($)1,000 Reasons for Guarding Your Cell Phone

My father asked me to write this post with 1,000 reasons why we should act promptly after noticing that a cell phone is missing and 1,000 reasons why we should all be careful with our cell phones in public places.

The Scenario: Over the past weekend, my Dad lost his cell phone in a South Beach restaurant. My folks -- who were in town to celebrate my son's Bar Mitzvah -- noticed that one of their cell phones was missing after 10 minutes.

The Action: Immediately, my Dad hit the spin control cycle. He tried to call the phone. But the "new owners" had already turned off the ringer and the calls were going straight to voice mail. My Dad immediately reported the phone missing and had the service terminated.

The Need for Speed Dialing: "The last time we lost a phone, we didn't miss it right away. And in a day and a half, the thieves charged up over $1,000 by calling overseas," my Dad says. Apparently, the number and the phone were quickly peddled to a variety of users. As such, my Dad's cell phone became a traveling pay phone for some dubious entrepreneur. That cell phone hustle gave my father 1,000 reasons for speed dialing when faced with a similar scenario. This time, my parents did not take any chances or waste time hoping that the phone would show up quickly.

The Bottom Line: If you misplace a cell phone in your home, you may have the luxury of playing Hide-and-Seek. In such a private and contained setting, perhaps only the dust mites will eat into your phone bill. But if your cell phone goes MIA in a public setting, take immediate action or else you'll face an expensive game of Tag-You're-It. Here's a great article about lost cell phones from PCWorld: If You Lose Your Cell Phone

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Bloggers Speed Call on Kids & Cell Phones

Yesterday, I wrote a post about the new demand from my younger kids (the 'tweens). They want cell phones and have given me arguments that seem reasonable. Or not.

So I delegated my parenting chores to fellow personal finance bloggers, including the crew at www.pfblogs.org.
This advice came from a Single Ma via email.

1) When do you think kids should have their own cell phone?

I would say at whatever age you allow the child to go places without you. Most kids, around age 13, begin to go places with their friends ( i.e. movies, skating, bowling, the mall, etc.) and have very little adult supervision. Because of this, I gave my daughter a cell phone at 13 so I could be in contact with her at ALL times. Plus, being a single mom and living in an area with no immediate family, this was important to me.

2) Do you make them pay for it? How do you work the finances?

Adding a 2nd line cost me an extra $9.99/month. I pay for the basic service but she pays for extra things (i.e. text msg, ring tones, wall paper, new face plate, belt clip) that I don't consider a necessity.

3) What are your ground rules about usage and responsibility?

As long as she doesn't exceed the shared minutes I've alloted to her, I'm ok. Whenever she does, it's taken away for leisurely purposes and used for emergencies only. She's overstepped her boundaries twice in the past six months, so we're on an indefinite "emergency only" basis.

Overall, I like the freedom it allows. I can call my child from anywhere, at anytime, any day. I can't be with her every minute, but I can call her whenever I need to. She's all I got so the cell phone relaxes my overprotective mommy fears. :-)

Here's the link to the other comments.

Here's a snippet from Michelle of Diary of a Mad Asian Woman:

"I think it's smart for kids to get a pay as you go phone. Then they can realize how much they are really using the phone and how costly it can be. When they pay for it themselves, they know not to blow all their minutes and to only use it when it is important or an emergency"....Michelle

Dawn of Frugal for Life

"1- Age depends, some 18 year olds are less responsible than 13 yr olds

2- Make them pay for it or at least half if they don't have a job

3- Pay as you go is the best deal, that way they keep track of the time they have left- budgeting." --Dawn at Frugal for Life

Lazy Man and Money

"I believe in starting them out early with a cell phone as long as it has GPS tracking for safety reasons.

That far outweighs a lot of the other considerations in my opinion.--Lazy Man and Money "

Blunt Money:
3) What are your ground rules about usage and responsibility?

"You lose it, you buy another one. Don't go over your minutes or text messages. Turn it off while in class. Keep the charger away from the pets, and unplug it when not in use." --Blunt Money

Hey guys, Thanks for answering my call!
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"But Mom...Half the Kids in My Class Have Cell Phones!"

There's a new school bell ringing in my house. Two of my children ('tweens) have started to lobby for cell phones. Here's a rundown of their arguments:

The Whine:
"Almost all my friends have cell phones...."

The It's-for-You-Pitch:
"You can reach me at any time...."

The Safety/Go-for-Mom's-Heart-Pitch:
"I need a cell phone just in case of an emergency...."

My older son received his cell phone as a coming-of-age agreement. About six months after his Bar Mitzvah (age 13), he received a cell phone. He's been very responsible with it and has even used the date book feature to track school assignments.

But I still think 13 is young for a cell phone. But maybe I'm just too old-school. There are even kids in first, second and third grades with their own phones. I'm curious about what other parents do about cell phones and kids.

1) When do you think kids should have their own cell phone?
2) Do you make them pay for it? How do you work the finances?
3) What are your ground rules about usage and responsibility?

Please send an email: Sharonhr@bellsouth.net or leave a comment.
Thanks!


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Dropping the Cell Phone & Saving a Bundle!

A family friend from upstate New York (real country living) has recently ditched his cell phone. Why? The reception is poor in his region and he doesn't feel like paying for unreliable service. He's sticking with the land line at home and using pay phones on the go. Big savings.

I can relate. Two years, I attended a writing conference on Long Island. We were very far out and the reception was really spotty & annoying. I had to use the pay phone to complete a few calls.

The old school pay phone-on-the-go route, is also featured in the book Treasure Hunt by Michael J. Silverstein. He writes about a 20-something banker, (Arnold Piso), with a six-figure investment portfolio. Ditching the cell phone is one of Piso's money-saving strategies:

"He is a self-professed skinflint. Arnold says he does not need a cell phone because he doesn't make that many calls and anyway, 'it's cheaper to use a pay phone.' He doesn't drink soda...[waste of money.]"

On the other end of the scale, a former neighbor of mine -- a 20-something Realtor -- totally unplugged her land line and relies completely on her cell. Another friend (a 58-year-old grandmother) uses her computer -- voice over Internet phone (VoIP technology) to make long distance and international calls. She saves a bundle.

In my home, we use cell phones, land lines and computer lines. But we've cut our bills, by bundling our Internet and land line service. We studied the costs and bundling helped us to cut back. We don't have cable and watch a limited amount of television programming via the Internet, a subject I addressed last year in this post and more recently, in this story about Ugly Betty.

Getting Green offers an excellent rundown on reducing the costs of technology in your home, including cell phones and other gadgets.

Getting Rich Together also has a strong how-to post about shopping around for the best cell phone deal.

And my First Million at 33 posted an great piece about his pre-paid phone deal.
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