<p>How often do you plan to use a mobile phone? </p>
<p>We have had Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go for a number of years and subscribe to the minimum plan. Back when it was still possible to do so, we had essentially what is automatic payment (linked to a credit card) which bought us the bare bones minimum: $15 payment that needed to be paid every 3 months, or until the account had a zero balance, whichever came first. Unused money rolled over into the next block of 3 months but whether or not you made any call during that block, the account still had to be “topped up” at the end of the 3-month block. Calls are fairly expensive: 20 cents/minute and 15 cents for text. However, this works for us since we use our phone very seldom, and only for calling out; we turn it on if we are expecting a call while away from home.</p>
<p>Son never wanted a cell phone (and prided himself on being the only luddite in high school) until it was time for college, then he really had no choice. He has the Virgin Mobile plan, no contract, no commitment, in which we pay $25/month and the plan includes 300 talk minutes, unlimited text, and unlimited internet. I must admit we paid more than $25 for the first month since he went over the 300 talk minutes but after the learning curve, and when things settled down, the $25/month became pretty much standard. </p>
<p>He didn’t think he would use a smartphone and initially didn’t want one. However, he did get a sweet Android for his birthday, and found it useful for texting and especially for browsing the internet while waiting for airport transfers. </p>
<p>We try to talk to him once a week, and when we do so, we call him up to set up a time to Skype, which is a free download and we get to see him as a bonus. Once in a while, he will call home and we Skype if we know our conversation will take more than a couple minutes. Once we got used to our system, he never went over the 300 talk minutes. The NMF Dell laptop has a built-in webcam and we purchased a high quality webcam on our end. We skype with relatives all over the world at no cost to both parties!</p>
<p>I tried to get my son to install a local landline for his room but he refused, calling it redundant. Each bedroom in the “super suites” has a phone jack. I figure, he would have no expense for that phone as long as his calls are kept local, and he could receive calls, gratis. As it is, he doesn’t like to spend time on the phone anyway.</p>
<p>Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint network and he’s never had a problem with connectivity in Tuscaloosa. However, the coverage is temperamental where we live, although we can usually get a signal. Check the Virgin Mobile website for phone specials; once in a while their phones go on sale at Target or Best Buy.</p>