it x directory..

I was thinking all this in order to slow the system down.. why is it that I am required to have all this technical gumph these days and be expected to provide mobile phone number, home phone number, email address and /or any other info in which I can be contacted on.. You go on web sites/forums and they want you to link your twitter/facebook accounts to their sites..

I say stuff 'em... One way to slow big brother down is to refuse to use their kit and refuse to go by the methods that are currently 'required'..

Many employers ask for the same details when you apply for a job.. even the job centre tells you you gotta have an email address, minimum, in order for comapnies to contact you..

Their is no law that says you gotta have any of the above.,.

Take control of your life...

Am seriously contemplating this lately..

reply to post by six67seven

I think you just need to slightly adjust your way of "working". Texting could be replaced by simple email. There is also something called Jabber or the XMPP protocol which is used by a lot of (open source) instant messenging clients. I believe it has the ability for message storage when messaging offline users.

There is also VoIP (Voice over IP (Internet Protocol)) which is also a cheaper alternative to land lines and mobiles. It is basically an internet telephone. In my case, I physically have a regular telephone that plugs into my adsl router. In the router the VoIP connection needs to be configured (simple) and then I can call anywhere in the world and can be called from anywhere in the world. They also have answering machine functionality as a standard thing. I pay 5 euros a month to have the number. Any calls I make are charged at a cheaper rate than a land line or mobile phone.

Dumping the mobile for internet use will be easy. No datalimits and a higher speed on regular connections.

Good luck with your choices.

Disclosure I'm 40 and have never had my own mobile phone, only via employers as dictated by the job I was doing at the time. Mine only ever rang at inopportune moments, when busy at work, on a noisy train or even while I was sitting on the toilet! Damn things!

My phone "died" as a result of me messing with it (what can I say, if its electronic, I need to understand how it works )

The great part is that all other functionality works, can still play videos and what not, just the imei is garbled.

Since it no longer functioned as a phone, I paid the early out (not sure why I chose a prepaid plan, well the phone was a nice one).

I love it. I no longer have to turn the phone off anymore or put into vibrate no one calls me on it and its great to hand to my son for angry birds when we are driving.

reply to post by Extralien


Wow, you're really trying to get away. I rarely use my email account too. I think as long as you are educated on the technology, then it shouldn't be a problem. And that would be so you can still be employed because some employers require that knowledge.

But yeah, the older generations survived just fine without any of the technologies/distractions of today. I agree though, it's probably time we disconnect and gain back the quality of our lives... except for those that don't know any better, grew up with the technology and love it just the way it is.

reply to post by calnorak


See, my phone doesn't even have cool games on it. I have the LG Rumor Touch - WEAK!!

I have my old IPod that I have games on but I rarely use that.

Yeah, I need to get rid of it.

reply to post by six67seven


I've eliminated my cellphone about 5 years ago. At first it was a bit weird but I got used to it really quick. Now I don't even miss it a little bit. I don't know why I even carried that thing around. Like I say to friends. You whanna reach me? Call my house, If I'm not there leave a message. If it's an emergency leave a frantic message. If it's a real emergency, what the heck are you talking to my answering machine for, get off your ass and do something about it.

reply to post by six67seven

Originally posted by six67seven
Anyone else out there that has given it up or is debating??

I can't get rid of something I've never had. I have always been uncomfortable with the idea of cell phones (and everything that has spawned from them, including iphones, ipads, ipods, ipalms, etc.) The idea that I MUST have access and everyone must have access to me at all times freaks me out a little.

I suggest cold turkey.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
reply to post by six67seven

 

Originally posted by six67seven
Anyone else out there that has given it up or is debating??

I can't get rid of something I've never had.

I have always been uncomfortable with the idea of cell phones (and everything that has spawned from them, including iphones, ipads, ipods, ipalms, etc.) The idea that I MUST have access and everyone must have access to me at all times freaks me out a little.

I suggest cold turkey.

I must say, I like your style. Well, back in the late 90's my mother bought me a cellphone for her comfort, ya know, and I just never got rid of it. Funny that she gave me a cellphone for keeping tabs on me and such... puts things in perspective regarding today's technology and the tracking capabilities... wouldn't you say

I'd rather have a cell phone than a home phone. lol

When I was single, I finally killed my home phone and just used my cell. Lots more useful, IMHO.

It's all up to you, though.

I have a cell phone no-contract plan with US Cellular. $10 per month service charge and 10 cents per minute for call time. I think the phone I have cost $50 initially. It's a basic flip type phone that can do text, but I rarely use the text messaging. Since I don't make or receive a lot of calls, the whole thing runs me about $15 a month. I get good service and I have never had a problem with coverage.

I have a home phone, but I have it plugged in to a Magicjack that plugs into the computer. That cost me $25 for a year of service and the internet-only broadband is $30 per month. I think Magicjack has raised the fee to 40 or 50 dollars now, but it's still a good deal. If the power goes out, I lose phone service, but I have a cell phone to cover that.

I also have a Google Talk number which I like because I've ported both my cell phone and Magicjack numbers to Google Talk. I give people the Google number and when they call, both my phones ring. This is a free service which I find very useful.

All together, I have a home phone, cell phone and internet service for around $50 a month.

Originally posted by N3k9Ni
I have a cell phone no-contract plan with US Cellular. $10 per month service charge and 10 cents per minute for call time. I think the phone I have cost $50 initially. It's a basic flip type phone that can do text, but I rarely use the text messaging. Since I don't make or receive a lot of calls, the whole thing runs me about $15 a month. I get good service and I have never had a problem with coverage.

I have a home phone, but I have it plugged in to a Magicjack that plugs into the computer. That cost me $25 for a year of service and the internet-only broadband is $30 per month. I think Magicjack has raised the fee to 40 or 50 dollars now, but it's still a good deal. If the power goes out, I lose phone service, but I have a cell phone to cover that.

I also have a Google Talk number which I like because I've ported both my cell phone and Magicjack numbers to Google Talk. I give people the Google number and when they call, both my phones ring. This is a free service which I find very useful.

All together, I have a home phone, cell phone and internet service for around $50 a month.

That's a nice and inexpensive little setup you've got there. I will look into something like that in the future. Once I have to start paying for my own internet and home phone, I will have to switch everything up again. I don't like the .10 per minute rate though. But in the meantime I can use my home phone. Good info though, thanks.

reply to post by six67seven


10 cents a minute is a little steep, but I don't call a lot, so I get by on about $5.00. If I expect to be on the phone for a while, I call from my home phone.

Think of it this way cellphones are great for emergency situations. I pay 35 a month and dont have any talk or text limitations. I hardly use it but in some situations it is handy to have. It has a calculator, memo pad, timer, alarm, calender, etc. Just the other day it came in handy in an emergency situation where I would not have ever known my daughter ended up in the hospital and it would have been six hours after the fact before I found out. But I was able to get to the hospital within ten minutes of finding out what happened because I had the phone on me.