I can pick up a sixty minute card that lasts two months. For the same price or cheaper, usually,than one month of a regular cell phone plan. Which is nice since I don't need unlimited minutes. And there are more minute cards which last longer. It is cheaper for me since I don't use it all that often. And at the end of the two months if I have time left over, if I renew before the card expires I can get those minutes rolled over.