Call Me

I was short on cash this weekend, so I decided in an effort to avoid spending money, I would limit my activities.  Yesterday, I got up at 7:30am, did bootcamp, went grocery shopping (about 9:45am) and spent the rest of the day in my bed catching up on my DVR recordings.  By this morning I was suffering from cabin fever and decided to clean up my dining room (I was sick of seeing it look like a disaster zone), visit my cousin and spend some time with my dad.  He has been trying to collect this $20 I borrowed about 2 weeks ago and we needed to do some research.  What kind of research?  Glad you asked.  I have the distinctive honor, and/or burden depending on how you look at it, of getting my 80-year-old father, his very first cell phone!

I had already done my part of the research over a month ago.  But trying to explain what I discovered, without visuals was very difficult.  So today I brought my laptop and portable internet hotspot over his house to show him my findings, in the hopes we could wrap up this entire process soon.  The phones and plans we checked out are from AARP's Consumer Cellular and created specifically with older adults in mind.  There are plans as low as $14 a month for 100 minutes or $0.23/minute.  I think the 100 minutes will suffice for now.  Daddy wanted to know if the minutes rolled over.  He did not believe he would use them all, however, he was already asking what the cost would be if he received incoming calls.  He insisted on a camera phone.  Mainly because a friend of his (a woman) asked if he had a cell phone so she could send him some pictures.  I told him to have her send them to my e-mail.  To this he replied, 'what if the pictures are nude?'.  Good question, but I did not need the visual, thanks.  So instead of getting the phone I think would be the best one for his needs, with the best overall reviews, I am going to order the camera phone.  In case he may or may not receive potentially nude pictures.

The total cost will end up being $35 to activate the account and $14 for the month.  We will order it this week sometime.  He seemed satisfied.  And I feel as if I need a drink!  So if you get a mysterious butt-dial from a strange number, with abstract jazz music playing in the background...you have been warned.