Back in June I posted about how I don’t want a smart phone. Well I hate to admit it but I am awfully tempted to join the masses.
The big change is that now I could easily fit it into my budget (did someone say lifestyle inflation?). Also I take the train to work each day giving me 20 minutes each way that I could fit in blogging work.
Is that enough to justify it?
Easier To Afford Now
My cell phone provider has been trying to give me a smart phone for a while. Now they would only be forcing me into a 2 year contract and not 3 years. Plus they have some attractive monthly plans. So the increase in price may be as little as $10/month.
The bigger part that makes it more affordable is that I’m working a good job and still making decent money online on the side. I know I shouldn’t let that be an excuse to increase my expenses, but it sure makes it tempting.
More Opportunity To Use A Smart Phone
While working from home there really wasn’t a whole lot of time that I could use a smart phone. I’d be pretty much limited to in the bathroom and while in line ups at the grocery store. I hope that didn’t give you all a mental image of me using my potential new smart phone in the bathroom lol.
My new job is very convenient to take the train to work. It is only a short walk from my apartment and to my office at the other end. That leaves me with at least 20 minutes each way to stare out the window and avoid awkward eye contact. The workaholic in me is screaming in my head about how much more productive I could be.
Using My Phone More In General
Now that I have a girlfriend again and more of a social life it was inevitable that I’d be using my phone more. When I wasn’t using it much it was a lot easier to put up with the painful texting and lack of features. These days I’m getting pretty sick of fighting with the auto-complete texting and limited functionality.
My ipod has been getting a lot more use too since I like to listen to music during my work commute. As a result I’m carrying around both my big clunker 1st generation ipod and my cell phone. Yeah it’s probably about time to get caught up with today’s technology.
Hell, I Admit I Just Want To Fit In
Now I’m not the type to care at all about fashion or being up on current trends. Still there is something embarrassing about whipping out my old school cell phone. I know I shouldn’t care, but now that I’m one of the downtown working professionals I do feel the need to fit in a bit. I may not be wearing business attire like most of them, yet the crappy cell phone seems to make me feel like even more of an outsider. I’m like Encino Man but just back from the 90s. Just like everyone else I want to be able to zone in on my cell phone and ignore everything around me.
Summary
So while I have been resisting the smart phone trend, it does seem like it’s now in my best interest to give in. The price is in my favor and now I’d benefit a lot more from owning one. That work done on the train could free up a big chunk of time each night.
The big question is, which phone is right for me? I admit I’m anti-Apple. So no iPhone for me. Does that mean that Samsung is my next best choice? Or is there a better option? Does anyone know which phone is the best for typing? I’m not sure if I could handle the on screen keyboards though. What do you guys think?
Also have you ever considered the additional benefits of a Smartphone to your business? The added benefits of a Smartphone is that you can get your business mobile – something that is becoming increasingly important in 21st century.
I say go for it. If you can afford it and it’ll help you take care of some things then I say it’s fine. Be warned though, once you get one it’ll be tough to go back. I avoided them too, but I bit the bullet last Spring. I got a Droid and think it’s great and will probably get a S3 in January when our contract is up. I tend to prefer the on screen keyboard as my big fingers can never type on a slide out.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..I’ve Joined the Yakezie Challenge!
Maybe I just need to get used to an on screen keyboard. My problem is big fingers too, but I think I’d make less mistakes with actual keys that I can feel. I’ll need to look into the S3 to see if it’s the right phone for me. It does sound pretty sweet.
Test different phones before buying. Some touch screens are better than others. My wife’s old HTC Wildfire was awful for trying to type anything out, but my LG Optimus Elite I’ve had almost no problems with.
That’s what I’m planning on doing. I didn’t especially like typing on a iPhone that I tried, but I’m not sure if it’s any easier on other phones. It’s worth trying out though.
I would go for it. You can write the expense off of your taxes as a business expense plus it helps a lot for productivity. It allows me to respond to emails a lot faster and if I take an afternoon off and go do something fun I am still able to get something done if needed.
Business expenses are a great idea if you have the income to offset it and value the expense, which you definitely would in this case.
