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.
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.