Help me out with inexpensive cell phone options

[Zoemakes5]

My DD, who is only 9, and I have been going out together more and more to DL, to fairs, to movies, etc. I've found for me, not for her, that I'd really like her to have a phone. I want to allow her a bit more freedom but am worried if/when we got separated she couldn't get in touch with me. There's also been times when I've let her go to events with other people that I'd like to get in touch with her. This is something I plan to control and hand to her when I want her to have it.

So, this is what I'm looking for....

A phone that either has a very low monthly charge or a pay as you use it system. However, if I get a system that is pay as you go, I don't want to lose the minutes. I have a close friend who has one and it seems like she is constantly loses her minutes. I don't anticipate a very high usage.

I'd like it to have texting capability

I'd also like it to have the ability to work outside of our immediate home area. (we had a phone a long time ago and it was like 5x the normal cost if we weren't in our local service area)

I can't add her on to our existing plan because we've used up all our phone lines with that plan between my DH and I and the boys. Our current plan is with Verizon.

Your insight is greatly appreciated!

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Page Plus cellular is your cheapest option $10 every 120 days.

 

[ellone]

Page Plus cellular is your cheapest option $10 every 120 days.

I second this! This is what I use since I don't use my phone much. They roll whatever is leftover over when you refill. They use Verizon's network so they have good coverage.

 

[kldmom2000]

We got our 10 year old DD a Net10 phone. We pay $30 every 60 days for 300 minutes/2 months of talk/texting.

 

[Poohforyou]

Adding our DD to our family plan with unlimited minutes and texting is only about $10 a month.

 

[momto2inKC]

What company is your cell phone service through? We only pay $10 a month for each additional line with AT&T. We have 700 min we share and an unlimited texting package.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

Check out what AT&T has to offer. You can have 5 lines on a family plan, share minutes that roll-over if not used, unlimited calling to AT&T wireless or land line AT&T phones, 10 other numbers on your family "A list" that you can call for free, a block of text messages to share. I have been with AT&T since 1998 and have never had a problem with coverage (and my husband travels extensively for work) You can also carry your existing cellphone numbers with you from your existing carrier to AT&T.

 

[mum4jenn]

Page Plus cellular is your cheapest option $10 every 120 days.

I will look into this. It might be great for me!! I have never heard of them though.

 

[pantherlj]

We have been happy with tracfone. I have used it for about 5+ years. 11 DD started with it at Christmas. She is not using it as much as I thought she would. I like that it teaches her to budget since she isn't very good with budgeting money yet.

I pay $20 every 3 months for about 180 minutes. talk: 1 min = 1 min. Text: 1 text = .30 minutes.

 

[laughinplace199]

DD had a prepaid plan with TMobile that worked well for her at that age.

 

[ceecee]

We started DD with a Tracfone $100 for a year service and 800 minutes (we got the camera flip type phone free with the year card). Worked great until the texting became popular so she switched to Virgin. The Tracfone reception was much better though.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have a Net 10 phone that works great. I do the pay as you go thing, so I only spend about $30 every 2 months filling it. I have used it at WDW with no issues too.

 

[Jayana]

My first phone was a pay-as-you-go virgin mobile phone, used exactly as you are describing here. You can top up as little as $20 every 90 days and any leftover money rolls over. ($10 top-ups mean you lose those minutes.) You used to be able to add monthly 1000 or unlimited text even on the pay-as-you-go plan, but I think now it is per-message only. And the phones themselves are cheap, and I've never had a problem with coverage. I've been with them for 10 years now, I switched to the Beyond Talk plan when I wanted more than a prepaid service.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Check out what AT&T has to offer. You can have 5 lines on a family plan, share minutes that roll-over if not used, unlimited calling to AT&T wireless or land line AT&T phones, 10 other numbers on your family "A list" that you can call for free, a block of text messages to share. I have been with AT&T since 1998 and have never had a problem with coverage (and my husband travels extensively for work) You can also carry your existing cellphone numbers with you from your existing carrier to AT&T.

I had 4 lines on AT&T on a family plan, three very low use and one moderate use of an average of 300 minutes + 300 texts a month. Between the base rate, taxes and fees, and texting charges on those phones that didn't have a text plan because they were used too infrequently to justify it we were spending over $100 a month. And no phone had a data package.

Same 4 persons on Page Plus now. Primary line has the TNT 1200 plan which has 1200 min., 2000 texts, and 100 MB of data. The other 3 lines are on the $10 every four months refill cards. With a discount program I joined on one of the PP online dealers my monthly cost for all 4 lines is about $36 a month. I estimate I am saving over $800 a year over AT$T .