Happy Freakin' New Year!

[Robinboots]

Yeah, I was really, really hoping 2010 would be better...so far, yikes, I wanna go back to bed!

GFG17 is currently using his FFM's phone; we finally said we'd get him on our plan, at a cost to him of $50 a month. This, of course, was AFTER we told him that we'd be managing his money.

He went to the phone store, with husband who had to leave pretty quickly for work, and GFG17 called me and said there was a problem - my lovely cell carrier for some reason wanted an $800 deposit!! So the kid comes home, I'm busting my butt trying to find out what the heck is going on, and he says:

"Mom, I really, really appreciate everything you're doing to fix this."

Knock me over with a feather! WOW!

Thirty minutes later:

"So why don't you just pay the deposit? You'll get it back. You can afford it. You have the money. If you don't have the money, how are we supposed to be buying a house? It's only $800......!!!!!!" Stomp, stomp, stomp. "I'm going to work." Slam.

Wha-at???

Really dumbfounded. I mean, "only" $800??? No wonder he can't manage money.

I know, I know. Typical. Sheesh. Plus, I got some other lovely news of my EvilSM - seriously, HOW could someone run up almost $50K in legal bills in a year or so? Anyway, no, she's not related to GFG17, but dang - can I have a do-over?

 

[TerryJ2]

Whoah, Happy New Year, indeed!

"Only $800" sounds like something my son would say. Remember, these kids are below their chronological age, so if he's 17, he's probably emotional (and perhaps cognitively 12). Don't know if that makes you feel any better ...

 

[Robinboots]

You're probably right - cognitively, tho, he's about 25; emotionally, sheesh - 4??

 

[TerryJ2]

Ew. Scary combination. Sorry.

 

[GoingNorth]

Well, the deposit is likely because he has no established/poor credit. In order to get a first cellphone account, at the very least you need to show you have been working and living at the same job/place for some amount of time--the usual stuff that comes up on a background check.

If he's going to be paying for usage anyways (and I have my doubts), why not just get him a tracfone or similar with a few prepaid minutes. He can then buy more minutes as needed.

If he doesn't pay? Well..."inhales to be you, doesn't it?"

He can still call 911 in case of emergency, so long as the phone is charged. It doesn't matter if he has an account or is out of minutes, so that's one worry off your mind.

 

[Robinboots]

The deposit is for MY account, which is why I'm trying to figure out the problem - NO WAY he could get credit, anywhere, esp. at 17 even if he hadn't messed up his finances. THAT's why I was working on it today, because it affects me - he can continue his his prepaid account if need be. Of course, then I can't track his sorry butt, but oh well.

 

[DammitJanet]

Robin...if you live some place that has T-mobile, they now have a service that is almost like a prepaid plan. Its a no contract plan. Its a everything plan but you pay like 50 bucks a month for one line but the kicker is you have to buy your own phone. Now...if you know someone who has a used phone, your in easy. What I would do is hit ebay for a used phone. Danged if I would buy a good phone. (hint...I think you can also buy one of their cheap prepaid phones too). This is not the normal prepaid plan.

 

[Robinboots]

Thanks, we have phones all over the place...he even has half a dozen, probably! If I can't get this cleared up tomorrow, he'll just have to go back to his Boost plan.... Too bad, so sad, no cool phone for him!

I'm tired. And I don't think it's from the minimal housecleaning I did, either!

 

[Wiped Out]

Sorry things aren't off to a great start. My difficult child is much younger but he has no concept of money either.