Cell Phone Luddite: An Occasional TracFone User Explains Why She Doesn’t Want a Smart Phone

Low cost TracFone

Nearly everyone in the civilized world aged 12 and above has a high-tech smart phone these days. (Government programs give away better phones than I have to low-income people.) But I’m not a convert yet, and I’ll tell you why:

1. I’m very frugal. My TracFone costs $99 a year and 3,200+ minutes have carried over from last year.

2. I have other plans for spending the $100+ a month it costs for a phone plan.

3. I don’t want to have to carry a phone on my person 24/7.

4. I don’t want to be accessible every minute of the day. The key to relaxation, in my mind, is going shopping or somewhere that people can’t reach you.

5. I don’t want to run the risk of offending others with bad phone habits. Have overheard one too many women talking loudly on cells phones in public bathroom stalls (and flushing) next to me. (Who would do that?!) Am always tempted to flush about 100 times to see if they notice.

6. I don’t need insurance with a TracFone and don’t have to worry much about losing or breaking it. You can pick up a new one for less than $50.

7. My cheapy phone sends texts and takes pictures that you can email to friends (and it supposedly accesses the Internet, although I’ve always given up and turned it off after five endless minutes of waiting….). That’s really all I need most of the time, although the apps other people have look like a lot of fun…

If you’d like to discuss this more, please post a comment. Don’t call, ’cause I only turn on my TracFone on Saturday and Sunday — and then it’s usually out in the car …!