Marla

DH and I had a chance to go Christmas shopping yesterday for the first time without kids. So, we had a bite to eat and I discussed the posts with him and listened and validated his concerns. After about an hour we went and purchased dd a $30 phone with 100 hours for 3 months for $25. We'll see how it goes from there and find out her true usage of the cell phone. If dd needs more hours, it will come from her allowance as we just can't afford it right now. We've cut our budget to the bone and the only thing that we didn't cut was the girl's allowances, so that they could still have some spending power.

Thanks for everyone's input and advice. It was very much appreciated and helpful.

Happy Holidays!

Marla