How many Bogleheads pay for texting on their cell phone?

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Die Hard
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How many Bogleheads pay for texting on their cell phone?

Post by Die Hard »

It seems like everybody now has texting. We are trying to decide whether to spend an additional $7.00 per month to add to our plan. Our teenage daughter has it, but we (mom and dad) don't. I feel like it's just "one more thing".

Should we bite the bullet?
The best way to teach your children about money is to not have any.............
Gill
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Post by Gill »

My wife and I both have IPhones and have yet to find the need for text messages. If we ever do, they are still available on the IPhone for 20 cents a pop.
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gatorman
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Post by gatorman »

MBMiner wrote:My wife and I both have IPhones and have yet to find the need for text messages. If we ever do, they are still available on the IPhone for 20 cents a pop.
Bruce
Ditto.
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GammaPoint
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Post by GammaPoint »

I don't. We pay 20 cents per text message, and since that's currently less than what it would cost us to add texting to our plan (~$5 or whatever) we'll continue to go that route until the # of texts increases to a point where that's no longer true.
norm
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Post by norm »

I have never sent a text.
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ryuns
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Post by ryuns »

I do, absolutely. People who don't text think they're dumb. Until, that is, they actually start texting and find it's useful, in the same way emails are sometimes superior to phone calls.

Ryan
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tyrion
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Post by tyrion »

We just added texting to my wife's phone (mine already had it for work).

We both work (somewhat alternate shifts) and have two small kids. With naps, driving, work, etc it's more convenient to send a text to communicate things without disturbing the other person. But it also gets looked at before an email would.

I can understand why people wouldn't need it, but for us it works well.
mikep
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Post by mikep »

norm wrote:I have never sent a text.
My pet peeve is you are charged for the ones received. I only get a couple a month and reply a couple a month, not worth fussing about.
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jpsfranks
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Post by jpsfranks »

I didn't used to have a text plan and would chastise friends a coworkers for texting me and costing me $0.20 a pop. They of course thought that was hilarious and sent me more texts. Now I have a text plan.
Easy Rhino
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Post by Easy Rhino »

girlfriend likes text messages, therefore I have texting on plan.
cliffedelgado
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Post by cliffedelgado »

No texting on my plan. I turned it off so I can't receive texts at all. This way, they also can't charge me. They still charge the sender of the text though...
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Blue
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Post by Blue »

Incredibly efficient way of communicating.

Absolutely yes.
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xplorer
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Post by xplorer »

We actually blocked texting on our cell phones. Couldn't justify the expense given we don't use all our minutes anyway. We also found it useful because now our grown and out of the house kids have to call us to talk so we figure we're the only people they actually speak with over the phone!!
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stevewolfe
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Post by stevewolfe »

Blocked text messaging on my phone. It's one of my pet peeves - I can't figure out which I hate most:

1) Being asked a question at work by someone who is texting through my answer

-- or --

2) Sitting in a meeting across from someone who spends the whole meeting texting on their phone while collecting a pay check.
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DiscoBunny1979
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Post by DiscoBunny1979 »

Is owning a cell phone a Boglehead virtue? All these threads about turning off cable to save a few bucks, but not the cell phone? I can see having a pay as you go cell phone maybe for emergencies, but to own a cell phone seems to be sending money down the sh*t can.
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stevewolfe
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Post by stevewolfe »

DiscoBunny1979 wrote:Is owning a cell phone a Boglehead virtue? All these threads about turning off cable to save a few bucks, but not the cell phone? I can see having a pay as you go cell phone maybe for emergencies, but to own a cell phone seems to be sending money down the sh*t can.
I have a pay as you go cell phone (AT&T Go Phone). I supplement it with Google voice for long distance calls (made for no additional charge via my land line) and to bridge incoming calls to my home phone and cell at the same time so I don't pay per minute when I am at home.

Cell costs me a flat $200 a year for my wife and I (with rollover minutes), down almost $600 a year from what we were paying. Oh, and we cut $87 a month out of the cable bill too. Was a good year ;)
cacophony
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Post by cacophony »

If you have an iphnoe there are free apps that allow you send/receive unlimited free text messages (textFree is one).
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stevewolfe
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Post by stevewolfe »

Yes, this works on the iPod touch as well via free Wifi access points (for example, pretty much any McDonald's, Borders, Panera bread, etc).
livesoft
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Post by livesoft »

OP mom will get texting when daughter leaves the nest. OP dad does not need texting.

