For the first time, I’ve had a situation that made me actually think about getting a cell. Well, two or three situations. (Feel like such a sell-out for even considering it!) Driving out to Mississippi (a whole story in itself) and will be meeting up with a possible builder of one of my designs to look over his work. Sure be nice to be able to call him when I get closer and know the exact time I’ll be there. Sure be nice to not have to seek out a pay phone and a calling card, etc.
Second situation. Snowy, icy, dw heads off to work. Be nice to have her call when she’s near home tonight so I could walk down the road to meet her where she’ll have to park the car (driveway will be out of the question).
Third. Some people have taken to calling later at night than I’d prefer, and if I can’t get to the phone, they’ll wake up a sleeping kid. (Yeah, I know, I defended the “answer at any hour” logic a coupla months back.) Can’t shut off all the house phones. Might be nice to have a cell as the business line.
On the other hand…when checking out the terms and stuff, there’s an awful lot of extra charges and such.
My question is twofold. If it’s a business phone, but dw also uses it, is it still tax deductable? Or worded better, what have y’all come up with as a practical way to apportion the business/non-business parts?
Second, what have your monthly bills REALLY worked out to? I see the 29, 39, 49, 79 options, but with all the options and extra charges and taxes, what’s the reality of the bills?
Replies
cloud, have never had one personally until aug when the wife gave me one for my birthday. I had thought I really never needed one and had no intention of getting one. Well, after 4 mos. I see now that they are indeed a help to my remod bus. I don't have to hunt out the homo's phone, nor find a pay phone (harder every day) can get calls from subs/suppliers etc. For driving and weather related/appt use, indispensible. My plan is for enuf minutes for sure for me a mo. , no long distance in my area (All Oh, and s. michigan), voice mail. 39 base, but with all the little chgs, ins and taxes and other un-understandable bs on the bill, about 50 per mo.
With all the cell phone use, I should think you would have no problem claiming all the chgs as a deduct for business use. I mean come on, course the patriot act could affect that.
Take a shot out the front door when that snow's over will ya?
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I own a cell phone, much to my chagrin, for the instances when unfortunately it is a necessity(running lots of remodel jobs seems to qualify..). I rarely care it with me now as I've learned that if you have a cell phone people perceive you are always available to speak with them. I've found that just checking my messages and trying to commit to returning them in a timely manner is the best way. I've really got to work on that last part as by far my biggest flaw is not returning messages in a timely manner, I often get wrapped up in working on something else and end up not making the calls when I should. BTW, I use a pre-paid Virgin Mobile cell..pay about 20bucks in money added as I rarely use it, if you added the minimum amount per month and don't use it except for emergencies I think it only works out to $8.00/month.
-Ray
Cloud, I had never wanted one either, BUT..things have changed. For starters, I now have NO landline, by choice. A cable Broadband hook up for internet, and a cell for all calls. The phone is ALWAYS with me, on a roof, in the truck etc. No telemarketeers, no monthly Fee for the land line. I chose the prepaid plan for better police-ing of how much time I actually DO NOT need to be on a phone.
I would certainly advise one for anyone's DW to have if she travels if for no other reason than for the hopefully un needed 911 call...Duane.
I will bet that the cell phone will be something you will not be able to live without after only a few months.
I've been a cell user since my motorola bag phone was the latest and greatest thing going. 100 minutes per month for probably $75.00 !!!!
Right now I have 8 phones on my two accounts. My plan is a $105.00 plan (2000 minutes) from sprint with two extra lines added to it. The actual bill for this is 149.50 per month with all taxes added phone charges etc. However, we get unlimited long distance, free minutes after 7:00, unlomited calling amongst ourselves and other sprint phones etc. I also have unlimited internet access for my laptop @ 117K but don't tell the company since it is frowned upon by them. I provide phones for 5 of my guys and they see it as a pretty good extra benifit since it gives them free long distance etc and 3 of the 5 have no other phone service.
I have always deducted all my cell phone expenses as a cost of doing business, but, I don't really know what the law as far as whether you should separate out your bill.
Cloud,
If you've never had the need for one before, and if you only want to use one sparingly, then maybe you should consider buying one and use a pay as you go plan.
