Damn Teenagers and Cell Phones!
I almost had a “go cut me a switch off the tree so I can $&*^#!@!” flashback when I saw the [legit] charges on my cell phone bill this month. It was 29 pages long! Looked like BabyGirl was having a text message marathon for the Cell Phone Special Olympics! At first, I was pissed but just the thought of it now makes me laugh. LOL
I’m trying to imagine her sending almost 800 messages (text/pix) in a matter of 30 days.
* That’s about 27 messages per day.
* Considering the fact that she sleeps 8 hours or more, that only leaves 16 hours to take pictures, text and yap on the phone.
* Assuming she wasn’t texting in school (ha!), the available hours are further reduced to 9.
* 27 messages in 9 hours means she was sending at least 3 text/pix messages per hour everyday for 30 days. Dayum!
Sad thing about it is I can honestly see her doing that. She’s prolly textin’ in her sleep! LOL! I wonder if I was like that when I was her age? While there were no cell phones back then, we did have the cordless landline and it was a permanent fixture on my hip. I have to admit, my nickname was Mouf-Almighty! LMAO!
Good news is, I was able to get the bill reduced:
$12 savings: 15% corporate discount wasn’t applied to one month of a two month bill.
$102 net savings: All data usage was credited (thank gawd!), but I signed up for unlimited in-network text/pix messages (500 out of network) for $10. BabyGirl will pay for this feature out of her allowance. I will personally write her a monthly bill. I aint lying!
$20 reduction: Calling plan was reduced from 1400 minutes to 700. Part of the master plan anyway.
$19 adjustment: Taxes and fees.
And I wish there was a way to do this:
* When BabyGirl’s line reaches 200 peak/out of network minutes, her service temporarily suspended!
* When the out of network text/pix messages reach 500, the feature locked!
*sigh*
Oh well, the total bill was reduced by $150+. What a relief!
…and certainly a lesson learned. *using my grandma’s voice* She aint too old to make me cut a switch! LMAO!
Peace & Blessings
~SM
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Fabulous Financials » Teenage Freedom and Responsibilities (Pingback), 3 September 2008, 6:31
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OK, Damn kids and cell phones! Had to laugh at that one. You might be able to periodically check out her minutes used online. I am able to do that with my phone (I think). I’m with cingular. If not, you could certainly call and get that info. It would be a pain to do every day, but every week or mid month might not be so bad.
Good luck with Baby Girl.
Sunshine
it kills me how much people love to text!! it must be a new generation type of thing. it takes me like half an hour to type up a text. i’m like, forget this, i’ll just call.
I’m laughing hard at this one. I am guilty of texting a lot. Until I got a bill one time that told me I sent and received over 1000 in one month. Ain’t that much talking in the world. And I love to see my kid’s face when he’s done something and I tell him to go get me the belt. Boy, that’s the worse thing to have to go get your own equipment for a beat down. Oh and you know she’d come back wiht the smallest switch she can find.
A lot of phones also allow you to “dial in” a number (for T-mobile it’s *646*) to get your estimated usage up to that point in time.
[As for the cutting your own switch? That's just adding mental punishment to the inevitable whuppin!! ;) What better way to learn "I'm never ever EVER doin that again"?!]
Miniducky
Single Ma you crack me up, I had a flash back there for a moment. I got a beating once, and I had to go get the beating equipment. Damn parents!!!!! LOL
You’re giving her an allowance of 500 text messages?
*one eyebrow raised*
Now, I’m no one’s parent. Yet, I cannot seem to shake that “spoi—” word from the conscious…
Ooohh SingleMa, I know ALL about the cell phone drama!! lol Sounds like Babygirl was handling! her! biz!
Like Sunshine said, I’m sure you can check your (read: HER) minutes online. And I’m with you – I think there should be a TEEN feature available on phones – when they reach the limit, then the shits gets CUT OFF! :)
I tried the pre-paid with The Boy – but it’s kinda useless, especially when we’re on the family plan and all our calls are free to each other. Plus you don’t get the free nights and weekends with the pre-paid, either… *sigh*
Amazing, that we came up without cell phones, isn’t it???
@ summer – Verizon let’s you check minutes by dialing #min but I don’t want that. When she reaches her limit, I want them to disconnect her shyt! Like PLA-DOW!! And leave her wondering WTF happened. Ha!
@ serenity – Girl, how did you send/recieve 1,000 texts. My fingers would have cramps like that time of the month. Aint THAT much talkin in the world. I’m like Summer, pick up the damn phone and call me!
@ mini – Yea that SHOULD teach them a lesson. Then you have some bad azz kids that forget all about it after the last swat.
@ tired – Fetching my own “equipment” is the story of my life. I turned out ok though. Nowadays, they would call that mental abuse. LOL
@ cocoa – Most of the time I get amped when people call her *cough* Well, yanno that “spoi–” word, but I’ve come to realize they might be on to something. Just a little bit. *pinching my fangaz* ;-)
The $10 text pkg has “unlimited” in-network text and 500 out-of-network text. I don’t text at all, so now she can text ’til her heart’s content. I wish I could lock the out-of-network texts after 500, but there’s no way to do that. Anyhoo, she’s paying for the pkg with her own money.
