The Cell Phone Challenge
10 Feb 2010
In an attempt to continue living more simply (and economical) I have decided to…yes, give up my cell phone. This is painful for me. I am always connected. I have always had a cell phone. I had my first candy bar Nokia back in 1997 when cell plans were $9.99/month. I remember being the only one out of my friends to have one! It was the coolest phone, leopard print and all. It was the first Nokia that allowed you to change the faces on it. Networks at the time were sketchy to say the least, and you could only really get bars if you were in a city. Well, cells have come a long way. Now, I don’t think people can imagine living without them. I use my cell for EVERYTHING. I get my work email, personal email, google maps, GPS, Pandora, Facebook, twitter and web browsing ALL on my phone. It keeps me connected to every second of life. The downside is that it costs $80/month. That is almost $1k a year!
Now in my new state of mind, I have been thinking of it differently. As wonderful as it is to have a cell phone, and the convenience of being contacted at any moment to everything, it IS a luxury. Believe it or not, there was a time when people didn’t have cell phones and had to wait to check their answering machines from their land lines to get information, Image? They weren’t so connected all the time. They didn’t miss what was going on in front of them to see what the latest status updates are on FB. Or have to have laws pass to enforce that texting while driving is not a good idea. They didn’t have annoying ring tones interrupting nice dinner conversation, or fumble around before trips to find chargers or chase bars. It’s all kind of silly when you actually break it down.
All this thinking has brought me to my challenge- Two months without a cell phone. If I don’t miss it, I save money and will hopefully find myself living more present in my life. Goodbye old friend. I will miss your fashionably pink skin, backlight buttons, your roll ball and built in camera. I am confident I can live without you.
Can you give up your cell phone?
Feb 10, 2010 @ 11:38:40
Good luck with the challenge! I love my cell phone. We don’t have a land line, and as a photographer I also travel a lot. I figure if the technology is there, might as well use it! I used the GPS feature for the first time on my phone the other day… it was the coolest!
Feb 10, 2010 @ 12:34:35
Good Luck Sis! I just upgraded mine, so I can do office docs at work and carry my recipes around with me. You know me, I’m an addict of technology.
Feb 10, 2010 @ 15:10:38
Good for you on your self-imposed lack of cellphone. I think we just keep getting gadgets a little at a time without thinking of the cost and know what we’re doing until all of a sudden it hits you.
Also on a prior post you talk about keurig k-cup coffee. Have you checked out Amazon’s Subscribe & Save section. I get k-cups Timothy’s brand 50 of them for $18.00. They have all brands and you can have it delivered (free ship) as often as you like and cancel or change ship dates as often as you want!!
Feb 10, 2010 @ 16:10:48
I think that this is a great challenge, and I’m here to cheer you on!
I was just talking to my husband about this very type of thing. My Mom’s cell phone died and she bought a new Palm Prix. It’s a cool toy; the apps are amazing, the sound clarity great. It’s just a quick click to Facebook, email, and everthing else.
But, as I played with the Pandora Radio app, I asked myself … “Do I really want to be connected to EVERYONE ALL OF THE TIME?” Is there no point in which we stop and put away electronics?
The best carrier for cell service here is Verizon. If my husband and I both got a all you can plan (unlimited text and talk – internet – the works,) it would cost us almost $200!!!!
I think I need to make more time to do this myself, and not just with my phone.
Truly Hands Free!
Feb 18, 2013 @ 12:22:13
[...] feel like we are the only family in the world without one. You can read about my original reasons to give it up, and how I made out my first year. This year, I find smart phones just taking over more and more of [...]