AT&T Pay-as-You -Go Phone Service: Why I Love It

I've never been a techie. I don't need the latest gadgets when they come out, and I've even been described as being in the dark ages. I knew things were bad when my mom started talking about texting her friend, and I had yet to own a cell phone. I know, it's shocking. I was 30 years old and had never owned a cell phone.

I looked at all of the different cell phone services out there and I was uncomfortable being locked into a contract. If you go without a contract then you pay too much for the phone. Go with the contract and you're stuck paying $40 a month for 2 years plus the unbelievable taxes and fees they tack on. I began to think prepaid was the way to go.

Everywhere I went I asked about the phones that you paid for your minutes ahead of time. Every place had the same sales pitch. "You will end up paying more per month"said Verizon. "It seems like a great deal, but it will bite you in the long run" said AT&T. "You won't like it" was all the T Mobile people could come up with. After these comments were made they went into the hard sell to get me into a contract.

After my outing I was even more determined that cell phones were more of a hassle than a benefit. Then I was doing my grocery shopping at Walmart. I walked by the cell phones and noticed a few more varieties that offered the paying ahead plans. I researched them and found that the best covereage came from AT&T. We move around a lot and it's important my phone work all over the country. Buying at Walmart also eliminated the salesperson in my ear telling me what my needs were. It put me in control of the buying process.

I got my phone for $20 and bought a $15 minutes card to go with it. My plan charges $1 for everyday I actually use the phone. If someone calls me and I don't pick up, I'm not charged. I am also charged 10 cents for every minute I am on the phone and 5 cents for each text message(in or out). This is great for me. You can refill your minutes by buying a gift card at major stores, going on line, or calling from your phone. You even get a $5 credit for every $100 you buy. The minutes expire based on how many you bought. $15 is good for 1 month. $25-$75 are good for 3 months and a $100 credit is good for a year. I have never had any issues with no reception or dropped calls.

I use my phone mainly when I am out of the house. It makes me feel better knowing the school can contact me in case of an emergency. My husband can call me and let me know not to worry about rushing home because he's going to be late at work. The best thing is I have not spent anywhere near what a plan would have cost me. Only you know what your needs are. If you aren't going to use you cell phone as you main communication with friends and family then prepaid is the way to go. I love it, and am glad I found it.