A more affordable way to lose a cell phone

Yep, I lost my phone. To my credit, it's the first one I've ever lost. Still, it's upsetting to say the least. We've done a couple of searches in the house, to no avail.


I'm going to try and do one last grid search of the apartment. I am convinced it's here, and not just because I called all the spots we visited the week before it went missing. I distinctly remember the night before Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving eve?) I was using the landline because my cell was low on charge. I thought, "Gee, I'd better charge it soon because it will die overnight." And, of course, I didn't.


If I still don't find it, I have to figure out what to do next.


I don't particularly want to buy a new phone because even the crappy ones aren't cheap, unless you're willing to sign away an extra 1-2 years of your life. Especially since this isn't my personal plan, I don't feel comfortable doing that.


I suppose the other option is to cancel the line. But we only have a year left, and my line costs around $12-15 a month. So the termination fee will be about as much (if not more) than keeping the line open. And if I choose the latter, I have some options if I either find my phone or meet someone who wants to upgrade to a nicer one. I could also prowl eBay if I'm feeling particularly desperate, which, for the moment, I'm not.


So I think I'm going to attempt to get a new SIM card instead. I have to check with AT&T, but if I get a new one, that should make the old one defunct. That would keep anyone from using our plan's minutes -- assuming someone found and kept my phone. At the same time, we wouldn't have to pay the termination fee, and, if I find another phone, I could go back to having a phone.


I figure that's the most affordable way to pay the stupidity tax.