I guess I am adding a bit here, but
there are so few like minded people it
is nice to support the cause !

“My feeling is that most people do not have a need for a cell phone, but society makes it quite easy for people to pretend that a cell phone is a need rather than a want.”

That quote is exactly what I defend every single day.

Thanks for writing.

People in our society, especially the younger generation, seem to be addicted to the cell phone and now the devices that you text with.

I have a cell phone that was provided by the company that I work for but rarely use it. I guess that if you go stuck in the middle of nowhere without a cell phone, you would wish you had one. However, there are few examples that cause me to believe that I need one.

The point of the article is that everyone is different. I have no need for a cell phone and don’t want one. Those are my reasons why. You may want one or need one and you will have your reasons. That is why it is important to analyze your particular situation.

1) A cell phone is cheaper then a land line. I had the most basic service allowed by law (NJ) on my landline. It was $14.85/month. However, after taxes, fees, etc., it rockets up to about $25+/month. That’s $10+ a month in taxes/fees. Compare that to a prepaid cell phone: I paid $10 for my phone and pay about $32.10 (including taxes) every 90 days for a tracfone. That’s about 1/2 the price of a land line. Alternatively, I could pay $25/month for a Virgin Mobile phone plan and get many more services (unlimited data/text as well as 400minutes voice). And, believe it or not, I find prepaid plans to be cheaper then contract plans over the term of the contract.

2) A cell phone is insurance. When your car breaks down and your not near a phone, what do you do? Walk? Flag down another car? I recall a time when the tire tread from a tractor trailer in front of us hit our car and punctured the oil pan. Within the 20 or so seconds to move to the side of the road, the engine was frozen. Nobody stopped to help us. I had to walk 10 miles in the rain to the next exit. It then took me awhile to find a phone and get a tow truck. I had to leave the family in the car. I returned nearly 5 hours after leaving my family. They didn’t know where I was that entire time. It was dark, it was miserable, and it was scary. I would have given any amount of money for a cell phone at that time (cell phones were still rather expensive at the time). Some people argue that they can just leave an unactivated phone in the car for emergencies. While this is true you must consider that you must charge the phone periodically, which means you have to remember it. If the car battery dies then you can’t rely on it. Furthermore, believe it or not, 911 services won’t necessarily call you a tow truck. It’s up to their discretion to decide if your situation is an emergency and how they are going to respond. What about another emergency? I go mountain biking a lot. I always take my cell phone. I’ve crashed many times. I’ve never been hurt enough where I couldn’t walk out. But, if I am hurt badly, I want a cell phone on me.

3) A prepaid cell phone gives you more control and freedom. A home line typically requires a contract. So does a regular cell phone plan. Accidentally dial a wrong number? Kid pushing buttons and called Kenya? Someone call you collect? Not happy with the service? Do you think you got billed too much? Disagree with the bill? Don’t want to pay it? With a contract you are obligated to pay it. Of course they allow for exceptions. But with the exceptions and times you contest it you must deal with their “customer service”. How much time does that eat up? What happens if your late? Many phone companies now report your payment history to credit agencies. Your home phone and contract cell phone is now a potential liability to your credit score. With a prepaid plan it’s different. Not happy with the service? Dump them and get someone else. There is no liability to your credit score.

My suggestion is to get a free google voice number and then redirect that number to your ultra cheap cell phone number. With google voice you get lots of control. Check it out. Furthermore, if you get a prepaid phone with android and then get a cheap data plan (virgin mobile $25 plan for example), you can use the google voice app to make unlimited long distance calls for free.

If you still don’t care about having a cell phone then get a VoIP phone.