Many Consumers Better Off Switching to Prepaid

Would many consumers benefit from dropping their traditional cell phone plan and switching to a prepaid wireless service? It's debated but at least one consumer writer for Courant.com seems to think so. In any event I think it's safe to say that many consumers certainly don't need one of the unlimited wireless plans all the major carriers are pushing.

Here are some highlights from Gregory Karp's Prepaids article ( to read the whole thing just click the link):

"How does prepaid work? ... generally you buy the phone. Some are very cheap, starting at $10 for the simplest phones. Then you buy minutes to load onto the phone. A dime a minute is a good price;.. You can buy minutes online or in stores, in the form of a card with a code that you enter into the phone. "

Pre-paid deals in Wireless Still Exist

It seems everyone over the age of 2 has a cell phone these days. With multiple contract providers, kids phones, and cell phones for every niche and interest, it seems no one escapes the marketing reach of the big carriers.

While most cellular companies are all about aggressively marketing new age handsets with premium data plans and functions, many people still need a cell phone to stay in touch wit friends and family and sent a text message here and there.

For millions of people who just need their phone to act as a phone ( and not a "universal lifestyle remote"), cheap prepaid phones still exist. You can find these phones and airtime cards online or even in your local target or wal-mart. Pick a phone you like. Spend 50 or maybe a hundred bucks tops, and be on your way.

Some companies even offer "plans" that you can cancel any time you want and get deals such as 1 cent per text message and just pennies per minute. Many consumers are finding a cheap prepaid phone is the way to go.