Lance @ Money Life and More recently posted..3 Steps to Win Free Stuff on Radio Contests and Giveaways
One tip, make sure you save all your bills and they are itemized. Much like business use of the home, business use of a cell phone that doubles as a personal phone is a red flag to the IRS. Making sure you have proper documentation is key!
The IRS does allow for using a percentage of your cell phone bill for business. Just make sure it’s justified.
Jacob @ iheartbudgets recently posted..Monday Money Tip
I’ve always claimed my cell phone expenses on taxes. Perhaps that doesn’t get a red flag with the CRA here in Canada. Or maybe I’m racking up red flags and I’ll be audited anytime now. Who knows.
I thought I would never get one either but I caved as well back last December. On top of that the company was willing to forgo the cost so why not.
Now that I have a smartphone I think of it a lot less as a phone and more as another personal computer. I probably spend the majority of my time texting, listening to podcast, and using different apps over just talking on it.
Yeah it’s a bit more money but their is so much more up side to them than down sides. I say go for it, and you’ll probably never look back.
I’d be the same way…using it more as a computer than a cell phone. I’m not big on talking on the phone and tend to keep conversations pretty brief. It would be nice to be able to do all of my comment responding and other blog work while on the train.
I have a sumsung galaxy SII skyrocket and like it a lot. If you are going for your first smartphone getting one generation older will save you a ton of money and still be a huge upgrade. When you have a smartphone you will be amazed how much downtime you can fill with it.
Lance @ Money Life and More recently posted..3 Steps to Win Free Stuff on Radio Contests and Giveaways
Good point Lance. I probably should just be content with an older model. I know it’s not the latest models that my cell provider is willing to give for free. Still I want to make sure I have no problems with things like battery life and typing functionality.
I heard that the Droid Razr Maxx works pretty well. I recently joined the smart phone world when my dad gave me his iPhone 4s. I love having it and the time it saves me. We had to accommodate for the data plan which was a whopping $30/month (a lot in my eyes) but we adjusted other categories in our budget in order to add this payment.
Jessica @ Budget For Health recently posted..How do I roast garlic?
I’d be more apprehensive if I would have to pay an extra $30/month. My cell provider has a plan that is only $10/month more though. I just have to find out if it is enough data for what I would need it for. Since I wouldn’t be streaming videos or music, I probably could get by with a lower end package. I’ll look into the Razr since I haven’t heard much about it.
Resistance is futile…
Just know, though, that you will be spending more money than you think. You’ll be tempted to start with an economy data package and hit your limit on your first day home. If texting and email is all you’ll do, you can take a cheapie phone/data plan option.
However, here’s what happens:
You start out with “this is work only.” (Pat on the back)
Then it’s “Oh, hey, here’s an email from Honey. Open.”
Then: “Oh, it has an attachment. Open.”
Then: “She says there’s this really cool deal on Craigslist. Let’s just take a quick look.”
Then: “Hmmm… How much did that cost new? Let me look at Amazon.”
Then: “Oh crap! How did I hit my data limit so quickly? Oh, it’s only another $20/month to go to the next tier. What’s $20?”
And you haven’t done a stitch of “work.”
The slope is slippery. Nothing wrong with it. Just don’t be surprised.
Don’t ask me how I know all this…
I’d be surprised if those particular sites would eat up much data. The bandwidth used for audio and video is so much higher than websites. So I think as long as I stick to just websites I really shouldn’t be using much bandwidth at all. I’m sure it would be easy to get carried away with the convenience though.
I have to agree with William… I don’t use any video/audio streaming from my network and I am constantly using upwards of 3Gb a month. emails, twitter apps, facebook apps (ok the images on here probably contribute) and browsing (all those inconsiderate bloggers without a mobile wordpress theme
) – they all add up! I have upped my data plan twice now and still get warning texts towards the end of the month that I am nearing my allowance!
Savvy Scot recently posted..12 Crazy Disney Facts You Never Knew
lol maybe I’ll get my designer friend to create a mobile version of my blog once I get a smart phone. Then I can at least save some bandwidth when on my own blog. There are some bloggers who don’t optimize images which could really add to your bandwidth. Facebook could probably be pretty heavy on the bandwidth too.
