1. Pre-Paid Wireless: What's The Deal?

Wireless companies are clamoring to play the "no contract" game now - from the Tinker Bells to properties of the Big Bells, such as Cingular. Suddenly, gabbing on the go doesn't have to mean being chained to a contract for a year or two, with huge penalties for cancellations. With most pay-as-you-go plans, traditional monthly bills are history. Just sign up, buy minutes to use later, and replenish them - by credit card, debit card, check, or even cash at neighborhood stores for Virgin Mobile USA.

Motorola's RAZR V3 from Cingular

But watch out - some plans aren't so footloose and fancy free, and assess what amounts to a hefty monthly bill no matter what. Verizon Wireless charges a 0.99 "access" fee every day, whether you use your phone or not, adding up to $30.69 in a 31-day month, beyond actual usage charges drawn from your pre-paid kitty. If you don't have at least a 99 cent credit in your pay-as-you-go account each day, Verizon suspends service. You cannot make calls with those "unlimited IN and Night minutes" while service is suspended. Verizon may charge up to $35 to re-establish service.

Besides gaining some control of your phone bill with most offers, you're busting free of phone booths with quarters and drug-store calling cards. You can grab a phone of your own in pay-as-you-go deals. It can be as inexpensive as with Kyocera's voice-activated dialing model the KX424 Blade. Own the Blade for 99 cents with a $104 instant rebate from Alltel (http://www.alltel.com), or pick up pricier options from any of the main group this article covers: Alltel, Cingular, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Virgin Mobile USA.

Kyocera's KX424 Blade from Alltel

When you're on a carrier's site, click the link for phones within the pre-paid plan offers. There will be fewer phones there than with non-pre-paid plans, but, most companies marry phones with wide ranging prices to their pre-paid plans. T-Mobile is offering a Sidekick II for $279.99 after $50 mail-in rebate. All ten of the phones at Virgin Mobile USA are available with pay-ahead plans, because that is all they do. None of the five companies run a credit- or background check, because you pay up front. Only one, Verizon, requires a Social Security number to sign up, and a spokesperson noted that Verizon's reps verify the customer's name and address.

T-Mobile's Sidekick II

Two of the companies will let you bring your own handset, if they approve it. Cingular allows your phone if it is "new enough" - so ask. Verizon allows your phone if it is CDMA and approved for both the Verizon Wireless network and its pay-as-you-go plan. Since companies sometimes forbid moving a phone marketed for one plan to another within its own walls (sometimes due to technological requirements), it is always important to get detailed info before buying an expensive phone. It's also a good idea to hit the Web and take a glance at any plan you're considering to see what might happen to minutes you've paid for, should you decide to switch plans in the future. Reading the fine print may be hard on the eyes, but it's pretty straightforward and usually bad news for retaining prepaid assets.