If you don't use it, you have no monthly charges. Some plans have the time expire after non use for about 3 months but all you have to do is buy 10 bucks worth of time every 3 months and it's works out to be the cheapest plan for those rare times you would want it.
I have to carry the corporate cel with me for work time but I only carry my Pay as You Go on weekends and nights.
The corporate one takes messages so I can leave it behind when I'm not working.
Gabe
In my experience, Buy more minutes then you think you will use, going over is expensive. anywhere around 30-36 cents a minute. and once you have the cell, you'll probably use it more than you thought...maybe?
I personally seem to burn through about 1000 minutes a month of "anytime minutes" which really means day time minutes. at a cost of I think...70 or so a month for the plan, which works up about 90+ when all is said and done.
I've been looking into a new plan because they've become cheaper than the last time I switched. Sprint, At&T and Nextel seem to have the best options, Veriozn and Cingular are more expensive from what I've noticed.
Another option is "Pay as You Go" where you purchase minutes as you need them, I have no idea what those cost.
Seems everyone wants a 2 year contract which I'm having a hard time signing up for, something about being locked down to one company for 2 years doesn't sit well with me.
I have had U.S. Cellular since 98. Currently have 650 anytime, from anywhere on East coast basically, to anywhere in states. Free nights and weekends, two lines, $60 but with the tax stuff comes to just over $70. Have not had any add-on charges from Cell Co. We do all our long D on the cell (which includes Old Fort to Avl). Very happy. Base was 40 with 20 to add extra line. I use the base for work and the second for private. Hope the IRS will see it that way.
One of these days I am going to stop around ex53 and use the spyglasses to find a dome. At 1:30 we have about 2 1/4" down here at elev 1420.
Edited 1/25/2004 1:29:17 PM ET by RASCONC
I really wanted to be the last man standing with out one ...
then I finally got one ... and now it's pretty much strapped to my hip.
I don't use it to BS with friends ...
but I do use it alot.
I got my first one about 3 or 4 yrs ago ...
Coupla munths ago ... we decided the wife would be better off with one...
So I upped the Sprint plan ... was tired of paying $30 one month for 300 minutes ...
and then getting charged $300 the next for going over.
I got the plan for 2000 shared minutes ... got the wife the second line....
The plan inculdes most everything and more than I'd want/need ..
Now I know the monthly cost will be right around $125. each and every month.
The bill is in my name ... the minutes are mine .. she uses very ... very little.
So the whole thing will be deducted.
Gave her my old phone when I got a new one ... that's what started the whole thing... she get's her own number.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Whooops...one more thing..where Cloud is at, has real limitations on cell use ( I lived not far from him) the service there is iffy at best cuz of the mountains and the fact NO one want's more cell towers. There are more dead zones than anywhere else I have been.
IIRC..verizon is the most reliable gig there, I threw a Trac-Fone out the window..Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?
I agree that coverage is the most important issue to consider with a cellphone purchase. I went with my current carrier based on them being the only one that had service at the houses of my two lead carpenters and at the jobsite we were working on at that time.
Most companies will let you try their phones for two weeks with no obligations. Maybe, Cloud could just try one out during his trip. :-)
However, being able to get messages anywhere, screening all your calls and no telemarketers makes a cell seem like a better choice than a landline to me if the coverage is good.
Roger that. I had to switch when I got here (ky) from NC..Roam will kill ya!!!Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?
For a small, occasional user like me, pay as you go is the best way. I buy £10 worth at a time, seems to last a year or so, and the phone is always with me. Mostly it's there for paople to ring me, not the other way round unless I'm out in my old car
John
I went with my current carrier based on them being the only one that had service at the houses of my two lead carpenters
What the hell are you doing at your lead guys houses while they are out working!!!???Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
obviously getting an #### chewing over the phone!
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
75 dollars a month for 2 phones, free long distance, nights, weekends,free phone to phone for any other cingular numbers. I dont know how many minutes I get but have only gone over a few times. All business calls go through my cell phone. The only reason I keep a home phone is to keep my number in the book for past customers to get in touch with me if they lose my cell number.
Oh man, busted again. Sure hope those guys aren't reading this forum :-)
I run about $40/month and the wife takes it when she is traveling in bad weather or going far.
deduct the whole thing.
