mof wrote:... they don't talk, they text. I really don't want to spend any more money each month but she is really hoping for a blackberry for her birthday. any advice? any way to save money on this?
You said "teenager" - are we talking 13, 16, 18?? IMHO, a 13 or 16 year old doesn't need a Blackberry, but that's just my opinion. The major advantage of a BB over other smartphones is its efficiency in dealing with email, and the ability to conference via BBM. You said they "text" - (and I know they do!!!). Does your teen do a lot with email? Do her friends have BB's that she would be using BBM to communicate? If the answer to these is NO, then she probably doesn't NEED a BB. She may WANT one, but if all she does is a lot of texting, then she may be just as happy with something that does awesome texting.
However, if she is 18, or 19, and working, and has her heart set on a BB, perhaps suggest you will pay for the data for, say, 3 months as a birthday gift, and she has till then to figure out how to pay for that portion of the bill after that point. In other works, if she wants the BB, then there is a cost. And at 18 or older, she xcan be responsible for that cost.
So, that's my advice. You are welcome to do what you like with it. 
We've got 4 kids, now 19 and 20 somethings - 2 have their own plans, 2 still on our family plan and getting the phones that WE say they will have. They know if they want more, they will pay their own bills. One daughter has the Intensity II and cares little about data; the oldest son has had every iPhone since it was introduced and has them pre-ordered so he gets it as soon as he can. But they pay their own, and can do what they like.
