Cell Phones for DD11

[belle22]

Our DD11 would like a cell phone for Christmas. Looking for a cheap plan. She would probably text more then make calls.

Any recommendations?

 

[Colleen27]

If you live in a major market MetroPCS is a good option. My DS is on a $25 talk-and-text plan, unlimited minutes and texts but no data, with a fairly basic QWERTY slider phone that cost me around $40. DD and I have their unlimited everything plan, which is $35 per line after their family plan discount, and Android phones. Retail on our phones (we have the same model) is $100 but I got mine on a special offer for $50 and hers on an even better add-a-line deal for $30.

The downside is that their coverage is limited to metro areas. Get too far off the beaten path and you're not likely to have a signal. That's why my DH switched to Straight Talk (Walmart), for better coverage around the same price. He's got 1000min/1000texts for $30/mo. But I wouldn't want either of my kids on a limited plan - they both text way too much for that!

 

[cstwwt]

Check out Kajeet.......unlimited text plans very reasonable.....you need to but a phone from them or have a sprint phone.....(their phones are costly....but averaged into the monthly service it is pretty cheep!)

 

[Happyjen27]

Another option is an itouch. If there is WiFi she can text from an iTouch but not have phone capabilities. Much cheaper because you won't pay monthly rates.

 

[nalajms]

Our DD11 would like a cell phone for Christmas. Looking for a cheap plan. She would probably text more then make calls.

Any recommendations?

Next thing you know you'll be buying her the latest iPhone.... that's what happen to my SIL. It ended up being cheaper to move everyone to an unlimited plan. And since they had a data plan, the adults got iPhones. Kids kept playing with their iPhones, so kids got iPhones this school year.

Now every time we see them, my 4 year old asks me when he's going to get an iPhone

 

[McKelly]

I second Kajeet. My DD has unlimited texting and I think 150 talk minutes, which she has never even comes close to using,for $21.99 a month. She has no Web Access, but she can use our in home wifi. It also has some nice parental features.

My DD started texting with her ITouch using the app, TextFree. But she said it was so slow, it didn't work during periods of the day, just an FYI.

 

[stsomewhere]

iphone.i We are on a family plan and we pay about $40 per month for each kids iphone.

 

[NHDisneyFan]

I have been looking at zact.com for my 11 year old, but awaiting the Apple announcement about new phones next week.

 

[Joyful3Heart]

I got my now 13 year old her first phone a couple of years ago. It was necessary as I dropped her off at dance, sports etc. and I wanted her to be able to call me whenever she needed to. Her plan was with Net10 and was $15 dollars a month for 200 minutes (each minute was good for 2 text messages) and rolled over. It was a good introduction to budgeting as well, because I required her always to leave around 30 minutes for emergencies.
She did really well with it so when it died last month, I felt she had truly earned an upgrade to the smart phone she had been begging for. Adding her to my Verizon plan would have upped our bill by $55/month while downgrading our service to one of the new share plans. We kept researching and found that T-Mobile has an unadvertised plan of $30/month with unlimited data, texting and 100 minutes/month. Perfect and exactly what she was looking for. The only downside was that you have to buy the phone upfront, but there are decent smartphones to be had in the $150 range.
T-Mobile doesn't have the service range of her Net10 phone (which was fabulous) or Verizon, but works well in our area, which is rural to slightly suburban (not farm country, but houses well spaced with 1-5 acres per house).
So, really, it depends on what your looking for, but I'm sure you can find something that fits what she wants within your budget.

 

[goingtowdwwithkiddos]

we have 2 virgin mobile Iphones for my oldest 2 unlimited text and data (though not great data) with a few hundred minutes $30 a month

 

[ZoeBell]

Next thing you know you'll be buying her the latest iPhone.... that's what happen to my SIL. It ended up being cheaper to move everyone to an unlimited plan. And since they had a data plan, the adults got iPhones. Kids kept playing with their iPhones, so kids got iPhones this school year.

Now every time we see them, my 4 year old asks me when he's going to get an iPhone

It was definitely cheaper for me to go with the Share Everything plan. Unlimited minutes and texts. Then I picked my data plan. For a non smart phone, I think the monthly price is about $35/month. $46 for a smart. That is including all taxes and fees. Where my savings came in was by canceling my home phone, saving me almost $50/month.

 

[mom2alix]

DD11 got a Tracfone for Xmas. She can talk and text and check her email on it. It's prepaid and she's on her 3rd card refill now, so it's only cost about $30 every three months. The phone itself was about $60. We got it at Target.

 

[njcarita]

we are attempting to dig ourselves out of debt........ so we ditched our tmobile............... returned to tracfone........ right now they have some nice phones in our area..... for 19.99 with a 60 minute card and phone has triple minutes and wifi capabilites............ so we can go online wherever there is wifi without using our minutes..... so for a total of 19.99 got a phone....180 minutes and unlimited wifi.......... wait also used a 5 off code...... so each phone was 14.99...... and free shipping............

 

[belle22]

We use to have track phone..the 180 mind do they expire? How much per each text? She has ipod touch but that only works wifi areas.

 

[njcarita]

We use to have track phone..the 180 mind do they expire? How much per each text? She has ipod touch but that only works wifi areas.

....service expire after 90 days unless u add another card than the minutes roll over............ texts are 0.3 minutes each.........

 

[tvguy]

I think the most I would be wiling to gamble is $19 for a pay as you go phone at Walmart.

I made my kids wait until they were 16 and driving before they were allowed to get cell phones.