My employer pays for my cell phone and up to $5 a month in texting. Number of text messages I've sent in 3 years: 0.
Number I have received: 1.

It will be used more and more by non-teenagers in the future.
Dadarkar
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Post by Dadarkar »

ryuns wrote"I do, absolutely. People who don't text think they're dumb. Until, that is, they actually start texting and find it's useful, in the same way emails are sometimes superior to phone calls."

I agree with this statement 100%. Before I did not believe texting, now I do not like talking.
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runner26
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Post by runner26 »

I have texts blocked on my phone through verizon. I don't want any!
tim1999
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Post by tim1999 »

My only phone is a company smartphone, which I don't pay for. I don't have a landline. And the company blocks texting. So I am pretty much the only person under age 30 in the USA who never sends or receives texts. Maybe this is why I'm a loner? :lol:
MWCA
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Post by MWCA »

Its part of our data plan. I barely use texting enough to make it worth it. My nieces and nephews enjoy texting so that is a form of communication with them.
Last edited by MWCA on Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rfritz
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Post by rfritz »

I have difficulty understanding this fad. Alex Bell moved us from the telegraph, to the ability to communicate with others over large distances vocally, like they are standing in front of us. Now it seems we are regressing. :?
MWCA
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Post by MWCA »

rfritz wrote:I have difficulty understanding this fad. Alex Bell moved us from the telegraph, to the ability to communicate with others over large distances vocally, like they are standing in front of us. Now it seems we are regressing. javascript:emoticon(':?')
So when could person have a telegraph while on the toilet? You had to actually go into a place that specialized in it ;)
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rfritz
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Post by rfritz »

There is a time and a place.
MWCA
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Post by MWCA »

Texting is a lot more handy than a telegraph?
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Leesbro63
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Post by Leesbro63 »

Testing is actually an INCREDIBLY efficient way to communicate with those who know how to. Particularly if you have teenagers as I do.

I can get WAY more out if them via text than any other way.
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englishgirl
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Post by englishgirl »

I have something like a 250 texts a month plan. More than enough for me, and doesn't cost much, but wouldn't be anywhere near good enough for a teenager!

I text more and more as time goes by. It is a very convenient way to communicate in many instances.
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fishnskiguy
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Post by fishnskiguy »

What's texting?

Can you catch a trout or hit a powder stash by doing it?

Just curious. :D

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travelnut11
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Post by travelnut11 »

Texting is great for short and to the point messages like, "I'm home." or "Running late." I get a little annoyed when a texting conversation passes about 4 texts. At that point I think, just push "send" and call me.
natureexplorer
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Post by natureexplorer »

Google Voice offers free texting.
HornedToad
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Post by HornedToad »

$5/mo plan for both me and my wife for 200 texts.

I use around 30-60, she uses around 190-210.
MWCA
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Post by MWCA »

fishnskiguy wrote:What's texting?

Can you catch a trout or hit a powder stash by doing it?

Just curious. :D

Chris
No clue what a powder stash is? That something to do with coke? Wait never mind I googled it.
We are all worms. But I believe that I am a glow-worm.
KyleAAA
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Post by KyleAAA »

Texts are a necessity for anybody under 30. I don't know if I've received an actual phone call on my cell more than 3 or 4 times in the past month. Everything is text-based. I doubt many people over 50 use it, though.
MWCA
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Post by MWCA »

KyleAAA wrote:Texts are a necessity for anybody under 30. I don't know if I've received an actual phone call on my cell more than 3 or 4 times in the past month. Everything is text-based. I doubt many people over 50 use it, though.
What?! If you got kids/nieces nephews and you are over 50 you are probably texting them.
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9Iron
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Post by 9Iron »

Two teenage daughters = unlimited text plan on our cell phones.

I looked at my monthly bill recently, text messages for my daughters and wife were in the thousands. I had 12.
DH287
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Send Text Messages Every Day

Post by DH287 »

One of the joys of being a Verizon Wireless customer is that (although you can't talk on the phone and send/receive e-mail concurrently) you can talk on the phone and text simultaneously. I often do this if I am away from home, on a conference call, and need to communicate a small, quick message. Spending 20+ hours a week on conference calls is exasperating - being able to send quick messages concurrently is a big help.