Key word is "primary" reasson for having it.
the IRS won't examine every call unless you are Al Caponne Jr. or thinking of running for Dictator or something equally public.
I have two lan lines and one cell. Sometimes I pllace calls on the personal phone and sometimes I place personall calls on the business phone, but the primary reason for each is designated.YThe cell is primarily for business so that is how I deduct it. Haven't heard the accountant argue.
Excellence is its own reward!
I've had a cell since they first became available in my area. Probably 14 years ago now and I can't imagine life without one. it is my business phone and has been listed as such on my cards, stationary invoices, etc. for years. 14 years ago my bills ran about $400.00 a month for one phone and one thousand minutes and I thought it was money well spent. Now I have 3 phones and my total bill runs about $190.00 a month. We use Nextel because of the two way radio feature. Most of my subs also use Nextel so we can communicate at no cost. Now the radio is nationwide so I can talk to my subs when I'm 2000 miles away. Ask yourself just one question. How much more work would you have to get to pay the sixty bucks?
I think of it this way. My truck or wherever I am becomes my office. My "for sale" signs have my cell number on it as well as my business card. I get almost zero business calls at home, by design. If someone is calling that number, it's business or one of my kids or wife calling. I use T-Mobile because Catherine Zeta Jones is so hot and, I get 3000 anytime minutes for $49 a month plus taxes and BS. I have my kids with the same deal. My girls call walking to and from class at college and to me that's priceless. My biggest beef is that they don't have as many cell towers as others but they are still in all the major cities and thoroughfares.
I do a lot of rural new construction work, and driving to find a pay phone to find out where the materials are, or what a detail is, was costing me more than a cell phone.
Coverage is my main consideration. I've had both Bell South (Cingular) and Sprint, way to many dropped or failed calls in this area.
Verizon seems to work almost every where for me. I pay $63.80 total a month for two phones with different numbers, one for DW. 300 daytime min., free night and weekend long distance, free calls to ANY Verizion phone (this saves me a ton), and no roaming from here to California. I've never used all my mins.
I don't like to carry it around at work, cause as soon as I'm on a ladder, holding something over my head, it never fails to ring<G>. But, as long as I keep it charged up, it's one of my handiest tools. So, don't forget to pick up a car charger, and write that off, too.
EliphIno!
One thing you might want to look at in a not great coverage area is the technology of the hardware (Phone) itself.
I just moved and my home office is about 8 blocks from the main towers. I could not use my cell & tried 3 other units. Finally I bought a phone with 1x tecnology that works fine. I use a Kyocera 7135 (PDA) but the most recomended regular cell for 1x was the Samsung 390.
Point being the hardware does make a difference.On a hill by the harbour
check the reps of the various providers in your area, around here, you can get nextel, singular, alltel, etc.... most have spotty availablity-- and you are worse off there in asheville what with the hills and hollars and all. I have had good service from my Alltel up in that area, so check them out.
Alltel now has unlimited nightime/weekend minutes, and free mobile-to-mobile minutes, and free minutes to your home phone. I have 600 minutes per month, and really can drop that way back, since most of my calls are moble>mobile (free) or after 9pm.
Check on the free/included longdistances, and the roaming can get expensive.
Best plan for me is the 600 from alltel for $45/month, taxes etc pushes that up to right at about $50
Don't know if it has been mentioned already, but you may get one phone and then the second one is only $5.- per month more.
You can also have them set where one will ring and transfer to the other number if it is not answered in so many rings.
This way both of you can have one.
nextel is a great choice, coast to coast 2-way radio w/phone, i have talked to people on the east coast with no problem on the 2-way unlimited minutes on the 2-way.
got my wife one so we can talk all the time (oh...no!!) on the radio without worrying about the bill, 99$ for each phone(w/2-way) and about 120.00$ per month which covers the 2-way and the phone. did i mention the 2-way???carry on then...
fm2"the large print givith, and the small print taketh away" Tom Waits
2d question, first....
when are you going to incorporate and make your wife the vice -president and give her a cell phone ..
and make your daughter the office magr and give her a cell phone ?
next... you live in the mountains.. cell service may really suck... a lot of the areas we drive in northern New England have no service...it's all line of site....
but... if they have good towers and a good signal... Nextel is hands down.. the best.
i have both Nextel & Verizon in my truck.. Verizon is a truck mounted phone and gets a stronger signal than the handheld Nextel...
but i make 9 calls on the Nextel to one on the Verizon... Nextel is just better.. better menu... more user friendly .... and the direct -connect walkie talkie is a big winner.. all of my subs use Nextel too and i can direct connect them easy..
