Who are you people talking to?

[Amy loves Bud]

On your cell phones that is? I switched my cell phone to prepaid minutes when I sold my business a little over two years ago. I kept forgetting to refill when they expired so T Mobile gave my number to some old man. My friend Cristina told me. I called it and he answered, "Yehhlo?" So anyway, since it's been gone I haven't missed it once. The last time I used it was on a ski trip in January 2007. So, when I see people in the grocery store, in their car, in their driveway, everywhere basically, with the phone glued to the side of their head I just want to know "Who are you talking to?" I'm not much of a landline talker either. I'd rather mosy over to your house or have you over to mine if we're going to talk, but sometimes that's not possible. But I can surely wait to chat till I get home. Hence the poll.

[Jean in Newcastle]

You know what we saw the other day at the mall - two young people, arm in arm, chatting away on their cell phones talking - to each other!!!!! (We actually heard the conversation go back and forth). What is the world coming to?!

[Elinor Everywhere]

I use mine to text messages more than I do for talking. It's quick, convenient, and cheap. I text my dh if he is traveling, & I text my friends if we're meeting somewhere or planning a get together. I really don't like talking on the phone, and this way I can still communicate while doing other things.

[Beth in Central TX]

I'm with you; I rarely use a cell phone. We got rid of our cell phones when I became a SAHM in 2002. Last summer our church offered a program called 8 Great Dates. Every Wednesday night, for 8 weeks, our church provided free childcare so that the couples could go out, you know, like on a date. It was great!

 

Anyway, since we were gone for 2 hours (6pm-8pm), we wanted a way for the church to get ahold of us if there were any problems, so we bought a prepaid phone.

 

We haven't used many of the minutes so far. I call DH on the way home to make sure he remembered to pick up bread. We also call our parents that live in a different city and a different state.

[cin]

We are slowly transitioning to no land-line, so I use my cell phone for everything. Of course, I've lost 2 earpieces so far.. I think my daughter throws them away. DH and I both have 1,000 minutes a month, and it's free for us to call each other. On our cells we have all the extras: caller ID, messaging, missed calls and all that stuff that we have to pay extra for on the land line, plus, of course, we are always available :rolleyes: so it must be better, right?

[Paz]

I talk on my cell phone often, mostly with my husband and kids as we plan our day's activities. I texted my son the other evening while he was out with friends. He was the one who taught me to text. He texted me back, "Wow, I just increased your annoyance factor 100 percent by teaching you how to text!" LOL!

[Tutor]

Our cell phones are our phones; we don't have a landline anymore. (Amy in Orlando understands our loathing for AT&T, and they were our only option here.) I turns out that to have two cell phones was cheaper than having a land line, long distance and a prepaid cell for emergencies.

 

We aren't chit chatters. My dh and I get free calls to each other, and we get free weekends to talk to family (evenings, too, after 9pm, so it limits who we can call.) We don't have many "anytime" minutes. We use IM and email for most communication with extended family and friends.

[Daisy]

I answered that I use it all the time but only because we got rid of our land-line long distance. My Dh's and my parents are use our same cell company so we have free talk. We have free long distance in network and free evenings and weekends. So we just saw no point in keeping our land-line long distance. So I use my cell phone more often than my real phone. I'm not a chit-chatter though. I cannot stand to be on the phone so I use it as a tool and not a friend. :)

[Karen sn]

Amy - if I had one I'd become the people I complain about/laugh at.

I love the phone. I love TV. I love beer.

So - I regulate my access to these.

[Pensguys]

None of the above.

 

I use mine to call my dh at work or while I'm in the car. I call my best friend but not often (we email more). I mainly call my dh. Sometimes the kids will call me if I'm out and they are home with dh. If I leave my older home, I like that he can get in touch with me if he needs to.

 

SOMETIMES, I will call just to shoot the breeze with a friend or two but that is rare.

[Mrs Mungo]

I live in Hawaii, my family all live in the Central time zone. So, if I want to talk to them it has to be during the day. If I wait until I get home in the evening, it's too late their time. Therefore, I call them while stuck in traffic, grocery shopping, etc. I'm also ADD and therefore all about the multi-tasking.

[Renthead Mommy]

In the states, we hadn't had a land line in almost 8 years. So I used my cell phone for calling everyone. I was in Texas, and only talked to about 5 people regularly in the entire state, but everyone else I talked to were in any one of about 10 different states so free long distance was a necessity. (So it wasn't like I could just go visit.)

 

I used to average about 1400 - 1600 minutes a month catchign up and talking to friends and some family.

