SWMBO carries a cell phone "for emergencies" ("Don, I've got a flat
tire" "Do we need any linguini for Friday supper?" etc.) She
puts $100 of credit on it each year (else she loses any accumulated
credit -- or something like that. I think it now has several
hundred dollars "on account" as she uses it so little!

OTOH, $8/month (total!) is a small price to pay to be able to
make a call in an emergency!

Yep - same here.
My first personal cell phone was also my retirement cell phone.
~ 4 1/2 years in - $ 500. spent $ 180. remaining.
It's an OK little flip phone - still has good battery life.
Using a gas station's pay-as-you-go PetroCanada
which uses the Bell Canada system. Voicemail, cheap texting,
and I transferred my long-standing company-cell-phone
number when I retired - a big plus at the time !
I haven't heard of any better cell phone options for low-usage.
John T



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