L
ooking for a Christmas gift for someone with credit issues? Perhaps your gift recipient is not old enough to purchase a cell phone on their own? Prepaid cell phones make a great gift for just about anyone with a need to communicate.
Prepaid cell phones such as the Tracfone are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons. Contracted cell phone companies often charge exorbitant fees if you go over your minutes or unknowingly enter into a roaming zone. All it takes is one mistake and next thing you know there is a outrageous bill sitting in you mailbox that is impossible to pay.
The Tracfone is one of many prepaid phone services that offer the advantage of pay as you go minutes or airtime. You can purchase a phone from several retailers or directly from the Tracfone website. Pay as you go phones such as the TracFone offer several advantages such as no bills, no contracts, and free minute tracking.
The process of using a prepaid cell phone is fairly simple. First you must obtain a cell phone directly from the Tracfone website or at one of their participating retailers such as Walmart, Walgreens or CVS. After you purchase a phone you have to load your phone with minutes. Loading your phone is as easy as purchasing a Tracfone airtime card from the store or you can purchase airtime directly from Tracfone online.
Don’t let someone get stuck in a contract that is near impossible to get out of. Prepaid cell phones are a great option for folks who just don’t have the time to keep track of their minute usage or fear a monthly bill. Consider giving the gift of communication this holiday season to that special someone.
Check back with Healthy Financial Habits this holiday season for more great gift ideas. Here you will find a variety of ways to save money on everything from gifts to groceries. If financing is a problem then we offer financing solutions. If you have a question or specific topic that you would like to read about contact the staff: Healthyfinancialhabits@gmail.com
Author: Allen Dukes
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I got my grandfather Tracfone for Christmas. It will be his first cell phone. I got him the Motorola W260G with a car charger, headset and a phone case. It had a double minutes feature which meant I got double minutes when I loaded it up for him. You’re right about it being the perfect gift for somebody like a young teenager who can’t afford to get a phone, but it’s also great for somebody like my grandfather who should really have a cell phone but refuses to get one. If it turns out we’re throwing our money away because he doesn’t use the phone, we’re not losing much. At least we tried.
Tracfones are nice for old folks but a lot of kids out there want something that looks a little better and for them I suggest giving a Straight Talk phone. I’ve bought them for my kids at Walmart. The benefit is that you can get unlimited minutes, texts/mms and data so my kids can go crazy every month and I never have to pay more than $45 per month. The phones range from $30 to $330 for the touchscreen smartphone which I am tempted t buy for myself. It’s good quality too and run’s on Verizon’s network nationwide so signal will never be a problem.