 

Now we are overseas and living on base. We have phones of course, but use them much less. For one thing, I'm either at home, or out with our friends here. As for everyone else that I used to talk to, they are in the opposite time zone from us, so I can't just call to talk whenever. We use skype to call the states now.

 

Also, when you use your cell phone here, you are charged for every call, no matter what your plan. It cost 15 Yen just to connect to my husband's cell and get his voice mail.

[Kris]

I don't understand the cell phone "thing" myself. My phone bill is $35.00 a month, and that's because I have a second line. The people that I know that call me on their cell phones are forever getting cut off -- I guess that's a "dropped call?" -- or I can't understand them because of all the traffic noise (and I won't *even* get started on *that). I don't call them because there is only one local prefix here, so any cell phone I call I have to pay long distance charges. People are always coming out here and wanting to use their cell phones -- well, up until these past few months, they didn't work out here.

 

That said, we've now decided to get them and I am *not* happy about it.

 

It's getting harder and harder for hubby to call home from the road. The truck stops and businesses are taking the pay phones out, and the fees to use the pay phones are outrageous. It costs him over $1.50 each time he calls -- and that doesn't include the minutes on the phone card. And when the pay phone doesn't work or he gets cut off, they still collect the $1.50.

 

I detest AT&T. I've had more than one problem with them over the years. Cingular put a tower out here -- the only carrier that has access here -- and what do you know, AT&T bought them. GRRRRR!!!!

 

So the GoPhone is in my future. If we both have one, it's almost free to call each other. At least, that's the hype. Who knows what the reality will be. I keep putting it off and putting it off, but I'm going to lose this battle.

 

Not happy. Not happy *at* all.

[Audrey]

Not much on phones here either. I'd be happy if our phone never rang. Most of the time it is **@! telemarketers anyway.

[Tap]

I am not home very much and when I am, it is usually not at a reasonable hour. Between work, classes, sports, carpools, errands and fun, I am only home a few, unpredictable, random hours of the day. Very few people even call our landline, it is mainly just the kids friends. The kids are the only reason we have a landline.

 

Most of the people I talk too are on a similar schedule, so if they can catch me instead of my voice mail, we take whatever chance we can to take care of business. Most of my calls are not long conversations, but rather, scheduling of events, meetings and outings.

[RoughCollie]

We have 2 landline phones -- one in the kitchen and one in our bedroom. I don't use them at all. The kids do, though.

 

I use my cell phone at my desk. Mostly I talk to DH on it. If I want to call an out-of-state relative, the school, a friend, make appointments, etc., I use my cell phone.

 

I take my cell with me when I leave the house. I use it for emergencies, to check on the kids, and so the kids can get in touch with me. Otherwise, I don't use it when I'm away from home. I give my cell to the kids if they go somewhere so they can call me if they need me.

 

If someone, usually my much younger half-sister, text messages me, I get one of my DS to answer. I think texting is tedious.

 

I don't like talking on the phone much. I don't answer any phone unless I want or need to talk to the caller at that time, unless the caller is DH or the kids. Let them leave a message, that's why I have voice mail. I prefer email.

 

RC

[Plaid Dad]

My dw is a doula, so she needs a cell phone for when she's on call for a birth. Otherwise we don't carry it. I hate the things.

[elegantlion]

My dh is a contractor so he practically lives on his phone. He has all the cool bondish gadgets as well. We get free talk time to each other and I love being able to reach him at any time. We even have a third phone on our plan that will eventually be given to our ds10.

 

We got rid of our land line about six months ago. We recently changed internet companies and a phone was part of the package deal, I couldn't even find a regular phone to pull in to test the line, I had to use a fax machine!

[Elisabeth in IL]

I'm actually somewhere between the cell phone being for emergencies and my friend. I use it but not loads and I'm not hands free.

[chiguirre]

We only use our landline for local calls. All our long distance is cell. I love that dh's cell phone provider has gone global. I can call him pretty much anywhere in the world if I have to. It costs an arm and a leg but it's great to be able to reach him in case of an emergency. I guess I should say he travels about half the time, mostly to oil producing countries in Latin America.

 

I'd also like to hype Skype;) while we're on the subject. The camera feature is wonderful. The kids love seeing Daddy when he travels. He always gives us a tour of his hotel room and we can show him any cool artwork that we've done.

[King Alfred Academy]

We don't have a land line and have only had cell phones for 7 years now. However, I am not glued to it but do always have it with me. I'm not a slave to it and actually don't always answer it, letting it go to voice mail often. And I absolutely do not and will not use it in restaurants, at check-outs, or generally where people are in close range of me.

