Oh yes, with T-mobile, the minutes are good for 1 year (once you have spent $100 in minutes) but they actually last forever since your expiration date changes to the new date whenever you buy more minutes. The phone costs around $40 at Costco and comes with 60 minutes. Buying a thousand minutes for $100 = 10 cents a minute, but the minutes are more expensive if you buy them in smaller increments.
I like the thought of buying time for a whole year. No having to remember to buy more every month or every 3 months, etc.