Texting and driving is not a formula for long life; always pull over to text (I do) if you're driving.

Also, if I have something to urgently communicate to business associates, texting is superior to e-mail, as most people carry their cell phones/have them on during the work-day. Easy to let them know I'm in the lobby of the building we're meeting in, detained in traffic, et. al., is generally more efficient than calling.

It's all ridiculous in the grand scheme of life, but, texting makes things a bit more manageable.
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beyou
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Post by beyou »

I blocked all texts for entire family.

I do think it's useful, but resent the idea you are charged for incoming text, especially given the number of junk mail texts you get. Verizon has no great way to filter this out.

I am not going to pay a monthly fee for unlimited so I can get more junkmail. I would unblock and pay as you go per message if they would only charge for outbound and minimize junk mail. Can't stand the interruption for junkmail any less than the bill for them.
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camper
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Post by camper »

I didn't have texting for most of the 10 years with AT&T. We switched over to Straight Talk a couple of months ago and get 1000 texts a month. If it's not important I actually prefer texting to talking now. Its quick and to the point.
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lmpmd
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Post by lmpmd »

I'm over 50. I probably text about 30-40 messages a day. My 2 kids text much more that that, well over a 1000 a month. We all have unlimited plans in my house. It's very useful to stay in touch.

I'm sure it's pretty hard to find a person under 30 who doesn't have a qwerty keyboard on him/her at all times. All kids over 11 yrs will within 2 years (and with that comes the data plan at $30 a month) Parents like to check on their kids safety.

Thinks move ahead. We don't use rotary phones anymore. We don't use 56k modems and dial up connections to the internet. We don't watch VCR's. Technology marches ahead.
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bearwolf
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Re: How many Bogleheads pay for texting on their cell phone?

Post by bearwolf »

Die Hard wrote:It seems like everybody now has texting. We are trying to decide whether to spend an additional $7.00 per month to add to our plan. Our teenage daughter has it, but we (mom and dad) don't. I feel like it's just "one more thing".

Should we bite the bullet?
We have unlimited family texting $20/month. Our three kids send between 2000-10000 texts per month each. Yes that is up to 10,000 per month. No way we would be without a texting plan.

BearWolf
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tetractys
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Re: How many Bogleheads pay for texting on their cell phone?

Post by tetractys »

Die Hard wrote:I feel like it's just "one more thing".
Not to mention the junk text messages you'll get. Not only do I opt out, I also make sure all text messaging is blocked.

If I want to spend quality time alongside all the other commuters glaring into their smart phones, there's bogleheads.org.

Email + voice mail + etc. is plenty. -- Tet
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Post by gkaplan »

It's the end of civilization as we know it.
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nwrolla
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Post by nwrolla »

I have everyone set up on my plan with texting to reduce the amount of minutes we pay for. 4 people 700 minutes + unlimited text brings the bill to about 110$ with 22% discount. It has worked well for the last year or two.
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norookie
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Post by norookie »

mikep wrote:
norm wrote:I have never sent a text.
My pet peeve is you are charged for the ones received. I only get a couple a month and reply a couple a month, not worth fussing about.
:D Me too. Virgin Mobile's newest plan/ 300 mins /unlimited texting and DATA=25.00 + tax a month. I think i've texted less that 5 times in my life.
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clock98
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Post by clock98 »

Leesbro63 wrote:Testing is actually an INCREDIBLY efficient way to communicate with those who know how to. Particularly if you have teenagers as I do.

I can get WAY more out if them via text than any other way.
I agree. I send & receive between 3000 and 4000 most months. I did fall below this range when I was out of the country earlier this year.
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mmmodem
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Post by mmmodem »

I don't particularly like texts. Leaving voicemails makes more sense to me. Of course there is a time and place for texts like communicating an address. Unfortunately, the cell phone companies are gouging us with per text charges so I block it. I used to loathe holidays when everyone texts me happy whatever. Not very happy when I just got charged a buck or two for bulk useless messages. Much rather hear your voice.
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Sheepdog
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Post by Sheepdog »

Texting? Never will. :)
I want to hear voices and emotions, not words or facimilies of words.
Last edited by Sheepdog on Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Beantown85
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Post by Beantown85 »

Absolutely. Eliminates the need for alot of phone calls. Also, I hate voicemail, would much prefer reading a text to calling my voicemail and listening to the message.
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