TracPhone lets you keep your min. as long as you don't let your subscription  expire.  I've had good luck with it.  Get the "double min." and a $99.99 year card will make your cost about .12 per min.

I use a TracFone & buy 90 day cards.  I use few minutes and I make sure to add a new card before it expires.  I think I'm carrying 300 minutes now with no double cards.  20 bucks for 90 days is well within my budget.  
skb

I read the earlier post about protocol but anyone recommend a decent one to use?  I had an ATT phone but if you don't use all of your minutes every month, they take them.  I don't hobby as often as I want so I kept losing mintues (and $).  Then I didn't use it for a couple months and they actually recalimed the number and booted me.

Thanks.

... now I'm glad I got one. My subscription is set to expire just after the new year. I don't use my phone a whole lot and I still have a lot of minutes. I think I'll add as few minutes as possible when I renew, even if it means I'll pay more per minute. As I say, I don't use the phone that much and I think I would lose less if I ever have to trash the phone.

Or your real name?  I'm assuming bogus, the pay cash only for refills?

With a TracFone you don't have to give any name. Just go online (from an unsecured wireless network using your laptop) and register it. No names required.