I am tempted too! For me though, it doesn’t make sense right now. Plus, I kind of like that when I turn my computer off, it’s off and I’m “disconnected” so to speak. I also don’t get emails every minute of the day, which can be such a time waster. Good luck with your decision!
Rebecca recently posted..7 Ways to earn some extra cash
Yes some disconnected time is good, but I’m just finding that I now have disconnected time where it’s not even a welcome break. It is just wasted time. Filling in that wasted time should actually give me more disconnected time once I get home.
We both have cell phones and even beyond using the 5 minutes while a script is running on my work computer to check your site, it helps us in other ways, too! Mint with us constantly means there are no excuses to go over budget and I use it to track a LOT of health related stuff, which I am sure keeps me healthier and more motivated to continue.
That said, when our contracts expire, we’re really going to consider going prepaid on smart phones as those plans are looking more and more reasonable all the time. Have you considered pre paid?
Mrs Pop @ Planting Our Pennies recently posted..Rewards Cards And Holiday Money
I don’t think there is a suitable prepaid option here. The prepaid company I was using for my regular cell phone switched to monthly plans only. Beyond them I don’t think there were any reasonable prepaid options. The price they are offering for a package with a data plan sounds like a good deal though. I don’t know if a smart phone would give me the motivation to finally get on an organized budget, but it would provide all kinds of other benefits.
I really want a smart phone, but I’ve decided to wait until at least December, oh well if I keep getting made fun of!
For some reason it’s easy enough to shrug off the comments from friends about my phone since I can explain myself. Around other people though I just feel like it labels me as a cheapo. I may be a cheapo, but it’s a good idea to hide that fact a bit sometimes.
I used to be in the “no smartphone” camp. Then, last Christmas, I received one as a gift. I’ve completely converted. I love my sexy new smart phone! They are expensive, though, I’ll give you that. I’ve never come remotely close to hitting my data limit, but if you watch a LOT of movies and stream a LOT of music it’s something to look out for. There’s no way you’ll go past a reasonable limit just surfing the web.
Kyle recently posted..What Vanguard’s Big Index Swap Might Mean For Investors – Pros And Cons
I know I’ll end up loving my new smart phone too. If anything, maybe too much. That’s good to hear that I won’t use much data just surfing the web. I really don’t expect to be using it for any music or video. For stuff like that I can just preload some music onto it and I can watch videos at home.
The Samsung Galaxy SIII is sick — and I’m a huge Apple fan.
I ordered my iPhone 5 and I’m waiting for it to come in the mail. It’s totally worth it. There’s no reason to be so frugal you don’t enjoy anything.
I think the S3 is calling my name. I wouldn’t say not having a smart phone has prevented me from enjoying anything though. In fact it’s really been the opposite since it has kept me disconnected when I need to be. If it weren’t for the free time during my commute to work, I’d still be a hold out.
Do it! I do a lot of blogging work on my smartphone and couldn’t imagine keeping up with twitter without one. The fact they’re only making you sign for two years is pretty sweet too.
Brian recently posted..Updates: September 30 – October 6
I think I’d want to avoid getting caught up with twitter on my phone. It would be great for keeping up with responding to comments and e-mails though. Hopefully it would help get me back into commenting on other blogs too.
Smart phones are so easy to use, and I use mine mostly for driving directions. So two devices for the price of one!
I think it’s way more than 2 devices in 1….cell phone, computer, gps, camera, etc. I’ve never had gps, but there have been times when I wish I did. A good smart phone would take care of that.
Combining devices was one of my main reasons. Well, that, and my work pays for mine
But heck man, I say go for it for all the reasons you listed. If you feel that it is taking away from lifestyle, and you can easily afford it, then go for it.
I suggest a Windows Phone 8 when they come out, but I am biased.
