Tacky or not? Text use 411

[Mrs. Dinero]

Ok so I get 300 texts with my plan. I tell my friends to use their texts wisely with me. Informational texts only please. They think it's funny. I'm serious though. I don't want to get a text about your shoes, hair, or any of that bs. Whatever you do, do not text me"k" after my informational text or "Go Packers".

1. I do not like to converse via text. Call me or let's hang out
2. This might cost me $ and no I do not want to pay for unlimited texts.

So tacky or not?

[thyme4change]

Block all incoming texts.

You can't expect your friends to manage your cell phone plan. So many people have unlimited now, texting some a confirmation text is standard.

[justwhoever]

Tacky that you don't want to have texts sent to you or tacky that your friends send them anyways?

[Mrs. Dinero]

So far I've only had to tell 2 friends that I don't have unlimited texting so don't send me some dumb sh!t. Both these women are addicted to their crackberies and have been ok with my request. I think it's comical that I expect them to keep up with my plan. Just wondered how tacky it was or if anyone else does this.

[zibazinski]

It's like $4.95 a month for unlimited texting.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I don't have texting or any data plan on my phone. So I don't read the texts sent to me. I don't seem to be missing anything...

[Mrs. Dinero]

Dang. $5/month??? I have to relook at the packages for Sprint. If that's the case then hello unlimited. Not looking forward to all the dumb texts though.

[zibazinski]

Even if you don't read them, you get charged for them. At least on T-Mobile. The only way out of it is to block ALL texts. You even get charged for those spammers.

[resolution]

I manage my texts by turning my phone off when I don't need to use it. Everyone thinks that I am a Neanderthal but they humor me by messaging me on-line or calling on the land line.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I'm on AT&T. Supposedly DH and I are both blocked from sending or receiving texts. I'm not charged for receiving texts but I am if I read them.

[cronewitch]

Jan 27, 2011 14:38:22 GMT -5 Mrs. Dinero said:

Ok so I get 300 texts with my plan. I tell my friends to use their texts wisely with me. Informational texts only please. They think it's funny. I'm serious though. I don't want to get a text about your shoes, hair, or any of that bs. Whatever you do, do not text me"k" after my informational text or "Go Packers".

1. I do not like to conversate via text. Call me or let's hang out
2. This might cost me $ and no I do not want to pay for unlimited texts.

So tacky or not?

Conversate isn't a word. Talk, chat, communicate or carry on a conversation but conversate makes me picture teens that don't know enough to pull their pants up.

[thyme4change]

300 is 10 texts per day. Your friends are very text crazy.

[boosmom]

If that's the case then hello unlimited. Not looking forward to all the dumb texts though.

Who says people have to know that you have unlimited? I don't do a whole lot of dumb emails, and thank goodness no one sends me dumb texts!

I do maybe 20-30 texts a month (received/sent) if that many. I don't have a qwerty phone so I'd rather just call the person than do a text that's more than a couple of short sentences.

[Mrs. Dinero]

Too funny Crone. I really didn't know that. No wonder it wasn't in the spelling dictionary. I modified it.

I receive many texts from 20+ friends. Some are just better at putting important info in them than others.

[Peace Of Mind]

I don't even want or have a cell phone. You can guess my thoughts on it.

I don't have children, but I'd have a cell phone if I did.

[alabamagal]

If you are receiving texts from 20+ friends, go ahead and do the unlimited texting plan. It may be more than $5 but probably on $10. If you are texting, better to do that than to have to worry

[illinicheme]

Wow. I can't imagine getting texts from 20+ people! DH and I only have 250 texts each, but it works because we rarely text anyone except each other. Some months we do have to watch the total count, but that's usually only when there's something like a conference in our city and lots of old friends are in town and we're coordinating meet-ups.

I agree with georgiagal. It'll probably be less long term stress to just get an unlimited plan, since your circle of friends clearly texts a lot.

[Mrs. Dinero]

I'm in my 30s and play women's rec basketball, volleyball, on PTA, and can do the worm. I have an active social life. My boss texts me too. I just looked through the text history this month and so far I've had texts from 19 people. I hear what you all are saying. Just pay the extra $20 a month. I can't control others. I hear you.

