The Busy Life of a Single Mom

A few of my family members have tried almost every pre-paid cell phone. They tend to be the older members who like the idea of having a phone when in a bind or in an emergency, but have no interest in talking on it in a regular basis. It seems though that every pre-paid phone plan they’ve tried has had enough faults that they end up abandoning it after just a few moments. I always dread the transition from phone company to phone company because I am the designated “technological guru” and get the priviledge of programming all the new phones with everyone’s phone numbers. And then I also have to make sure that if anyones’ numbers change, I have to be sure to update these phones.  One time I forgot to upgrade my grandmother’s cell phone with my new number.  Every few weeks she would complain because I never answered my cell phone when she needed something.  I was perplexed as I knew I had not ignored one of her calls and there was no mention of them on my call log. As it turns out after several of these lashings, that she was calling an old phone number. It turns out she was even leaving messages at this stranger’s phone number.  After all those lectures I had to listen to, it turns out I never missed one call because she had never actually called me!!

My grandmother will soon turn 72 and I think I’m going to buy her a new cell phone for her birthday. I’m currently looking at Jitterbug phones and plans. They have plans starting at only $10 a month and phones that are very easy to use. The phones have larger numbers so that you don’t accidentally type the wrong one, and the numbers show up on the screen in large print so you can verify that you did in fact dial the correct number before pushing send. One model that I find particularly appealing doesn’t even have numbers. It has three buttons. One of the buttons is “Operator.” What is great about Jitterbug’s service and makes it stand out from the rest is that you can elect to make all of your calls through an operator. You set up a phone list of the numbers that you call (family and friends) and then just call the operator and tell her who you wish to talk to. The operator then places the call for you so that phone calls are not accidentally made to the wrong person (and voicemails left on strangers’ phones). The second botton on thsi phone is a customizable button that can be programmed to call any number (maybe the number called most often), and the third button is a one touch access button to 911. This is almost as simple as a cell phone can get isn’t it?

Below are pictures of both phones that are currently available.