Jacob @ iheartbudgets recently posted..Monday Money Tip
It would be nice to wait for a Windows phone, but I kinda want to deal with the commute boredom asap. It’s actually why I posted today instead of publishing one of the guest posts I have in the queue. I wish my work would pay for my phone, but there’s not much reason for a SEO manager to need to be on call.
I suffer from Smartphone envy a bit myself. Sounds like you have good justification for it and as mentioned above, you can write it off.
Adam Hathaway recently posted..How I Am Generating Passive Income by Dumping My Savings Account and How You Can Too
It does sound like everything is pointing towards me needing one now. It makes a lot more sense for someone who’s out of the house a lot compared to how I was working from home before.
If you already use your Ipod quite a lot, it makes sense to get a smartphone. I still use Ipod and old phone like you, but with a reasonable plan price, go for it! I read pretty good reviews about Samsung.
Pauline recently posted..France or Guatemala, three real-estate options
Ironically my ipod started crapping out this weekend after having it for about 10 years. It’s apparently ready to be replaced too. Right now I do use my ipod during my work commute and when I go for walks. It would be pretty nice to not be carrying around that bulky ipod though.
Just go for it! We just got my wife setup with a smartphone, and I feel like she jumped a decade in technology. I’ve had pretty good luck with HTC phones.
My Money Design recently posted..Do You Flaunt It?
I was leaning towards HTC before, but the new Samsung sounds pretty sweet. I’m going to have to do some good research beforehand. And yeah it will seem like jumping a decade in technology. iPhones have been out for a long time now.
Well, folks, compared to most of you I’m still in the stone age. Prepaid texting cell all the way! Wooo! Jeremy, I am sad to lose you to the dark side but at the same time don’t want to see you waste 20 minutes there and back every day. You have my blessing!
I have an immense amount of downtime during my daily commute (I won’t say how much because it’ll shadow yours and quite frankly I’m a bit embarrassed). To fill the time gap I often write some of the posts ON PAPER. OMG!!! she didn’t… just say… paper?! Hahaha. I know, I know… I’m so ancient.
Veronica @ Pelican on Money recently posted..34 Money Tips from Top Personal Finance Bloggers
What?! People still write on paper?? I admit I wrote a couple of my first posts on paper. I couldn’t see myself doing that again though. It’s just too redundant to have to type it out later. I’m sure it results in better quality posts though since you are doing more than one draft. Since I accept so many guest posts it’s really more than stuff like responding to comments that I’d want to be doing in that time anyway.
I ended up getting my Droid X a couple years ago online (walmart.com) for only $10. I suggest shopping around and comparing prices. I ended up saving $140 as the same phone around here was $150. It works great and does everything I need or want it to do. Good luck finding a phone.
Stan @ DebtsnTaxes recently posted..Stay-At-Home-Parent
That’s true that I’ll need to shop around a lot. First it’ll be deciding on the perfect phone for me. Then I’ll have to really examine the different plans available and see who ultimately gives me the best deal.
Go for it man! I’m SERIOUSLY pumped about getting one here in the next few months (I think we’ll do it in January). I get so annoyed when I’m waiting for an appointment or waiting for clients and I can’t hop on my phone to check my emails or blog stuff.
Definitely get it done…who cares about lifestyle inflation. Now, if you went out a bought a new car and condo then you’d obviously run into some issues down the road. But spending an extra $10/month isn’t anything to fret over.
Jason @ WorkSaveLive recently posted..Blog Income and Site Statistics – September 2012
Wise words Jason. That small monthly fee really is nothing especially since it would be written off as a tax expense and it would help with productivity. I’m looking forward to being able to fill in some of that wasted time with some extra work. It would just make it seem like so much less when I get home to the computer in the evening.
Hey Jeremy, I’ve been putting it off for years.. I figure I spend too much too online as it is, so i’ve been avoiding it. I can never resisted playing a friends iphone or samsung galaxy tho!
Karl recently posted..Rising Dividend Stocks: Creating income, securing growth
I was spending too much time online before but I have been balancing it out more lately. If anything this would just take care of some of the work that I would normally have to finish in the evenings.
