Giving up long distance coverage for cell phone?

[Amy]

I just signed up for a cell phone that will give you 200 weekday minutes and 1000 weekend minutes a month for $29.99. Now Im thinking of getting rid of ATT long distance on my home phone because that would equate to $70.00 a month for the same amount of time. Have any of you done this?

I need input as to the benefit of monitoring your minutes (especially on the weekdays) vs. keeping the ATT left on and paying the $7.95 maintence fee a month.

I mostly signed up for this because dh will be able to call me toll free from Europe if I get the cell phone number in a Colorado Springs pre-fix (its considered a long distance call ffrom CS to Pueblo and the Army won't pay for the call than).

What are your thoughts?

[AnnW]

Why not clock the minutes you spend on the phone for the next couple of months and then compare. You need to find out how your cell company records minutes, if you are charged minutes for calls that don't go through, and also for incoming calls. It really does add up.

[Amy]

Thanks AnnW for the response. They don't charge for calls that don't go through, but do count minutes for call coming in that I answer. I will have to give strict instruction to my Mom not to call to gab. LOL Actually, I plan on traveling a bit this summer around Colorado and it will be nice to have.

I think this is a good deal except it would be hard to go against my nature of picking up the phone and calling anytime I want. I would have to save a bulk of my calls until the weekend. :( Still will be worth it to hear dh's voice once a week. :)

[AnnW]

Instead of going completely cellular, have you looked into any other local carriers and just use your cell phone for long distance calls.

[Amy]

Im keeping Qwest as my local carrier. I was just thinking of getting rid of ATT as my long distance and use the cell phone for that. :)

[angie r]

I would keep long distance on your phone, just don't pay any type of fee. Your minutes will be more but if you are using your cell phone it won't matter. If your cell phone was lost or broken you may need LD on your home line for the interim.

[KarlaB]

I have a friend who signed up for a deal with Sprint for her cell phone and she planned on quitting her LD carrier at home. Like Angie mentioned, could you find a carrier for your home phone that doesn't have a monthly fee without having outrageous rates if you do have to call l.d from home?

[RCT]

I pay local telephone service, through Verizon....we pay around $30.00 a month...we have the mail box option, so we don't miss calls when we are on line...LOL....we also have pay talk talk, where we prepaid our long distance if I choose to use it....I have had $40.00 dollars in there since Christmas, just in case I need to use my home phone........

Dh has a cell phone through Verizon wireless, I think he pays $50.00 a month its a National Plan, 400 free minutes, no roaming charges, we can call anywhere in the USA and its all the same....FREE 400 minutes...sometimes we don't use all the minutes so thats when I call my family in California.....

when I think of getting rid of the cell phone I get scared...what if I am out and hit a deer or something, we live in a really rual area....my dh travels on the road everyday.....so this way we can keep in contact.....I use the cell phone for long distance too...LOL..

so lets see....$30.00 a month for regular phone usage, I pre pay for long distance on that phone.....what ever amount I choose....and $50.00 for the cell phone....like I said its all realative...but since I already have the cell phone why not take advantage of the free minutes......


As for Quest....YIKEs IMHO they are the worst.....I have had really bad luck with them, when I first moved up to NEW YORK...check around for better rates.....

Good luck

[Edited by RCT on 03-26-2001 at 08:58 AM]