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Out of pretty much everyone I know I'm the only one still with a flip phone.
Over the past few years I've thoguht about getting one but never pulled the trigger. Though I do think it would be fun, come in handy at times, etc I just can't justify tripling my phone bill just so I can check an email on the run, play some game, etc.
I do trade stocks, bet on sports and also run a website more as a hobby than a busienss so it would come in handy but itt's definately not something I need.
I currnetly pay $39 to US Cellular for 1000 minutes, free incomming calls, free incomming texts, etc, etc, etc. Now that Sprint has the $69.99 plan for unlimited data, texts, phone I'm consiering getting it. I started sending more texts and have been going over my plan the past two months so I guess in reality my $39 plan is now $49 so I have more texts plus I went over minutes last month.
Trying to decide whether its worth getting a smart phone, specifically with sprint. I know bills are always more than they say so that $69 will probably be more like $100.
Anyhow, just wondering if any of you have a smart phone you personally pay for that isn't for business just for fun.
BTw, I do make a little bit of money off the website and it would help me be more active with the site but not enough to even offset the costs so that cant really be used as a justification for getting it.
Out of pretty much everyone I know I'm the only one still with a flip phone.
Over the past few years I've thoguht about getting one but never pulled the trigger. Though I do think it would be fun, come in handy at times, etc I just can't justify tripling my phone bill just so I can check an email on the run, play some game, etc.
I do trade stocks, bet on sports and also run a website more as a hobby than a busienss so it would come in handy but itt's definately not something I need.
I currnetly pay $39 to US Cellular for 1000 minutes, free incomming calls, free incomming texts, etc, etc, etc. Now that Sprint has the $69.99 plan for unlimited data, texts, phone I'm consiering getting it. I started sending more texts and have been going over my plan the past two months so I guess in reality my $39 plan is now $49 so I have more texts plus I went over minutes last month.
Trying to decide whether its worth getting a smart phone, specifically with sprint. I know bills are always more than they say so that $69 will probably be more like $100.
Anyhow, just wondering if any of you have a smart phone you personally pay for that isn't for business just for fun.
BTw, I do make a little bit of money off the website and it would help me be more active with the site but not enough to even offset the costs so that cant really be used as a justification for getting it.
I have an old phone. I have no need to access the internet on my phone. Besides it costs WAY too much! LOL
You haven't made a particularly strong case for the phone adding anything of monetary or time value to your life. You did mention that you might make more money on your website if you attended to it more often. Could you make $20 a month? If so, then you paid for the upgrade. If not, then you're really looking at an entertainment expense.
In that case, is the entertainment's value worth the "ticket price"? Even if with overages, you currently spend no more than $49/mo, so the upgrade will cost you an additional $20/mo or $240 per year (plus the price of a new phone, I presume)? If you had to spend that much to buy a ticket for the entertainment provided, would you do it? If so, by all means get the phone. I've paid some pretty outrageous fees for concert tickets, for example. Also, consider the fashion value. Does getting rid of the flip phone improve your image to the point that you'd pay? (I'm not knocking that -- I pay good money for haircuts that I wouldn't get if I never went out in public.)
Also consider if you didn't spend the $240/yr on the phone, what would you do with the money? That's what being frugal means to me: living within your means and assigning your money to the best possible places. Really, only you can answer those questions.
I think if you ask most people if their smart phones are worth it, they say yes -- for no other reason than to say no would be admitting they're wasting money.
I think if you ask most people if their smart phones are worth it, they say yes -- for no other reason than to say no would be admitting they're wasting money.
I did the calculations before I bought my I-Phone.
-I needed a GPS for my Motorcycle
-And a new Laptop (Regualr laptop Hard drives can't take the vibration, they need a solid state hard drive.)
-Also I don't do texting, but I have an App on my I phone which provides it for free. (And I was to the point of needing it a bit, almost enough to meet the $5 per month cost)
Mainly work/school.
Annnd... So, on the day my flip phone died, I went down and got an I-Phone.
I avoided paying $400 for a 'motorcycle laptop'
I avoided a couple hundred bux on a GPS (It's on the I phone)
I avoid $5 per month
$25 per month, minus the $5 per month for the texting...
For over 2.5 years (Closer to 3) the "Data plan" is FREE.
-And that would be about the time I'd need a new laptop (Probably not a GPS)
I needed a new phone, and since I got the 'old model' after they came out with the I-phone 4... it was very cheap.
$ for $ I actually saved money.
To say nothing of the premium space is at when your living off a motorcycle for a month (or longer) at a time.
Math worked for me, that's why I got it.
But it is VERY continent and useful otherwise. I have used it for school/work on several occasions. TO say nothing of 'normal activities'
I'm usually a 'Johnie come lately' to tech... makes sure the bugs are worked out and I'm in no rush. But I'm glad this is here.
It doesn't sound to me like you need a smart phone, and the only one I think is worth the cost is the iPhone which you can't get w/ Sprint. The bill is higher, yes, but I use mine constantly for both business and personal. I love it.
I have a smart phone. Do I "need" it? Of course not.
Is it handy? Absolutely. I am self-employed and spend a lot of time on different job sites. I can send estimates from my phone, I adore having GPS, I can search for places and phone numbers, I can go online and look stuff up, I can check weather and road conditions, I have some handy work-related apps, etc. I could manage just fine without it but it's useful.
Is it fun? Sure. I like being able to send instant photos to people, read the news while waiting in line for something, text, etc.
I buddied up with a friend and got two phones on a MetroPCS account. Between the two of us it costs $72 per month, that's $36 each total per month...with unlimited text, data, minutes, etc. I used to have Sprint but it cost me twice that monthly and I had a limit on my minutes.
So for me, $36 per month is absolutely worth having a smart phone with unlimited data and minutes! I'm not really that heavy a user but I can't imagine going back to a plain old phone...which with most plans would cost the same or more as what I'm paying now.
i have a crackberry and am on the sprint unlimited plan you mentioned. it's worth it to me because my options for internet service truly suck, so i tether the crackberry to my laptop and use that as my sole internet source. it's not screamin' fast by any means but it works for what i need it for.
I just got a Samsung Intercept on Virgin Mobile's $25/mo 300 min, unlimited Internet service. If you've read my old posts, I may have mentioned not having a smartphone as part of my frugal "plan".
I use it to check prices on items that I'm considering buying to see if someone else has it at a better price. I use it as my pricebook to know whether or not I'm paying a good price for my groceries. I use it to keep an eye on Craigslist and Freecycle. I use it to find the best deal on lodging or meals when I'm traveling. I use it to check traffic and find the quickest and most economical route on the way home. I use it to see how far away my bus is from my bus stop. I use it to keep close tabs on my spending and budget. I use it to find the cheapest gas near my current location. It holds a ton of music and podcasts for entertainment. I keep ebooks on it for reading. It works as a GPS if I ever need one. It works as a good digital camera so I don't need one of those. I can check reviews of items I am interested in to see if it is worth buying or not. I can keep close tabs on my bank balances. I can track my car maintenance and get alerts when the next scheduled maintenance is coming up.
It is a tool that helps me to be more frugal and to make the money that I spend go even farther.
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