I think it is rude and do not like it when other people force me to hear their conversations.

[gardenschooler]

Well, if I'm in the grocery store, I am usually calling home repeatedly to ask if we're out of something! The dds don't appreciate me pestering them so much, either. :D

 

Other than that, mainly dh. We talk on the phone a lot. I have a few friends I'll talk to on my cell phone, too, if I'm out somewhere alone and just killing time.

[Mama Lynx]

So if I get out to run errands without the kids, I'll call my friends and chat away.

 

One of my best friends and I text each other often, as well.

 

I'm one of those people who has few friends, and isn't at all chatty in social situations. However, once I have a good friend, we talk all the time :D

[mcconnellboys]

I'm a none of the above, I guess. I do have a cell.

 

I do use it, occasionally, to speak with my family (during down time when I'm waiting for the boys); make arrangements for classes and field trips, or appointments (another down time activity; I'm rarely home); speak to my husband about picking up a child, etc.; speak with others in my hsing circle about engagements; speak with my teenage son - and this last is what I probably do most on my phone.

 

But I'm not constantly on my phone while driving. In fact, I try not to take/make a call while driving. We do still have a landline, although my husband is increasingly thinking of just getting rid of it, like so many others, and having only our cell phones - 'cause we're so rarely home.....

 

Regena

[Tammy]

Same here.....I use mine more for texting than talking, LOL!

[KristineIN]

I'm none of the above, when we moved this past summer to a different location, we could get cell signal all the time and we do not have a land line. Dh uses his for business also, mine is our main phone. I'm not on it that much, but do talk to my mom at least once a week. I only get about 2-3 calls a week. E-mail is what I mainly do with friends.

 

Kristine

[Remudamom]

We've all got cells. Got to have them on the ranch, I don't know how we got along before. We'd get rid of the house phone altogether but we have to have it for the computers.

[Mama Lynx]

I should add that I do not live in the same state as any of my family or friends. So if we're going to talk, it's going to be on the phone :)

[Amy loves Bud]

This is very interesting. I never realized how many people have gone all cell. I've heard people say that that will be the way it goes, but I didn't think it was really already happening.

 

We have poor cell reception inside the house, so it's not an option for us at this point, but I can see where that would be the most convenient and economical option.

 

BTW, since Bud works from home we have our two lines and internet service all wrapped up in one package that includes unlimited long distance, so there was never any advantage to me to use a cell for LD calls. But I can definitely see the usefulness of that if Bud didn't need it for his work.

 

I'm also surprised at the number of "home"schoolers who say they are never home!:cool:

 

Interesting thread!

[Jenny in Atl]

No land line here either. We text, talk, even do hands free but really only when driving.

[KAR120C]

I have my prepaid automatically draft its own $20 every three months so it won't expire, but I rarely carry it, rarely keep it charged, and only depend on it for emergencies (and clearly not many of those! LOL) I charge it and carry it if I'm out of town, especially if DH isn't with me, and always if I have other people's kids with me. And Fridays when I need to call the pizza place on our way out of tap class ;)

 

When we were in Michigan for SIL's wedding last summer I actually used some of those minutes I'd been stockpiling, because there was always somewhere we needed to be at some time to meet someone who was running late or missed the exit or whatever. And going to Michigan is a 700 mile trip... So I'm glad to have the cell phone just in case AAA has to be called at some point, but I don't call to just chat.

 

And at home I usually let the machine get it :) If there's chatting to do I'll either email or wait till I catch up with the person in question! Except about twice a month I call my parents to catch up -- but that's a long distance thing. If they were local we'd just have them over!

[Storm Bay]

None of the above. I have one for emergencies, but use it to call my family in Canada because I have an old plan where it's included. The only ones who call me on it are dh and once in a great while, my kid brother-the-actor because it's on his cell. He now knows to try my house afterward as I often don't have my cell on for days.

[Kari C in SC]

I love my cell phone because I can talk to my dh more. He calls me on his lunch hour and on his way home. I guess "I" don't need one to do this because he could call our home phone, but then it costs us minutes. I also talk to my oldest ds because he is on the plan. Actually, most of our extended family is on the plan too. My one sil is out of state and she only has a Sprint cell. If I didn't have one, we would have to only talk on nights and weekends because she couldn't use up her minutes to just chat with me. I also love my phone for calling my mom and telling her I am on my way, etc. It is just a great convenience. Finally, I love that my kids can get in touch with me at ANY TIME. I always have my phone on me. If I am out in the yard, if I am running errands, always. It is comfort.