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Just to add to the confusion ...
I hate Nextel ...
not so much for the service ...
just that people on the 2 way deal ... yell instead of talk.
Like email .... everyone write in short cryptic messages ... all this internet shorthand bs ... I've heard some people even misspell and throw away good grammer .....
Every Nextel call I ever got started with ... "Hey! " ....
Not Hi .,.... Hey buddy ... Jeff....
Nothing nice ever came outta that damn phone ...
Then ... with that 2 way thing ... people actually expect you to answer.
Give me my "regular" cell ... and voicemail.
I screen most of the calls ....
I'm not that important .. and neither is anyone that calls me.
Up on a ladder ... or halfway thru a cut ... my fingers and materials are more important at that exact moment .....
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
>Every Nextel call I ever got started with ... "Hey! " ....
It's a southern thing........especially if it's several syllables......"heeeeeeeee-eeeeee-yyyyyy"
No .. I got the norther version ...
real short ... usually followed by ... "I need" ...
or "this is F'd up" ...
or most anything unpleasant you'd rather not get screamed into your ear ...
Just seems like the 2 way "immediate contact" takes all the niceties out of the introduction ...
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
takes all the niceties out of the introduction ...
Jeff Buck, the refined gentleman??
yeah, that'll be the day
Hey ...
we have a polite and positive job site!
Absolutely no disention allowed ...
None!
When I subbed for my buddy Joe ... the customers always got a laugh out of morning meet and greet session ...
"Why Hello there, Mr Buck ... glad to have you aboard."
"Why thank you Mr Beech ... I was happy to recieve your invitation."
Or words to that effect ...
always Mr ... always please and thank you ...
Joe came up with the "no disention allowed" ... one morning after fighting with his wife all nite! Said he'd had enough disention on the ship at home ....
Would accept none at work ....
Became a runing joke .. than we realized how much more productive everyone was while "screwing around" by pretending to be nice and polite!
"After you, sir ..." "No no .. by all means .. after you..."
Really confuses customers too.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
"After you, sir ..." "No no .. by all means .. after you..."
Sounds like those 2 gay guys in the James Bond movie "Diamonds are Forever".....................(-:All my wives were my favorites [Cary Grant]
There is an article in the Boston sunday globe abought cell phone companies trying to get more towers put up to elimanate dead zones. Towns keep fighting them. Hello NYMBY!
I haven't read every word of every post in this thread, but in quickly browsing I don't think I noticed anyone mentioning that long distance is free in most plans. If you make a fair amount of long distance calls on your land line, you can negate that cost with a cell.
I went from over 2000 minutes a month to an average of 700 by switching to Nextel. Most of the companies I sub to, my subs, and my suppliers use Nextel. I don't notice the problem Jeff spoke of, but I live in the south.
Before choosing a company, check the servers of the people who the majority of your calls will go to. There's often big savings if you stay within the same company.
Just had to chip in after Jeff's comment, I loathe Nextel. I hate Nextel. Nothing like walking around downtown and having every idiot walking down the street screaming into the Nextel they are holding at waist level, no one seems to know you can hold the thing to your ear and use it like a regular phone even in Direct connect! There is NO need to hold it below the waist and scream in your loudest voice at it while ordering coffee at the crappy shop of your choice(usually Dunkin Donuts). It's not just neanderthal cement guys and janitors who are using Direct Connect now either, it's teenage kids and the random 30year olds who stand on street corners selling stuff to them who now all have Nextel and Direct Connect using it like a ironworker by keeping the phone in the belt holder and shouting at it while standing upright. The sound of the Nextel beep-beep noise sickens me. Had to get that out. T-Mobile has some nice deals for lower minute usage, and Catherine Zeta Jones is hot. Virgin Mobile seems to have decent coverage for me, as does my wife's Verizon which works in places my phone doesn't such as parts of western Mass.
