Cell Phone Update

A while ago, I was pondering whether or not to get a cell phone. Well, I finally bit the bullet and got one. Now, here's my review:

Pro:
* I like having my own number. Friends can call me and know they will get me.
* It can be nice to have the phone when I'm out and want to call my husband and ask a question (what kind of batteries do we need, for example).

Unrelated to me pro:
* My husband needs a cell phone. He has had to call for rescue a couple of times from long bike rides.

Con:
* We have terrible reception in my house, so I usually have to talk outside, regardless of the weather or the huge deer looking at me in the front yard.
* I don't like to talk on the phone when I'm in a store or at another person's house, so I don't answer it at those times (generally). I also turn it off at work. I don't like to talk when I'm driving or when I'm walking somewhere... or ... just about any time that I'm out of the house. So what's the point? 95% of the time that I talk on the cell I am at home. Hmmm...
* I think that texts are sort of anti-social and expensive. I make/receive about 15 texts a month for about 5 dollars. Do the math. Worth it? No.
* I keep losing the darn phone in my house and have to use my husband's phone to call it and find it.
* My 8 year old could use the phone to call 911, but I really doubt that my younger kids could figure out how to unlock the phone and call 911. If they even knew where it was.
* I hate checking the voice mail. I much prefer listening to messages on the answering machine -- OR -- better yet :) -- screening messages on the answering machine.
* I thought that I wouldn't get trash phone calls, but the girl who had my number before me gets strange texts from a guy and many MANY collection calls. Awesome.

For two lines and a minimal minutes plan, we pay about 90 dollars a month. That is more than double our previous land line charge.

I think we made a mistake. We should probably just have a cell phone for my husband and a land line for me and the house. The cell phone really annoys me and is a rip off.

Living in the Past?

I am a huge fan of books about time travel. Maybe that explains the following:

I don't have a cell phone.

I have been thinking about buying a cell phone for months, but I can't seem to convince myself that it's necessary. Then I was reading (again!) about cell phone usage in the US. Apparently the adoption rate is 85%. Holy canoli.

That's higher than the number of people who have computers at home.

My husband has a cell phone, but I very rarely use it. Only to make a long distance call after 7. Otherwise, I dial a nifty code so that I can get cheap long distance. It's kind of fun because then my number comes up as unavailable -- only the brave answer. But really, what's so brave about answering the phone? I answer the phone all the time and never know who's calling. Why? Because I don't have caller ID either. Gasp!

But come to think of it.... not that many people call. My friends tend to e-mail me. So I've started answering my e-mail regularly. But I'd rather talk on the phone. Sometimes I lose the phone in the house and can't answer it in time. People rarely leave messages. Maybe they think I have caller ID.

I'm beginning to think that people don't call me that much because I don't have a cell phone. Or maybe they don't want to hear my kids screaming in the background. (Probably).

Here's the problem:
1. I'm really cheap.
2. My husband's cell phone doesn't get any reception inside the house. We have to keep it on the windowsill so that it will ring and then go outside to talk.
3. I'm afraid that if I get a cell phone people will start to be late and stand me up. With the current situation, if I say "Meet me at Magnolia's at 9", people show up. The only other option would be to leave me alone outside the restaurant.

At the same time, I kind of want a cell phone. Kind of. I'd like to be able to call for information on the road when I'm not with my husband (granted, that doesn't happen that much). I hear that when you have a cell phone you don't get as many trash phone calls. Despite allegedly being on the do not call list, we seem to get TONS of telemarketers and surveyors calling. I also HATE that since I am the only listed member of my family in town, I get calls from all kinds of random people (including creditors) when anything happens to anybody with my last name (whether or not they are related to me). Curses.

Here's the things I don't consider problems:
1. Emergencies -- I have had multiple flat tires and car problems. Somebody always has stopped to help me.
2. Kids -- the school has my work number. The secretary will come and get me out of class if there's a problem. I can't have a cell phone on while I'm teaching anyway.
3. Caller ID -- I don't really care about this. If I don't want to talk, I don't answer the phone.

So.... what to do? Any advice? I know you have a cell phone. Convince me.