[Maursault]

> yes, I could use Google Voice or some sort of VOIP number but that starts making things complicated.

You should soldier through it. Google Voice is a decent free service domestically, unless paranoid. I use it in the reverse manner as I expect you would intend (if you'd intend to generate many virtual throw away numbers to forward back to your phone until the forwarding is manually severed). My actual phone number has changed many times over the years, but my GV number stays the same. Eventually, I got rid of my phone altogether. That was January 2014. But jobs will often require I carry the on-call cell (which I almost never need to use and just for work). Boy I sure miss those cell phone bills every month, not. I just realized GV has saved me at least $10K since I cancelled my cell contract.

[Larrikin]

More and more places refuse to accept my Google voice number for verification. It started out with nearly all banks but has gotten ridiculous recently.

Target outright refused for Target circle a couple years ago. Recently 7-11 had accepted my Google voice number to get points on in store purchases but now that I live somewhere where I need a car, the gas pump decided the number was invalid when I tried to get the discount on gas from the pump I'm worried since I basically never gave out my actual cell for over a decade now

[Maursault]

Good point, that is a problem, though I can't fathom why a bank wouldn't accept it, but I do recall having issues before with some site not accepting it (possibly Craigslist?). My solution is simple: if my GV number is not accepted, I take my business elsewhere.