@ supa – We tried pre-paid but I didn’t like it. The girl talked so much, she was spending every dime of her lil allowance. I kinda felt sorry for her. Plus I like the family plan since we can talk to each other for free. Nothing like calling her on the phone when she’s in her bedroom (3rd floor) and I’m in the basement to say “bring me a glass of kool-aid.” LMAO!
I think you’d better ask her WHO she is sending messages to. I bought 100 msgs per month on contract but never used them until I had a boyfriend who I didn’t like calling during expensive peak hour minutes (LDR across three time zones). We’d send each other an SMS and figure out when best to call. Worked out nicely, but I notice that unless I really want to talk to someone and I am desperate to reach them, SMS isn’t my first choice. I call first and SMS second.
However you can’t call in the middle of class. I think you might want to find out WHEN she is also sending those messages. She might be passing notes in class 21st Century style and perhaps it will show in her grades later?
Just some stuff to think about. I really think that you ought to make her spend every bit of her allowance on her phone bill. Then maybe she’ll show some restraint. Cell phones are a convenience and not a necessity. For thousands of years, humans have gotten by without them. The average American teenager will too if you take it away from her. (Hm, rather than cut a switch, how about just taking it away?)
Yah, my future kids are going to hate me.
@ mapgirl – I’ve been a mom for 14 years…who and when she’s texting was part of investigation #1…TRUST! The analysis in my post was in jest.
Her grades have never been an issue and a cell phone will not change that.
As noted in the post, the questionable charges have been resolved, and as noted in my previous comments, she will use her allowance to pay for the new text pkg.
If/when it becomes a recurring issue in the future, I’ll determine if the phone needs to be taken away. Extreme punishment is not necessary for the first offense.
Our lives are busier than they were thousands of years ago, so my cell phone (and hers) IS a neccesity. If it were not, I’m sure I can find lots of things to do with $70/month.
yeah I’m with mapgirl. must be someway to make sure she show some restraint w/ the cell phone.
perhaps let her have access to the online account too? (or create separate one for her) so she can check the amounts of messages txt/pics she’s sent.. so she can keep track and make sure she doesn’t go 500 out of network.
that way, it’s up to her to police herself, and if she goes over.. its her own responsibility to pay the overage charge. though I’m not sure how well that’ll work.
I dont think there will ever be any cut-off feature. the wireless providers are making bank out of these services.
@ cap – I like that idea! Showing her how to check and track the texts herself. She’s a responsible kid so I’m sure that would work.
All of her text numbers were “in network” except one, so now that we have the unlimited pkg, we should be ok.
@ all – She only used 25 peak (talk time) minutes and 62 off peak minutes. She didn’t TALK much but she text A LOT. Go figure! Must be a teen thing. LOL
*off to register account online*
That is a helluva lot of texting. I’m not going to try to give you advice because I’m not a parent and you’ve got a great head on your shoulders. But dang! I know me, I wouldn’t take the phone, but I would shut off the text feature. I think there’s a way you can do that.
man oh man to be a teen again! it seems like the whole world is marketed towards those on a subsidized income doesn’t it?
@ tazzee – Shut off the text feature or add unlimited text for $10? I chose the latter for a happy median. ;-)
@ glam – Hey sis! *wavin* Tell me about it though. Her allowance is only $20/month and she wants to spend half of it on a text pkg (lol). I will not be surprised by whatever the cell phone companies come up with next.
Did you get the online account working so your BabyGirl could check her balances? You are an awesome mom for being able to raise a reliable, trustworthy and responsible child. Good for you. That’s some hard work! Probably harder than saving money! ;-)
lmao.. girl, im feelin your pain re: the cell phones! we have 6 children (and no, we arent crazy… yet). I had the brainstorm to add 2 phones to our account (only $15/month per phone for peace of mind), man that backfired right away… u are right about the texting being a teen thing, they all go nuts with that feature, and its all to say a bunch of nothin (’sup, im bored, bla bla bla). one of my girls lost her phone, and a week later the other spilled soda on hers. we told them if they wanted another phone, they have to get it themselves (can u say at least $199 for a nextel phone if u dont renew your contract for another 2 years!). Needless to say, they didnt do that. We are the ‘mean’ parents, one hit and u are out, especially when it comes to money! Although, somehow they still manage to come across as spoiled, even though they really arent (wishful thinking on their part, i think). As for the cell phone companies, they will probably never come up with a good way to stay within your calling plan limits (ie. shutting off service when you reach your minutes, limiting the amt. of text messages, etc.), at least until us mothers band together and form our own cell company, maybe we could call it something like “i SAID”… lol, oh I can always dream!
I know this is a year late, but… You could always give her one of those prepaid setups, so it’s up to her to buy the refill cards with her own money. I know the one I use (Virgin Mobile) is completely aimed at teens/kids just based on the website — once the account runs out of money, all it will allow is emergency 911 calls until it’s refilled.
(I use them because I’m broke and don’t use the phone enough for a monthly contract.)