I'm a pay as you go customer with vodafone. For €20 per month, I have free texts to all networks for a month (and I text a lot!!!!!!!!!). I don't make a lot of calls on my mobile and find that the €20 credit lasts me a month, at least.
As a constant texter, I find this great but if I used the phone to make a lot of calls, I mightn't think so.