My brother gave me a beeper as a Christmas present in 1996. It was cool, but it got really cool when I bought an 800-number from LDDS Worldcom. The only thing I was charged was (IIRC) 6¢ per minute, and no call setup charge.*
I got paper bills in the mail for $0.34. Friends could page me from a payphone without having to drop a coin.
*(EDIT: I think I misremember a bit. If the call originated from a pay phone, I think I was charged additional for that.)
I had a beeper in high school around the same time, because it came with a voicemail box and was a lot cheaper than a separate phone line. (Around $5/month in 1992 dollars, IIRC.)
It was a way to get messages from friends without my parents and siblings eavesdropping, and despite said siblings monopolizing the home landline.
I got paper bills in the mail for $0.34. Friends could page me from a payphone without having to drop a coin.
*(EDIT: I think I misremember a bit. If the call originated from a pay phone, I think I was charged additional for that.)