[mcconnellboys]

CAR SCHOOL is cool!!!!!! Education is ON THE MOVE!!!!! Yeah!!!!

 

On a more serious note, I saw a lot of people I know begin going to cell-only about 4 years ago. I was shocked at the time, LOL, but I'm starting to get used to the idea now.

 

I also said just last summer that my younger son would never have a phone until he was a teen, but now I'm starting to cast my eye at some sort of controlled usage phone, as he's always disappearing and I never know where he is (and I WORRY as he's one of those little guys who can get in to something over their head; recently I found they were going into a storm drain down by our lake, oy.....)

 

Regena

[CindyPTN]

Our cell phone is our main phone. We only have a land line right now because AT&T had not let us have DSL without it. But, I understand that has changed this past month, so I'll be cutting off our landline soon. I just don't feel like dealing with their customer service rep and waste half a day to do it at the moment.

 

We use it for everyday calls, but mostly for calling long distance family and friends.

[Kris]

I'm also surprised at the number of "home"schoolers who say they are never home!:cool:

 

I never thought much about that, but our state regulations require that 40% of the mandated hours be "at the homeschool location."

 

We have no problem meeting that requirement -- but our local school board was just glad to get rid of me, so I don't think they'll be coming 'round here anytime soon to check up on us. :D

[WTMindy]

for more than emergencies, but we pay by the minute, so I don't use it willy-nilly.

[Sandy in Indy]

I'm in the "none of the above" choices. We have 4 cells in our family and we do use them. My dh has his for his business. It was WAY cheaper than having a business land line. My teens have one cause I want to be able to get in touch with them when they're out of the house. (It's a 16th bday present tradition in our house.) And me, I use mine all the time. I chat with my mom (long distance) several times a week. I check in with the kids if I'm out of the house. I call my bf just to chat. I do feel safer in my car with a cell...and we travel at night once a week for band. (out in the boonies)

 

My bf gave her 15 yr old son one for his bd this year with the following message in song:

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. If you go over your minutes, Mom's gonna ground you.

[JFSinIL]

I told hubby that I want to get a couple - the kind with only a few minutes on them, for emergenies ONLY. Our van is over 9 years old and now I want to be able to call AAA if it breaks down....also come fall when dd goes off to the high school academy that is 40 minutes away, I want erh able to call me if she misses the bus home or wants to go to a friends house after school, etc. So we will be joining the 21st century here pretty soon.

[Jackie in AR]

None of the above.

 

I have a cell, but I really don't like talking on the phone. Actually, I avoid the phone at home as much as I can. My answering machine is my friend. :D

 

I do use my cell but primarily in the car. I'm in the car at least once a day, and I find that a good time to make/return calls that I must. I look on it as multi-tasking; I'm not doing anything else (except driving :)) so I can get a few phone-tasks completed.

 

I have friends who call me while they are shopping; they interrupt our conversation to converse with the check-out clerk, the person in the aisle next to them, etc. That drives me insane and is probably one of the reasons I hardly ever answer my phone. I can't imagine walking through a store with my phone glued to my ear.

[Bee]

We got rid of our land line when we switched to satellite for the computer.We never use all our monthly minutes,or even half.I use it to make calls when I have to but I'm not a person who just calls to chat.

[WriterGirl]

didn't answer the poll b/c I don't quite fit. We know longer have a landline, though I do keep an internet phone so that the kids can be on to talk to grandma at the same time (hard with a cell). DH and I both have cells. Mine is my business number, too. But I wouldn't call it my friend; I've never much cared for talking on the phone.

[jail warden]

We have to have it so that dh work can get in touch, although they often don't. So we got a prepaid because he doesn't exactly make enough to be able to justify a full-fledged plan. We use it mostly just for emergencies, because the range is terrible. Certain places we travel often we have no signal. If he gets a promotion we may have to invest in a plan, but man $40/month for something we rarely use SUCKS!!!

[Mama Bear]

I chat occasionally, but mostly I have it for Q's med stuff (imagine risking seizures without it -- shudder), appointments, car emergencies (I have them all so you don't have to), and for the kids to be able to talk to their dad.

 

My parents and I have a plan together so our calls between phones are free. This is great for last minute arrangements.

[mcconnellboys]

How can they require *where* you school? That seems crazy - and scary..... Does that mean we have to assign a room in the house and stick to just that "school room"? So could we make our car our "homeschool location", LOL?