This is the reason I have one. Although on mat leave currently, I work away from home which is about 45mins each way on the bus (public transit). With blogging I will need the phone to stay on top of everything since I don’t use a computer or have access at work and when I get home I don’t want to have to spend a few hrs on the internet catching up. Not to mention they’re just fun.
A 45 minute bus commute is definitely a good reason to have a smart phone. You could really get a fair amount of work done each day just on your commute. Without something to do on the bus it just seems to take forever. With a smart phone though that time must just fly by.
I think it’s actually kind of difficult to do blogging work on my phone. It’s good for responding to e-mails and reading new articles but not commenting or tweeting on other blogs.
I just did a post on my switch from iPhone 4 to Samsung Galaxy S3, check it out
Harry @ PF Pro recently posted..Upgrading Your Smartphone: My Switch From the iPhone 4 to the Samsung Galaxy S3
Yeah I noticed that you happened to post about that Harry. I don’t think it would be too difficult to respond to comments on my own blog with a smart phone. I’d just have to get used to the keyboard. Between that and e-mails, that’s a big chunk of my blogging work.
My primary argument for me getting a smartphone is that I want to fit in as well. Well, and for me it would be cheaper than my current dumbphone plan. I don’t realistically think I’ll be able to do any more blogging stuff because I’m constantly with my laptop now.
Emily @ evolvingPF recently posted..Needs Becoming Wants: My Weekend Without
That’s crazy that a smart phone would be cheaper than your current cell phone plan. I would prefer to do work on a laptop, but I wouldn’t want to carry that with me on the train and I often don’t get a seat anyway. At least with a smart phone I could still do something with standing.
http://evolvingpf.com/2012/08/my-new-frugalcheap-cell-phone-plan/
I think it’s a combo of paying too much for the family plan I’m on now and finding a suuuuuper cheap data plan.
Emily @ evolvingPF recently posted..Needs Becoming Wants: My Weekend Without
Join the trend! just a tip of advice – don’t get into the habit of using it too much – checking it too often can be insanely counterproductive.
Tony recently posted..Use the 5 P’s To Assess the Fundamentals of a Company
No I wouldn’t be checking it too often. There would only be certain gaps in the day when it would make sense to use it for work.
I think you deserve it, can afford it, and it would make you money most likely, so go for it. When I have less debt, I’ll get one myself.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..Being a Boss, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Good idea to wait until your debt is paid off more. It is an extra expense that will make paying off debt a little tougher. That is unless you are able to use it to make more money too.
You make it sound like you’ve got one of those big grey Motorola phones from the early 90s. I’d love to NOT have a smartphone. While the features are nice, I miss the days of text/talk/off. Now I’m always checking the baseball score, twitter, etc. I’m not “in the moment” enough because of the constant hum of technology. It’s driving me crazy.
AverageJoe recently posted..Two Guys and Your Money #13: How Wall Street Became the Capital of Capital
No I can’t say I’m that far behind the times. My phone is pretty brutal though. It doesn’t even come with solitaire. It will be interesting to see how addicted I get to being able to check things at anytime and not live in the moment either.
Sounds to me like you have many reasons to have a smart phone. If it feels right for you mate, then go for it. I don’t own a phone but Mrs.CBB has one but nothing fancy.. or “SMART” about it. I have no need for one I just take hers if I need to text or just to have in case of emergency as I drive late at night to work and back. You are right, the hard part is which one to get.. there’s so many. Good luck mate.. Mr.CBB
Canadianbudgetbinder recently posted..How To Get The Best Car Leasing Deal
That’s crazy that you don’t even have a basic cell phone of your own. You’re even more behind the times than me. In the past I have been content not having a fancy phone. Now I mostly just want to turn some of my wasted time into productive time.
It’s a shame you don’t have no-contract plans up there. When I switched, I got more minutes, plus data for $15 LESS than I was spending with AT&T.
I wouldn’t quite say that I can’t imagine how I lived without a smartphone, but it’s been pretty handy to keep an eye on my blog and a few other sites plus being able to read and respond to email during my breaks. Saves me from having to deal with it all when I get home.
