You guys should look at Tracfone.
Phones as low as $9.99, a year's service with 400 minuets to start $99.99.
All minuets include long distance charges. Add more minuets when needed. Unused minuets roll over when additional service time is purchased. All purchases of minuets include additional service time.

The only real drawbacks are that they don't have the really cool phones, not an issue for me, and that, failure to keep the service time up results in instant cancellation of service, loss of unused credits, loss of phone number. They do have a safety plan that will keep your service active if your prepaid airtime lapses, but it's cheaper to buy in advance.

For low usage callers, it's not the per minuet cost you should count, it's the cost per year.