# Providing Cellphones for the Poor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/providing-cellphones-for-the-poor/565169>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 23, 2010, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/providing-cellphones-for-the-poor/565169 "2010-12-23T08:39:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/providing-cellphones-for-the-poor/565169/21 "2010-12-24T14:51:03Z")

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I voted other.

I don’t think “the poor are a pain in the ass” is a good way to phrase the “no” vote.

But my wife and I save for adoption by not having a regular cell phone and we do quite well. We have a small one that we put about $10 on every other month or so, but we have no other cell besides this. Somehow, we survive.

When I was looking for a job(I do have one now), I relied on my $14.95 per month Vonage line, combined with my cheap cell phone(I re-routed vonage to it) for job calls.

Basically, we payed about $20 a month or so(less, I think) for our phone services.

Still do, actually, and my wife and I are employed.

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**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\
**Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/providing-cellphones-for-the-poor/565169/22 "2010-12-24T15:03:58Z")

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> [@DianaG](#):
>
> Why do you think it’s better or cheaper? My cell phone plan was cheaper than my landline until I added web access, and I can’t think of a single advantage a landline has over a cell phone, although I’m prepared to be enlightened.

Well for instance we have a (corded) landline that provides service for five people in the home for 24 dollars a month. Until a few months ago we had an answering machine. It was old but it worked. Now that didn’t show us hang-ups, only people who left messages, but it worked fine for the odd day labor jobs my SO and his brother needed. I don’t have a job so I’m home a lot anyway.

It never needs charging, and it never got dropped in a toilet or left at a bar like my daughter’s cell phone (which she’s replaced several times and costs upwards of 60 bucks a month). We’ve had it since the early 90s and it’s never given us a moment’s grief. I rarely even have those telemarketers since we got on the do-not-call list. I have a Go phone I pay 15 dollars a month for for emergencies, and often those minutes roll over as long as I get a new card within the month so that’s a good deal too unless I decide to have a long conversation.

That said, if I was poor (and I am!) but had no landline, I’d love a free cell phone! Unfortunately the program has dried up in my state. I tried to sign up last time we discussed this here.

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