[The J]

If someone is sending you too many texts, then you can say something to them specifically. Setting out general guidelines, IMHO, is over the top.

As far as number of texts people get per month is concerned, it can vary. I've had months where I've had texts and months where I've had 900. I prefer texting to talking on the phone (I prefer most things to talking on the phone), so I use more texts than minutes generally.

[Deleted]

At least it's your friends doing it. I have had potential dates start texting once they got my phone number. I say potential cause that's a deal breaker for me. It's RUDE!

[Lindz85]

I couldn't handle being limited to only 300 texts a month! That's crazy... I send/receive over 6,000 texts a month... 300 is easily done in a day. I don't think it's that much more expensive to have unlimited texting, I have my minutes limited because I don't talk too much on my phone and when I do it's on the weekends or at night which is free.

[justwhoever]

I have unlimited talk, text and web for $45/mo not a clue how many I really get. When the teens send the stupid send this to 10 people or something bad will happen I just delete them. I mostly hate having a cell with text when my sister sends her stupid sh!t. I mean really she's almost 40...grow up!

If you can afford to get unlimited just do it...or tell everyone you got a new plan and can no longer receive texts.

[happyscooter]

I feel that way about people calling my cell phone when they could be calling my home and leaving a message. I have a Trac-phone and buy minutes cards every few months. I can't believe the people who would call and say 'can you make cupcakes for the Halloween party?' Um yeah when I get home from my labor day vacation.

[dancinmama]

All I do on my cell is use it as a phone. Everything else is blocked. All my family members are long distance. We all have the same cell carrier so that we can talk any time for as long as we want. My mom is on my plan (we wanted her to have a cell for emergencies and she is too cheap to pay for one). I call her all the time because she lives alone and is in her mid-80s so I check up on her to make sure she's "tucked in" for the night.

My land line has no long distance and I can make 100 minutes in local calls for a minimum charge. If someone calls me or I use an 800 number, it doesn't count toward my 100 minutes.

One way to avoid chalking up a lot of texts and minutes on your cell phone is to not give your number out to people who do not have the same cell carrier. VERY FEW people have my cell phone number which I like cuz I don't want to be getting calls all the time when I'm out and about. If you want to get a hold of me call my home phone; if I'm not home, leave a message.

[dcmetrocrab]

I suggest saving yourself the concern/stress and getting an unlimited plan. If texting is your social circle's communication vehicle of choice, I'd go with the extra cost versus the self-imagined (or not) tacky factor.

FWIW, I'm on a limited text plan and used to get annoyed with the "Ok" acknowledgement texts, until I realized I was lucky enough to have a large enough plan that I'd never go over it in one month. I had another friend who specifically requested that I email her instead of text b/c she gets charged .20/text, actually mentioned the cost. I found that tacky.

[hawkeyes2001]

I have found that people who text tend to text often and it is habit to them. If you ask them to stop or only send vital messages they don't get it b/c they all have unlimited texting so why don't you?

DBF and I do not have unlimited texting b/c we don't care for it. We do have unlimited data. I have repeatedly told various friends and family members to CALL or EMAIL me and not to text me. Guess, what? They all still text. And when I complain that it cost me 20 cents to read their pointless text I get called cheap. On average we wind up paying $3 combined for texting each month. I have considered blocking all texts but have found there have been a few rare instances when I couldn't call or email a person for whatever reason and texting was the best option.

[zibazinski]

A lot of people don't have home phones anymore so they first think cell phones.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I'm just the opposite. Mind you, I am guilty of being chatty so texts save me time over a phone call where I or the other person could get distracted and start coversating about something non-informational for 30 minutes. If you're gonna be late, just text me- "15 min late" and that'll do. Also, I do not have to respond to texts instantaneously-- I could wait say, 45 or 90 seconds. Wait that long for a call, and more than likely you missed it. That can be frustrating when you really can't be interrupted because you're finishing up a nice YM refugees forum post.

[Deleted]

We have unlimited texts... and have over 7,000 rollover minutes.
That tells you that we barely ever talk to people, we just texts.

Just because I want to pass on a message or inform you of something, doesn't mean I actually want to talk to you.

And now with blackberry instant message, I get to texts friends in Haiti, Canada, France, Dominican Republic without having to e-mail, get on facebook or call them. They are just a message away from my phone.