Here is my cell phone confusion- I have t-mobile and when I got my blackberry, they had to switch my data plan frpm what I had, and I ended up paying a lot more. However, I looked and I am paying for both

BlackBerry 4G Web - 200 MB Get 200 MB of the best of the Internet at your fingertips - access e-mail, Facebook, search your favorite web sites, and more. $15.00 per month

Unlimited BlackBerry - Premium Unlimited data for sharing video and streaming entertainment (up to 5 GB of high-speed data included) Recommended for your selected device. $30.00

Does that make any sense?

I thought you always bought the phone. With some of the contracts you, what? Trade up when the contract is over?

It's a price difference. You can sign up for a contract and get a free phone, or pay, say, up to $300 for an 32GB iPhone. Or, if you don't get a contract, you have to pay full price for the phone, which, for the same iPhone, would be $350 more.

But, given the price difference in service, it looks like over two years, purchasing the phone outright is way cheaper.

Sort of like how leasing a car is rarely the better financial deal.

Sophia, do you mean you're currently paying $45/month?

Kate-

I am currently paying $45 per month for internet on the phone, and then $39 for telephone. But it seems like If I have unlimited, I don't need the regular.

So the plans you quoted are just for internet access? It does seem like you should be able to pick one or the other, and you certainly shouldn't be paying for both.

It's a price difference. You can sign up for a contract and get a free phone, or pay, say, up to $300 for an 32GB iPhone. Or, if you don't get a contract, you have to pay full price for the phone, which, for the same iPhone, would be $350 more.

We've stayed away from contracts because, to be blunt, our credit is really craptastic. I think for the Net10 thing we paid like $50 for the phone, and then you just buy minutes as you go. Texting is cheap, and so are calls. And again, I don't use it much, so it works for us.

x-posted from F2F:

I've been extremely slack in making my vacation plans.

I arrive in Los Angeles on August 27. How long should I stay? Where should I go? Who should I meet?

You should meet me. I don't know about the rest of it.

You should go to Apple Pan and have some pie.

Why is someone in my office sending me an email saying it's good we're in the same roundtable next week so she can meet me? She can meet me now.

Hey, I wonder if she'll give me chocolate like the other guy.

Weirdly, I do feel more bonded to the guy I threw an egg at. I'm kind of creeped out that that worked.