Canada is rather expensive for cell phone plans. I know you get much better deals in the US. Competition does seem to be heating up though as more companies compete for all that lucrative smart phone business. It sure would be nice to have a bit less blogging work to come home to each night.
Oh.. Once you get one, there will be no looking back, Jeremy. There are so many great things about having a phone. You always have a camera with you, on demand GPS, keeping calendars in sync, having the ability to look anything up anywhere.. You will love it..
jefferson @SeeDebtRun recently posted..America’s Worst Warranty – Why I Will Never Buy Another Hyundai
Oh I’m gonna have some serious delayed gratification from finally having all of that at my fingertips. I think I’ve known all along that I’d get seriously hooked. So it’s probably best that I did wait until now, otherwise I would’ve spent some serious money on phones and monthly plans over the years.
Hey hey! Lifestyle inflation already huh… That didn’t take long!
Jokes aside, I say go for it.. Your time is valuable and it will allow you to better utilise it – sending updates to Twitter, Facebook, replying to comments etc. etc. 100%.. do it!
I can’t believe you are so anti-apple!! I would definitely recommend an iPhone, but if you can’t be swayed then an HTC or the Galaxy
Savvy Scot recently posted..12 Crazy Disney Facts You Never Knew
lol yes for some people that inflation doesn’t take long. I think that first month of having extra month is probably when a lot of people start loosening their wallets.
I’ve always been against Apple. I just don’t agree with paying inflated prices to cover all of their advertising, especially after hearing all of their overseas sweatshop issues. I had to use a mac at my office for the first week and it was torture trying to get used to having less keyboard shortcuts and awkward functionality.
It is so very addicting, be warned! Plus, it will hard to ever go back. You’re reminding me that I need to call the phone company and see what I can get while staying off a contract.
Anne @ Unique Gifter recently posted..Creative Cash Gift: Dynamite!
With any luck I won’t ever need to go back because I know it would be extremely difficult. I guess I could always somehow get my online income to cover it.
I definitely say go for it. I just got my first “real” smart phone a few months ago and I absolutely love it. Also, you get used to the touch screen pretty fast, although the typing is admittedly slower. You should do a product review once you decide which one to go with.
Jordann recently posted..Congratulations
That’s a good idea Jordann. I would have to do some kind of follow up post when I do upgrade. I am a little worried about not being able to adjust to the onscreen typing and having very limited productivity when I do use it.
Congrats on the new girlfriend, man!
The only thing you should look out for though, is not overworking yourself. Sometimes we make extra room in our schedules (like your train time) and we only think that we can and should fill it with something “productive.” But dude, our brains need rest sometimes, time to just sorta think about stuff and zone out. If you fill your trian time with a new phone, make sure you’re not missing out on that necessary dead-brain-rest time!
TB at BlueCollarWorkman recently posted..Blue Collar Roundup — Dumb Sayings Edition
Good point TB. Luckily the plan is to use that train productivity to free up more rest time in the evenings. Then I can zone out in front of the tv or out getting exercise. I’ve done enough of the over-working thing this year. So now is time to try to catch up on the better things in life.
I got a smartphone a year and a half ago, and do a LOT of my blogging on it. Not writing the actual posts, but almost all of my commenting, e-mailing, and tweeting is done on my phone on breaks and lunch at work. I’m on the smallest data plan they had at the time, but I may have to bump up to the next level, as I’ve come very close to my limit the last few months. Like right now, I’m right at my limit, but have 3 days left in my billing cycle.
Justin @ The Family Finances recently posted..Choose Your College Major Carefully
I don’t think I would ever try to use it to write posts either. That is just too much typing on a small keyboard/screen. For commenting it should work out well though. I could even take longer lunch breaks and sit in the park doing a bit of blog work.
I think it is time to treat yourself! For how much you use the phone…I wonder if one of the small tablets might be easier to type on?? Either way go for it! Sometimes a treat for yourself is reason enough, at least it is if you can afford it.
There you have the Mom stamp of approval LOL
Thanks Mom
My post tomorrow has some good news on this front. Sometime tomorrow I should have my first smart phone. Then I can find time to try to beat you in scrabble on facebook.