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Is it common that food stamp recipient can afford cell phone?
by franzwong 8y ago
Is it common that food stamp recipient can afford cell phone?
- Jagat 8y agoYou can get one for $10 and live on public wifis. Cell phone is a necessity these days, not an expensive luxury item.
- pdabbadabba 8y agoYes. In the U.S., in fact, there is a federal program called Lifeline that subsidizes the purchase of mobile phones (including smartphones) and phone service for those with low incomes. https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-cons...
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- logfromblammo 8y agoA cell phone is one of the highest utility-per-unit-cost items in existence. They are so useful that a person could conceivably choose to keep a cell phone and phone service in preference to a permanent housing arrangement. You can sleep in a lot of different places, if you can respond to your e-mail, or pick up the call extending the job offer, wherever you happen to be.
- yellowapple 8y agoAs the saying goes: "You can sleep in your car, but you can't drive your house to work"
- yellowapple 8y agoYes, in a variety of ways. Most obvious ones I'm able to imagine off the top of my head: - It could be a cheap phone on a cheap plan; Wal-Mart sells basic Android phones with prepaid plans for less than $50 [0]. - It could be government-subsidized; the plan itself can be subsidized through the FCC's Lifeline program [1], and I think (though I can't confirm yet) there are similar programs for the phone itself - It could be a gift from a family member or friend (I personally know a few people for whom this is the case) [0]: https://www.walmart.com/cp/cell-phones/1105910 https://www.walmart.com/cp/cell-phones/1105910 [1]: https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-cons...