Maybe you're wondering what sense it makes to spend $100 and up on a cell phone you'll only use rarely, while traveling outside the US.

Maybe you've seen offers from companies that offer to rent you a phone for free to use while traveling.

And so, perhaps the idea of simply renting a phone seems interesting to you. But there is the catch - after all, the cell phone rental company has to make money, too. A rental phone might have expensive costs per minute when you use it. Or perhaps the shipping fee to you is expensive. Or maybe they charge extras for other essential things you weren't expecting.

And, of course, at the end of the rental period, you give them back their phone, so you've spent whatever money on their service and have nothing to show for it. It only takes one or two rentals to cover the cost of buying a phone which you can keep, always have available, and use whenever you like.

If you're traveling internationally once only, for only a week or less, and know you'll never travel again anytime in the next five or so years, perhaps a phone rental is a better option than a phone purchase, because of course a phone will cost you $100 or $200 or even more.

But if you do buy your own phone, you then have it to enjoy on every journey and for many years, with an ability to save enormously on every minute of phone time. With your own phone you'll be able to feel relaxed and good about making or receiving calls, not anxious about the cost. You also save yourself the hassle of arranging a phone rental, of having to arrange to send it back quickly when you return home, and all the other problems associated with a rental phone.

Most people choose to purchase their own phone for these reasons.