International Cell Usage

[martym]

I have been dreading making this call to Sprint!!
My oldest is going to do the fall semester in Paris.
AND
She will be in Canada most of August before leaving to Paris.
When she went to China for a month it cost me an arm and a leg.
So this afternoon I put on my big boy shorts and called our cell provider, Sprint.
Well, well, well.
What a pleasant surprise!
Canada is the same as the U.S. with our plan. Everything is unlimited.
The big surprise was Paris and all of Europe. Unlimited texts and data and calls are 20 cents a minute. That's very cheap!
I was scared for no good reason this time.

Best part of all is that we all have IPhones so we can FaceTime for free too. Our texts to her are 20 cents each but iMessages are free so we just have to remember to turn off SMS messaging when texting her.
This is doable!!
I guess international services has become affordable with all the competition.
I feel better now.
Thanks for putting up with my story.
marty

 

[August West]

I heard computer texting, face time, and Skype type services are cheap.

 

[martym]

I think she will do that/does do that with her friends but it is way above my pay grade.

 

[Bebe]

i'm pretty sure 20 cents is to a landline. Much cheaper if you buy a prepaid calling card, most newsstands/groceries sells them:
PrepaidCall.com - phone cards with lowest rates
France $0.005
France - Cellular $0.018

Skype, Google hangouts are free...

 

[martym]

Thanks for the help
I will keep researching

 

[Toothpick]

Amazing how far we've come. Remember international calling cards? Are those still a thing?

Now you can video chat with someone 4,000 miles away with a phone that fits in your pocket.

 

[martym]

Something isn't it!
I did that with my brother from Iraq and Afghanistan!
Pretty Incredible
Now it will be just like while she's been in New Hampshire and New York City. Even though we can talk for free, I will only hear from her when she needs more money. And I am sure she will be all over Europe.
Maybe instead of a Masters in Linguistics she'll settle for a Masters in Mrs?

 

[djh]

Seeing as data and texts are unlimited, the number of calls can be greatly reduced. Facetime, Skype etc are great options these days. Europe has scrapped roaming costs across the EU which has made life simpler and considerably less expensive for those involved- it appears as if your daughter will be able to profit from this as well. I hope that she has a great time.

 

[martym]

Thanks! I also hope she has a great time!
She has been very lucky in her young life and has been quite the international traveler. However, dad is ready for her to be done with school and get a job!

 

[oc_in_fw]

Something isn't it!
I did that with my brother from Iraq and Afghanistan!
Pretty Incredible
Now it will be just like while she's been in New Hampshire and New York City. Even though we can talk for free, I will only hear from her when she needs more money. And I am sure she will be all over Europe.
Maybe instead of a Masters in Linguistics she'll settle for a Masters in Mrs?

My advice to my granddaughters will always be- get a good education to get a good job. Then, get a husband. I don't want girls who are so dependent on men that they have a hard time living without one. I have been suggesting cosmology to the three year old- but that is only because I want her to sneak me in to see the big scopes

 

[martym]

I know what you mean. I was just now joking with her about getting her MRS degree and she told me she was almost done and then she would start on her M.D and PHD but she had to finish her MASTERS first.
She didn't get it! A genius but...

 

[thematthatter]

I've done some traveling in my day. You can get the phone unlocked and get a prepaid sim card/or burner phone in paris and get an international phone card. It will be cheaper than .20 a min.
Or do wifi calling/messenger.

 

[martym]

Thanks for all the replies!
She is going to FaceTime and IMessages
Both just use data and that is unlimited. We just have to remember to disable our SMS text messaging and only send IMessages

 

[Rhody]

I wish her well. Sounds like a fantastic woman. I'd happily pay for education and cell plans over a wedding.

 

[martym]

The wedding would be cheaper!!

she has been away at school since one month after her 14th birthday!

 

[Rhody]

The wedding would be cheaper!!

she has been away at school since one month after her 14th birthday!

Maybe. You might be surprised
Mrs degree made me chuckle

 

[martym]

Try 4 years of boarding school, 4 years at NYU, 1 year at Hofstra, 1 semester in Paris, and then back to Hofstra.

She didn't think it was funny. She said it's outdated. That it's from the 60's and 70's.

 

[Rhody]

Try 4 years of boarding school, 4 years at NYU, 1 year at Hofstra, 1 semester in Paris, and then back to Hofstra.

She didn't think it was funny. She said it's outdated. That it's from the 60's and 70's.

I'm sure she didn't. More like the 50s. Ha ha
Money for education is in a separate category in my book.
Wedding business has skyrocketed beyond belief these days. When the divorce rate is 50% what a bad investment.

 

[martym]

Amen
I say run to Vegas or a local judge and go on a nice honeymoon!

 

[MAntM]

I've done some traveling in my day. You can get the phone unlocked and get a prepaid sim card/or burner phone in paris and get an international phone card. It will be cheaper than .20 a min.
Or do wifi calling/messenger.

The prepaid SIM card is what a lot of people did when I studied abroad in France 4 years ago. With an iPhone it's pretty easy, and at least for a lot of us cheaper than setting up international on our U.S. plans.