BUYING A CELL PHONE
These days technology's changing with the blink of an eye. Cell phones have taken the place of so many things. They are now our cameras, our calculators, our watches, our internet connection, and obviously our main source of communication.
DOES YOUR CELLULAR PHONE FIT YOU?
To make sure your cellular phone fits your needs, the first thing you should think about is budget. Sure, all the fancy features are intriguing and attractive, but are they necessary for YOU? Many people say yes. Because of the multi-functions of these phones, they replace so many other gadgets and can actually be a money saver for that reason. Why buy 20 items when you can buy one really nice phone?
But if you are the person who's only need for a cellular phone is emergency use, you should probably look into a pre-paid phone where you buy your minutes as you go, and add them as needed. These phones used to all be big, bulky and very unattractive, but they are being manufactured in sleek fashion these days. One thing to remember with a pre-paid phone, the minutes go fast, and they are not cheap. So if your idea of an emergency call is telling your buddies about the wild night you had, this phone is not for you.
You'd be better off going with a flat-rate, month to month phone carrier. Finding a company that offers unlimited calling and/or texting. These companies normally offer all styles of phones, from basic to high-tech; even the internet phones with MP3 players. There are no contracts to sign. The phones usually range from $80 to $300 and your monthly payment from $50 to $125. But they tend to only work within certain range, so if you travel frequently I would advise against this phone for you.
What's left is a contract plan. These plans allow you a set amount of free minutes per month. If you go over your free minutes you have a set amount per minute you will be charged. They also typically offer free night and weekend minutes.The average contract is 1-2 years with your set rate, plus the price of phone. Virtually any type of phone can be found when purchasing a contract plan. The only advice I ahve against people leaning toward this method is calculate how often you will be using your phone. The cost of overage when exceding your allowed minutes can be enormous! A good thing to look for is a plan that offers rollover minutes, meaning the unused minutes you have at the end of each month will be carried over to the next month