-Ray
"...what have your monthly bills REALLY worked out to?"
Definitely something to consider .They never seem to disclose everything up front.
DW and I both have a phone. Our "plan" is $30 per month per phone. But there are several taxes and fees added on. So a typical bill is $80 for the 2 phones.
A couple of months ago DW went WAY over her minutes, and our bill was $150. She swore they were out to get her. Called the cell phone company, nagged and whined, demanded an itemized bill, etc.
In the end she realized she had just screwed up, and meekly paid the bill.
Ya gotta watch them minutes...
Hugging is a means of getting two people so close together they can't see anything wrong with each other
>and our bill was $150
Why, that's almost as much as an orthodontist payment! :)
But this is why I asked...easy to see the $29.95/month numbers on the ads and lock into that mentally. But suddenly it's $80. Just not convinced enough to add that level of overhead to my life yet. An acct taught me to run a business conservatively--keep the fixed costs minimal, so that break-even is within reach. Variable costs can fluctuate with the growth of the business, but them fixed ones will bitecha no matter how business is going.
jim... my verizon bill is 46.06 every month.. America's Choice w/ 300 minutes, 1 phone
our Nextel bill averaged $118/month for 3 phones for the last 4 months which is based on $41/phone..
but they gave me a month free for renewing... so.. figger $40 each for NextelMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
"Why, that's almost as much as an orthodontist payment! :) "
Funny, Cloud. Real funny.
Don't make me come out there........
You know, I asked a relaive that works for the cell company why they don't warn you when you get close to using up your minutes. He said it's been discussed before. But the additional minutes are a big source of income for them. But I think if one cell company does it, others will follow.
I don't blame you for not wanting the added overhead - There's a lot to be said for that. But they sure are handy. And I wouldn't want to be without mine.You don't know anything about a woman until you meet her in court [Norman Mailer]
Boss, you know those little round sticker thingy's you can get for your tape measure ? You know, the ones that you can write on...
Get one of those. Cut it down to fit a spot on the back of your phone. Carry a small sharpie with the phone. Write down your minutes.
Next month, wipe it clean with a tissue dipped in acetone, (fingernail polish remover in wife-speak.), or something, and start over again.
Yaaarg !¡!!¡!!! Stand still... While I smite thee !
quittintime
Most phones have a built in timer and record your minutes for you. You can zero it out at any time and start over. If you pay a bit of attention you can do this once a month and know where you stand at any given time.
Most do but they do not differentiate between peak and off-peak (read free on my plan). And as said you must remember to reset it. With some carriers giving you free cell to cell or incoming this would mess up you count too. with my carrier you can call their free call 611 and find out how many minutes you have used since last bill, fairly accurate unless you have been roaming quite a bit and the roam servicing co has not billed them yet.
How about I give you DW's phone number, and YOU can call her and suggest that to her ???
Actually, the phones have a built-in timer thingy you can use, if you take the time to re-set it every month. (And then check it regularly) But I don't know anyone who does.
Seriously - I think she just gets on there talking to her friends, and loses track of time.A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?"The father replied, "I don't know, son, I'm still paying for it."
ROFLOL
You do it, you married her.
Hey ! I know ! Let's get Mikey to try it !
Yaaarg !¡!!¡!!! Stand still... While I smite thee !
quittintime
I think it's a fair question to ask her. Does she want a kid with straight teeth or a phone dangling off her ear. Which looks better in the family album.
Excellence is its own reward!
I'll give you her phone number - YOU call and tell her that.The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end, there it is. [Winston Churchill]
I can see where YOU'll be sleeping aafter she says, "Who is this guy Piffin you got to tell me when to shut up and how to pay for junior's smile???"
;).
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge
FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where
Excellence is its own reward!
I had a cell phone a couple years ago, hardly ever used it because the quality was so bad. I'd go find a land line to be able to understand the conversation. So I dumped it and went back to a beeper. If your locations are really remote, there are satellite phones, which are used by ships at sea and Osama in the mountains.
I was on the $45/mo plan, which with no extra minutes actually cost $55/mo. Consider also the ruggedness of the phone. Avoid the hinged kind if you might drop it from a ladder, etc.
-- J.S.