Debt Trap - Cell Phone

This debt trap concerns the latest "craze" for the unsuspecting user - the cell phone.

When debt consolidation, debt help, debt relief, and debt management are among the most widely searched terms on the internet, cell phone debt is rising in epidemic proportions.

Most often it is young people who are affected. They do not seem to realize that excessive use of cell phones (also called "mobile" phones) are an instant way into never-ending debt.

I often observe young people in my travels and it seems as though they are virtually "glued" to their cell phones. Either they are sending barrages of text messages or they are calling their friends and talking incessantly. I wonder how many of these phone calls are essential and just how many are idle chit-chat. I would suggest that probably 90% of all cell phone use is completely unnecessary.

It would seem that it is very fashionable to be seen using a cell phone. Personally, I detest using my cell phone. My telephone carrier is never going to get rich off my account.

I use my cell phone for business only. I keep my outgoing calls very brief and I will not wait if somebody asks to keep me on hold. When that happens I will count to ten then hang up.

Downloading special ring tones and what I call "cute" features only adds to cell phone debt.

I am aware of young people who have racked up hundreds and hundreds of dollars of debt in just a few weeks. They don't seem to realize that somebody has to pay for those expensive calls. Often a large account incurred by a minor has to be paid for by a parent.

Perhaps the best safeguard against creating a massive debt on useless cell phone calls is to use a "prepaid" plan. Once the limit is reached the user cannot keep adding to the debt.

Cell phone debts are among the most USELESS of debts. What does the user have to show for a massive cell phone bill? Memories of idle chit-chat.

The cell phone debt trap is one of the most covert of all. By the time the user realizes how deep in debt they are it is too late. Add to that the "fashion statement" that having a cell phone creates and the "fashionability" of making all these calls and we have a big problem in the making.

Cell phones are convenient. Just don't make the convenience one that you will be forever paying off.

Cell phones are a debt trap of monumental proportions.