Wastrel!
That's my wifes phone, I'm thinking about getting one too, but expect I will be able to keep mine under $4/month.
Standard of Living Erosion
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That's my wifes phone, I'm thinking about getting one too, but expect I will be able to keep mine under $4/month.
I got a prepaid cell phone with no monthly fee. The phone was free. Minutes are 12 cents peak / 10 cents off peak. My cell phone bill is now a few dollars a month. If I lose the phone, all I lose is the balance on the account which I top up to $10 when it drops to $5.
Previously I had a T-Mobile phone which was $30 / month. For occasional users like me, saving more than $25 / month going to prepaid is a sweet deal.
Previously I had a T-Mobile phone which was $30 / month. For occasional users like me, saving more than $25 / month going to prepaid is a sweet deal.
A related topic is 'creation of wealth', as potentially it enables an increase in standards of living. Cutting thru the chauvinism of western European vs everyone else discussions, a simple description of how one common form of wealth is created, I think the one that serves as the foundation for others, is that scientists / engineers / innovators develop products that are manufactured and bought by others. We see countries and cultures across the world doing this. Other types of products can be developed, such a ones for managing risk, such as insurance, some types of financial instruments, etc., or financial products such as stocks, bonds, etc., products like real estate, entertainment products like Disneyland, cruises, Las Vegas, etc., but they seem to largely depend upon a base of manufactured products.
In the last century one way to attempt to redistribute wealth and increase standards of living was by forming unions, but they've fallen out of favor in many areas. Still, one needs to consider them as part of the 'creation of wealth' equation, at least for certain industries. Politics is at it's most basic level a process of determing who gets what, so it's obviously a key part of the issue. Traditionally governments use taxes as a source of revenue, effectively redistributing wealth in many cases. While everyone can name several failed programs which were designed to improve standards of living, many ignore the successful ones like the GI Bill, rural electrification program, etc., and there's always pork for someone.
Looking at how wealth is often created and how it is redistrubuted, it should be obvious why we've been seeing an increased concentration of wealth in the US for about the last couple of decades. But we can't talk about it because it's Papa Oscar Lima India Tango India Charlie Sierra :^)
In the last century one way to attempt to redistribute wealth and increase standards of living was by forming unions, but they've fallen out of favor in many areas. Still, one needs to consider them as part of the 'creation of wealth' equation, at least for certain industries. Politics is at it's most basic level a process of determing who gets what, so it's obviously a key part of the issue. Traditionally governments use taxes as a source of revenue, effectively redistributing wealth in many cases. While everyone can name several failed programs which were designed to improve standards of living, many ignore the successful ones like the GI Bill, rural electrification program, etc., and there's always pork for someone.
Looking at how wealth is often created and how it is redistrubuted, it should be obvious why we've been seeing an increased concentration of wealth in the US for about the last couple of decades. But we can't talk about it because it's Papa Oscar Lima India Tango India Charlie Sierra :^)
Its hard to avoid talking about wealth redistribution and avoid politics. Id sort of like to discuss my dealings with the IRS and their scare tactics but that is also politics.
I think wealth creation and building is an appropriate topic for an off-topic board and yet when Uncle Sam dips his thumb into your pie we have to avoid talking about it.
Its very well possible that part of the erosion in standard living is assisted by wealth redistribution and the punishing of income through taxation.
I will flat out guarantee you that the IRS can change the law and do so without congressional permission, debate or the passing of legislation and income and savings and standard of living are certainly affected.
The point however is that the government is living beyond its means and spending more than they take in and the revenue side of the equation almost forces the government to play hardball with its citizens at the cost of individual opportunity and reward for effort.
Happy Motoring All,
Bugshu
I think wealth creation and building is an appropriate topic for an off-topic board and yet when Uncle Sam dips his thumb into your pie we have to avoid talking about it.
Its very well possible that part of the erosion in standard living is assisted by wealth redistribution and the punishing of income through taxation.
I will flat out guarantee you that the IRS can change the law and do so without congressional permission, debate or the passing of legislation and income and savings and standard of living are certainly affected.
The point however is that the government is living beyond its means and spending more than they take in and the revenue side of the equation almost forces the government to play hardball with its citizens at the cost of individual opportunity and reward for effort.
Happy Motoring All,
Bugshu
You are so right on. Our Politicians are a mirror of us. Unfortunately the U.S.A. Titanic is on a colission course with the iceburg. Unfortunately we are all going down..there ain't enough lifeboats. Its unbelievable that our politicians don't see it.
How long do the minutes last? All prepaid phones I looked at only let the minutes last 30 days if you only buy a $10 card. The minutes do carry over if you buy a $10 card before the minutes expire, but that's a minimum $10/month..and the cost is closer to 30 cents/minute for those $10 cards.
T-Mobile has a deal where if you buy a $100 card, the minutes will last a year and you get 1000 of them, bringing the cost to $8.33/month (if you use less than an average of 83 minutes a month).
Brian, I have mine through eCallplus which uses the ATT network. The cards last 90 days and the minutes roll over as long as you renew within 90 days.
eCallplus
I found a source that sells $10 cards with 40 minutes.
$10 40 minute cards that last 90 days.
When the minutes avaialable gets low, then I buy a $30 or $40 card and get a slug of minutes at a bit lower rate. I do that about once a year.
The basic rate includes call to anyplace in the US or 30 countries for the same price.
One downside is that if you are out of ATT's area you use up your minutes at 4x the standard rate and also have to dial some extra numbers.
If you already have phone that works on the ATT's system (or whatever it's called today), you can use it instead of buying a new one.
We've had it for couple of years, service is ATT, good and bad.
Renewal at 90 day intervals is painless. I buy a PIN online, typically 40 minutes for $10 and make phone call to punch in the info.
I'm sure other pre-pay systems work well too, but this one is good enough that I don't bother looking for another.
One thing I like about ATT's network is that it works all over the country, even out in the sticks where many newer systems don't. That is, if you have 3 band phone that uses the old analog systems out in the boonies.
Northern Virginia is one such place where there is a large underclass to serve the "needs" of the betters. You can often find this underclass living 15 to a house, because it's the only way they can afford to live here due to this area's high cost-of-living. Either that, or they demand more money for their work--tough to do when they're one of 25 people standing around at 7-11 in the morning waiting for work and some of them are still standing there at 9:30am (meaning they didn't get a job that day).
Net10 is what I'm looking at, but now have Verison. Will look at these others. Perhaps this deserves a thread of it's own...Free BitOG to BitOG talk time! XS650, could you start a thread with your info?
Great post, Al and Bugshu!
I believe that the politicians see the iceburg. They are intelegent people, who have access to a great amount of information. The problem is that their patrons, who got them elected, have a vested interest in making sure the USA Titanic stays on it's current course. They do not care if there is an eventual wreck. They only look 2 quarters into the future, if that. It all comes back to business, and how business is run. Business is run quarter to quarter. There is lip service to stragic planning, but it is just that, lip service. In business, you are only as good as last quarter's results, to he** with long term planning.
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