 

Regena

[PinkInTheBlue]

Unfortunately, I didn't see an answer that really fit me. My husband and I both work at home full time, so we use them for business. The boys can roam our street and a field behind our house if they have a phone with them. Also, we might split up a bit at the mall or such if they have a phone. I talk to my mom (who lives about an hour plus away), my best friend and call my husband on his phone if we are apart. It's not glued to my head because I'm not actually much of a phone person but the conveniences are too many to not have them.

 

Matter fact, if you want to talk about phone lines, we are nuts. We have a normal house line, my husband has a business line and a cell phone, I have a business line and a cell phone and from a weird sequence of events I wouldn't have wanted, each of the big boys have a cell (prepaid with low usage). So, all together we have 7 phones not counting the straight to online voicemail 800 number. LOL! Wow!

[Jenny in Florida]

I use my cell phone almost exclusively for keeping in touch with my immediate family.

 

 

• My daughter is in college 800 miles from home, but she's still on our cell phone plan with a local number. We touch base, either talking or texting, at least once a day.
  
• My son is involved in lots of extracurricular activities and frequently needs to let me know if he's running late or needs to be picked up early or whatever.
  
• My husband is almost never actually at his desk when he is at work. So, if I need to chat with him during the day, my best bet is to use the cell phone.
  
• As a result of some of my son's activities, we've been away from home a fair amount this academic year. Again, because I have a cell phone with a local phone number, both my daughter and my husband can keep in touch with us no matter where we happen to be.

 

I do take occasional calls from friends and to coordinate my son's stuff, but it's mostly family for me.

 

--Jenny

[Montana Peach]

Hubby uses his LOTS for business. Mine is a prepaid one. IO chat with a couple of friends on it while out now and then but I have it mainly if I need to call home for something while out, and also because I live in Montana. Almost anywhere we drive is sparsely populated if at all and it is a necessity, espcially in winter if you get stuck with car trouble or in the snow.

[cricket1178]

We live at least 30 min. from everywhere we want to go. I like having my cell phone in case we were to have car trouble. Even though I am a SAHM, I have noticed more and more that I can't image life without my cell phone now. Husband and I were talking the other day about what we did before our cell phones. (LOL) Mine stopped working over the weekend while dd and I were shopping, and Oh, my Gosh :eek: we had to use a pay phone! So, to answer your original question, I use my cell phone to check with hubby or kids to see if they need anything while I'm out, to get directions if I'm unsure about where I'm going, while visiting friends or family in the hospital to find out what room their in, etc. All of these things could have alternate ways of getting the information, but thanks to technology I can just dial up.:D

[PrairieAir]

My answer wasn't in the poll. I have a cell phone, but I don't use it that often. It's mostly for emergencies and to keep up with what's going on with dh and the older two kids.

 

17yods and 15yodd got cell phones for Christmas. We feel better knowing they can get hold of us whenever they need to. They will also call after school or while out to update us on their plans, where they're going, who they're going to be with, when they're coming home. By calling from their cells to ours, no one is charged for minutes. They talk on their phones more than I do on mine.

 

Dh's phone is primarily for business. He and his dad are partners in their construction company and they need to be able to get hold of one another when they aren't on the job together. They also need to be able to call for concrete, call clients, etc.

 

Mostly I use my cell phone to call dh, the older two kids, or the home phone. I update them on where I am, when I'm coming home, and ask if anyone needs anything while I'm in town. They call my phone to ask for different things. Since we live out in the country and I also do a lot of driving to wrestling tournaments and gymnastics meets, I feel better having a phone for emergencies--though I've never had to use it for an emergency yet. If I go to a meet without dh, I let him know when I get there and when I'm leaving so he doesn't worry. (Meets are usually 3-6 hours away.)

 

I do use my phone to call my mom or brother or my in-laws occasionally. My MIL, FIL, and SIL are all on the same plan with dh and I, so minutes are free there. SIL doesn't have a land line. Sometimes I talk to friends, but mostly to make arrangements when they have already called the home phone and found me not there.

 

I really don't like to chat on the phone. Some people can get me going, but I really prefer to talk in person or email.

 

SIL is very much a phone person. She will call me just to chat. I'm afraid I disappoint her every time. She'll ask, "So, whatchya doin'?" and I'll tell her. I'm usually cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, doing school with the youngest, checking my email, or something else that completely bores her. I don't like to talk about clothes or hair or going out on the weekend. I'm boring. Heh heh. I like it that way. Gets me off the phone with her in less than five minutes;)