One Way to Beat the Cell Phone Ripoffs

It is tiresome to see cell phone companies pitch phony plans that claim to contain your monthly bills to the $50 or $60 range -- then get a $200 whopper right off the bat?

Sick of that? Then try this.

Go ahead and get a prepaid plan (I happen to have Virgin Mobile) and start with $20 or $30 credit.

Here's what you do: When someone calls you on the cell phone, and you are near your own ground line, then tell the caller you will call them right back on the ground line. That saves tremendous minutes right there.

I average about $10 a month on my prepaid bill, but as I just described, I use it more as a pager than an actual phone. At least I have an active cell number for emergency purposes. I make it a point to make as few outgoing calls as possible and avoid the pitfalls of making that phone the center of my universe.

Now some people use their cell phone for everything and do not have a ground line (they get their Internet connection through their cable TV service) and they can't exercise this opption.

And teens, with no self control, use their cell phones as their entire social network and play station. Of course they're going to run up astonishing bills. That's how the companies are set up, to rip off people who have no self control.

One other point: Cell phones should never be used for prolonged arguments or to continue an argument that has started face-to-face. That is when a cell phone can become lethal. Go ahead and study court reports on murder cases. In many instances, a heated cell phone conversation precedes an act of violence.

Cell phones expand and amplify personal conflict just as they can expand and amplify pleasant exchanges.

Like any loaded weapon, use with care.

Project Seek: Onassis, Kennedy and the Gemstone Thesis

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