Are you trying to find that perfect gift for grandma or grandpa? Giving the gift of a prepaid cell phone this Christmas is a sure way to bring a smile to the face of just about anyone including grandma. Prepaid cell phones are cheap, easy to use, and readily available at most large retailers.
Most of our grandparents are hesitant to purchase a cellular phone because it is not congruent with their lifestyle. They will tell you that they cause brain cancer, car accidents, and are difficult to use. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, nearly 80% of Americans own and operate a cell phone today. Cell phones are not only convenient but can also be a real life saver. They can be a real help in an emergency situation where a phone line is not nearby.
Prepaid cell phone are available from a variety of providers including Cricket, Tracfone, Net10, Alltel prepaid, T-Mobile, Virgin mobile and many others. The service that they offer is a pay as you go plan. This means no contracts, no monthly bills, and no surprises making it the perfect gift for your grandparents. With a prepaid wireless phone, they do not have to commit to anything and can simply stop using their phone if they choose.
You can purchase extra airtime by visiting your provider’s website or by simply purchasing a reload card from your local drug or department store. Each wireless provider has their pros and cons so, it would be wise to consider how the gift recipient will be using the phone. If the phone will most likely be placed in their glove box for emergency use only then, you may want to watch out for providers that deduct minute or money from your balance even when its not active. The last thing you want is a situation where grandma needs to use her phone only to find out that her minutes have expired due to inactivity.
Most prepaid phones are inexpensive to purchase often costing less the $50. Minutes can be purchased in increments such as $10, $25, $50 or $100. Service providers often throw in “free” airtime to get you started.
Give the gift of communication this holiday season to your grandparents. Prepaid cell phones can be a real lifesaver in an emergency situation. You may even want to consider picking up a new phone for yourself when you go to purchase one for your grandparents. After all, with the tough economy beating you down this year you deserve to treat yourself to a new prepaid cell phone
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: Greg Jackson
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post, Greg!
The peace of mind that comes from an inexpensive TracFone is priceless!
Elderly loved ones can keep in touch with friends and family members, and are always reachable… just in case.
You can pick up a TracFone for around 10 bucks and keep it active for as little as $80 a year.
Great idea! I was actually looking today at something like that. Noticed this great deal in Walmart called Straight Talk – $30 for 1000minutes/1000texts and free 411 calls (or $45 for unlimited talk, text & data). I’ve been searching online to see if there are any better offers but this seems to be the best in the prepaid market. And it certainly a better deal than what I’ve got atm. I’ll get one of those for my parents tomorrow…
Great deals. For slightly more usage try out Straight Talk.Straight Talk is from the same people but runs on the Verizons Network. They offer 7 great phones to choose from with some better for texting and others for internet.
There are two plans to choose from. Straight Talk All you need $30 mothly with 1000 minutes, 1000 text messages and 30mb internet. As well as Straight Talk UNlimited $45 monthly, giving unlimited minutes, messages and data.