Let’s face it: twenty years ago, not many Americans had mobile phones; today, it’s hard to find many without them. In 2008, the mobile phone is close to a necessity, the same way that a landline is close to a necessity–it’s not food, water, or clothing, but it’s hard to communicate in this day and age still without a phone (you could probably get by with just email and instant messaging, but it would require being tied to a computer a lot).

Today I ordered a new Samsung Upstage phone with a $30 a month Sprint SERO plan which I learned about through Five Cent Nickel; my current Samsung A920 and $50 a month Sprint (non-SERO) plan contract expires in less than a month, so I’ll be looking at switching over. For $30 a month, I get 500 “Anytime Minutes” (I rarely go over 100 minutes a month because after talking on the phone at work all day, I dislike talking on the phone), unlimited night/weekend minutes (after 7 pm), unlimited text messaging, and unlimited high speed data.

For mobile phones, it’s quite a deal. Considering I use the data heavily, I really need Sprint (despite the fact that I am chronically unhappy with their anemic customer service) because they offer a low price unlimited data plan that operates over a fast network.

Or do I?

I question the term “need” that I just used there. I survived well over half my life without a mobile phone–not one I owned, but mobile phones being used by any except the very wealthy, meaning no one I knew personally even had a mobile phone. Even after they started becoming commonplace, I didn’t get one for myself until about five years ago.

Has it become a need? It’s certainly not in the need category of food, water, shelter, or clothing; it’s also not a need quite like electricity or gasoline. Communication by phone is still a type of necessity, but is mobile communication by phone a necessity? It’s a convenience, for sure, and in most (but not all) ways it can replace your landline (notice how many people are going without landlines these days?).

It’s more of a need, however, than an iPod or a new bike or even a more expensive phone. It fits into the category of need more than want. Even then, however, I consider how I can handle this situation in as frugal a manner as possible. While I don’t think I actually “need” a mobile phone with fast Internet access, I think that it would make me have to change my lifestyle substantially to keep that $30 a month in my pocket, and that the $30 is a worthwhile–although not totally necessary–expense. When you consider if something is a want, a need, or just a way to maintain your lifestyle in a way you find financially worthwhile, you can research ways to make any of the above into a frugal proposition and maximize wise use of your dollars.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply