[74-911]

Zeke,
I did essentially what you are wanting to do. We dropped our land line and wifes cell is now our "home" phone. I wanted the cheapest way out to have one for occasional/emergency use.

T-Mobil has a pay as you go plan which worked out perfectly. Three years ago I bought a cheap phone and paid $100 for 1100 minutes which are good for a year. At the end of the year I paid $30 for 300 more minutes and this rolls any remaining minutes from the first year into the new year. Essentially I paid $100 for the first years service and $30/year after that. As long as you buy additional minutes before the year is over, the plan rolls any remaining minutes into the new year.

T-Mobil may not be a good option out your way but other carriers probably have a similar plan.

Also, to keep wife's phones cost to a minimum (she mainly uses it for texting), we have had MagicJack for several years ($20/year) which we use when around the house for outgoing calls only.