Why do we feel it necessary to have cell phones?
September 6, 2008 by kellys
Filed under budget, money saving idea
Karen has been sharing with you her delima on cell phone service lately. I have been wondering lately why we feel necessary to have a cell phone anyway. Granted, we have a huge business plan but we pay almost $200 a month for cell phones. We use our phones for multiple businesses so DH can justify it but I would be fine if we just had a business line and I didn’t have to have a cell phone to bother me in the car, bathroom, kitchen, etc…
So why do we feel like we have to have a cell phone? The police used to get called for accidents before we had accidents and we used to be able to communicate with other parents about our kids location before cell phones. Maybe we would actually talk to other parents more if we didn’t rely on our kids having cell phones. Am I off base here? Isn’t this one more way to save money? Or do we feel that in this day and time a cell phone is a must?
We live in the country, about 7 miles from town. I used to think cell phones were frills and a waste of money. Then my three kids and I were in an accident and the rescue team had a difficult time getting in touch with my husband. (We all turned out ok…not my van, but my family did.) Then my teenagers (a boy and a girl) began driving. Sometimes their jobs mean they drive after dark. In these uncertain and dangerous times I have greater peace of mind knowing they have cell phones they can use to call for help if needed. (My son hit a deer one time and called me.) Now, I will say that my 13 year old doesn’t have a cell phone and won’t until she’s driving on her own. But at that time we’ll all have peace of mind if she has a cell phone.
(That’s my two-cents worth…maybe 10 cents worth. LOL!)
Really the only reason I have a cell phone is because it makes it easier to get hold of people or for them to get hold of me. I originally got a cell phone just to have on me for emergencies – my car was not very dependable – but over the years it has taken on a larger role in my life. I no longer have a home phone, I spend as much a month on my family plan as I did on that but now the kids’ schools can get hold of me immediately no matter where I am.
I use it for a calendar and an alarm clock as well – it is just easier for me to have all these things wrapped up in one little package. Could I get by without it? Sure, but it is certainly handy.
I grew in the ’90s so I’m sure my view on this is different from even the last generation, but I question why we have home phones. That is the extreme money pit, I would say. With my cell phone plan, I have two phone lines, the freedom to take my phone wherever I go, no worries about missing an important call or being out of contact during an emergency. There are no long distance charges.
I can use my cell phone whenever I need to 100% of the time. I simply don’t see the appeal of a home line.
I recently gave up my iPhone to go back to a regular cell phone (I blogged about it, if you’re interested)
. Now, with my regular phone, I find I rarely use it. People just don’t call me on it, and I don’t call them. Now I’m wondering if I even need a regular cell phone… It does help me to feel more secure when I am out driving by myself though.
Safety is a great reason to have a cell phone. That is why I have one for the most reason. That and my hubby can reach me any time.
We gave up our cell phones a few years ago. No one would call us on them, well, at least not just to chat. It seemed like people would call us whenever it was convenient for them, which would invariably be when it was inconvenient for them.
So, we gave them up. In the two years that we have been cell free, I can only think of TWO occasions when I have missed them. We did keep one of our old cell phones for an emergency, and keep it charged, because even without a cell phone plan, any cell phone can call 911.
We have our cells mostly for emergencies. We do end up using them in large stores to find each other (we have a shared plan so that’s “free”), talk to each other while DH is commuting home (blue tooth is a great thing sometimes), call from a store to see if the other needs something, etc… It’s basically a peace of mind thing for me. I drive around with my 2 little kids, and if the car breaks down or something, I don’t want to have to wait any longer than needed for help. Also very helpful if the phone line is out.
We have the home phone for local calls (so that cell minutes aren’t used), and also for emergencies. I don’t want to risk not finding my cell in an emergency, but the home phones are always in the same place. Also, the cell could be acting up, or not charged, and, of course, that’s when you need the phone the most. Having both isn’t totally needed, but gives me peace of mind.
We haven’t had a home phone in years. We’ve just been using cell phones. With our current job, we especially need phones. There have been several times in the past few weeks where I was really needing a phone. Once was out of town with children. I’m glad we have a cell phone now. We added my dad to our plan too. We can call each other now and now I know he has a cell phone. It wasn’t much more to add him and he can call his family at night.
We’ve been talking more and more about giving up our home phone, but I just can’t quite agree to give it up. I live with my cell, as does my husband, and can imagine being without it. My cell is mostly for business use, so I guess we have more specific reasons to have it, and to justify the cost. We’ll probably be able to deduct it on our taxes since we got it for my work. I suppose for us, the extra expense is more our home phone, so I just need to let it go and let my husband cancel it. That would save us some money each month, and who couldn’t use a little extra?
I actually just voiced the desire to loose the home phone a few weeks ago. My home phone only runs me $20 a month and we keep it for 911 purposes at the moment. Maybe I should bring up the cancelation idea again.
My hubby and I strongly believe that cell phones should be used for emergencies only. I grew up without having one, and now I see kids and teenagers with them all over the place. Yes, I think it is great for them to have in case you need to contact them in EMERGENCY, but otherwise we don’t need them. They seem to be more of distraction for teens and sometimes adults too. For instance, driving while on the phone. I can’t stand it!! Put the phone down and make your call once you have stopped. The conversation can wait.