It sounds counter productive,
but sometimes you have to go backwards to move forward.
As most of you know, I will be leaving work in January and, in order to help compensate for the loss of income, we have to cut costs where ever we can.
No area is safe from possible "tweakage"!
First up for adjustments...cell phones.
As a society, we have come to believe that we have to have the latest and greatest technological breakthrough. Why use the old version that serves all your needs when you can buy the new version that serves needs you didn't even know you needed?! Somehow I survived my teenage years with a quarter in my pocket for an emergency call and now I can't leave the house without my cell phone.
I think there have been a lot of different factors that have moved our society into such a state of mobile communication. Some good, some not so good. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it is all bad. However, what I find the most frustrating is how it has become harder and harder for us to differentiate between what we truly need and what we want.
For our family, we have determined that Matt needs a phone due to the whole baseball schedule. Some have argued that they don't even need one for that, just pick them up whatever time practice is over. I would agree, except we never know when practice is going to be over and game schedules can change at moments notice, both with cancellations and additions.
Matt needing a phone means I need a phone because Brian is constantly in meetings. Granted, we could still make it work without either of us having a phone if we had to, but we also have to into consideration what will help make the family function a little better.
So, here is where we start moving backwards...
Even though I enjoy some of the perks of an iPhone, I just did not use it enough to justify paying the $15 a month for the data plan. I liked the instant Facebook notifications and the simple texting functions (hated auto correct), but I don't need those features.
So, as Brian so eloquently put it, I have changed to a dumb phone.
I have gone backwards in cell phone technology.
Not only have I have chosen a dumb phone over a smart one, I purchased a refurbished one for $10, which was half that of a brand new one. I hate that I am now under contract, but we are now saving $15/month. (On a side note, you can get new ones for free or purchase at Walmart/Target/Best Buy. By purchasing from somewhere else, you can avoid being under contract. Because we have a business discount for Brian's phone,
I had to choose one directly through AT&T.)
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| For those of you too young to know, this is called a pay phone, the original "pay as you go" phone. It cost you a quarter to make a local call. |
I think there have been a lot of different factors that have moved our society into such a state of mobile communication. Some good, some not so good. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it is all bad. However, what I find the most frustrating is how it has become harder and harder for us to differentiate between what we truly need and what we want.
For our family, we have determined that Matt needs a phone due to the whole baseball schedule. Some have argued that they don't even need one for that, just pick them up whatever time practice is over. I would agree, except we never know when practice is going to be over and game schedules can change at moments notice, both with cancellations and additions.
Matt needing a phone means I need a phone because Brian is constantly in meetings. Granted, we could still make it work without either of us having a phone if we had to, but we also have to into consideration what will help make the family function a little better.
So, here is where we start moving backwards...
Even though I enjoy some of the perks of an iPhone, I just did not use it enough to justify paying the $15 a month for the data plan. I liked the instant Facebook notifications and the simple texting functions (hated auto correct), but I don't need those features.
So, as Brian so eloquently put it, I have changed to a dumb phone.
I have gone backwards in cell phone technology.
Not only have I have chosen a dumb phone over a smart one, I purchased a refurbished one for $10, which was half that of a brand new one. I hate that I am now under contract, but we are now saving $15/month. (On a side note, you can get new ones for free or purchase at Walmart/Target/Best Buy. By purchasing from somewhere else, you can avoid being under contract. Because we have a business discount for Brian's phone,
I had to choose one directly through AT&T.)
So, in order to move forward in the journey of returning home, I had to move backwards in technology. And I'm not done yet...there is more tweakage to come! Which is going to be a little more painful to some family members than others...
Living thru faith,
Misty
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