Living without a cell phone?

[BoomerD]

We kicked around the idea of getting rid of the land line and just keeping cell phones, but not only would the cell phones cost us MUCH more on a monthly basis, we get horrible reception here. Part of it is the stucco construction of the house, but part of it is our location. (even though we're less than 2 miles from the closest cell tower, it's unusual to get more than 2 bars on the meter. Calls sound like shit and cut out or drop all the time.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I like having a smartphone, but the phone part is the least of what I use it for. It's the only way to easily get internet on a handheld device without some overly complicated Itouch + mifi or similar solution.

 

[Dulanic]

Pass. I use it to replace a bunch of other devices. It's my radio my gps my personal calendar my phone book my 411 my email.

 

[lxskllr]

Pass. I use it to replace a bunch of other devices. It's my radio my gps my personal calendar my phone book my 411 my email.

I want to get a smart phone some time. I like the idea of having a computer I can fit in my pocket. I wish they had prepaid data service that was charged per byte/time, rather than an upfront cost.

 

[OverVolt]

"Is it possible to live without one now?"

What a stupid question haha, yes everyone in 1950 who had their car break down has died. May they rest in peace R.I.P.

 

[Blayze]

I got rid of mine last year (never had a smartphone), and I don't miss it.

 

[rh71]

it'd be completely inconvenient living without one.

case in point most recently when picking someone up from an airport. If you're driving up there and their gate changes, how do you find them without a cellphone? You'd have to park your car at their overpriced lots, and only after waiting a half hour for a no-show, then go inside to find out wtf happened.

Or, you could've spoken on the cellphone.

Sure, people had done it for decades before, but do you really want to be those people right now given the choice?

 

[l0cke]

As a college student, it would be totally impossible to live without one. No landline in the dorms, and even if there was it can't text. Almost every group project relies on group texts to meet up.

Smartphone features are even better. The ability to check email, open documents, use gps, etc on my phone have saved my ass numerous times.

 

[DrPizza]

it'd be completely inconvenient living without one.

case in point most recently when picking someone up from an airport. If you're driving up there and their gate changes, how do you find them without a cellphone? You'd have to park your car at their overpriced lots, and only after waiting a half hour for a no-show, then go inside to find out wtf happened.

Or, you could've spoken on the cellphone.

Sure, people had done it for decades before, but do you really want to be those people right now given the choice?

So, you're justifying the expense of a cell phone, based on an expense that might hit the average person once or twice in their lifetime?

 

[blinblue]

The thing is, cell phones are so cheap now. Tmobile offers 1000 minutes a year for $100, get a cheap GSM phone (~$10) and that's $110 for a year of service. If you hardly use minutes you can roll them over for another year of service for $10 (which adds 30 minutes). Say you only talk 20 minutes a month (240 minutes a year). Lets consider the cost of 10 years of service. That's a total of 2400 minutes, which would require two refills of $100 (1000 minutes), leaving 8 years that you can get by with the $10 refill (30 minutes). That gets you 2*1000+8*30=2240, which is a bit short, so I guess one of those years you'd do a higher refill than the $10. But lets just call it even.
So total cost is 2*$100+8*$10=$280 over 10 years. Which comes out to $2.33 per month

Lets say you talk even less, about 5 minutes a month (60/year, 600/ 10 years) on average. Then you wouldn't need that second larger refill. So the total cost would be 1*$100+9*10=$190 over 10 years. Which comes out to $1.58/month

Page Plus (which uses Verizon's network, so coverage is pretty great for the most part, and you can use nearly any Verizon phone. So pick up a cheap one used) has similar plans. $10 gets you 100 minutes that last 120 days, there is also a 50 cent monthly charge. So one year costs 3*$10+12*$0.5=$36, or $3/month.

If you talk a lot, Page Plus offers 2000 minutes for $80/year, for a total cost of $86/year or $7.17/month.
If you want a smartphone and want data, there are plans in the $30-$45 range from various providers (Straight Talk, Virgin Mobile, Page Plus, Tmobile, etc)


So for between $1.58-$3 /month you can get minimal cell phone service. Now if the advantages of a cell phone aren't worth that cost, then go ahead and continue not using a cell phone. But don't kid yourself into thinking the only options are "No cell phone" or "$90/month smartphone." There are still plenty of cheap options out there.


edit:
And to answer the original question. Yes I could make do without my cell phone. I make few calls except ones to my wife. However I rely on wireless data for some extra income. Whenever I stop by at Target/Meijer/Goodwill I check for things to resell by looking up what they are worth on Amazon.com. Last year I made about $6k doing that (and I was only seriously doing it for the last half of the year). So it more than pays for the cost of my service ($25/month for unlimited text/data and 300 minutes with Virgin Mobile. The plan now costs $35 for new subscribers, but I am grandfathered in)

 

[ky54]

My life wouldn't change at all. I don't have a cell phone nor do I need one. The wife and daughter have one but I have my computers.

 

[Wyndru]

We just got our bill for last month, I used 0 minutes on my phone, so I think I would be fine without one.

 

[MotionMan]

As a college student, it would be totally impossible to live without one. No landline in the dorms, and even if there was it can't text. Almost every group project relies on group texts to meet up.

I wonder how we ever got anything done in college before mobile phones.

Smartphone features are even better. The ability to check email, open documents, use gps, etc on my phone have saved my ass numerous times.

I lived through high school, college and almost all of law school without a mobile phone (and I did not have e-mail until mid-law school). Even then, they were very basic and limited. We survived.

That being said, as I said above, having them makes a LOT of things more convenient. I do not understand the luddites who rail against them.

MotionMan

 

[rh71]

So, you're justifying the expense of a cell phone, based on an expense that might hit the average person once or twice in their lifetime?

Less than $1/day. Mom actually pays $80/year. Who ever said anything about it being free? I was just talking about convenience. Cellphone = convenient. While you're at a grocery store / whatever store. E T C.

A lot of people talk as though they don't leave their house. I work from home and the few times I do go out the cellphone is still handy. I pick my wife up at the train station every single weekday. She tells me when there's problems on the line which delays them for 20 minutes or whatever. Do I really want to be sitting there not knowing if she won't be coming for an hour and whether I should head home and come back later? Better yet, I'll just have her use the bat signal.

Anyway, less than $1/day - you people use more than that for snacks, smokes, or toys. Beer?

 

[woodie1]

I do not need a cell phone. I am not an important person so making it possible for anyone to contact me anytime is not necessary. At least that is my stand on the subject. When I need info I have a desktop, laptop and a tablet. Most of the incoming landline calls I get are unnecessary and I may shut it down soon. How in the world did we survive without all this tech crap?

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I wonder how we ever got anything done in college before mobile phones.





I lived through high school, college and almost all of law school without a mobile phone (and I did not have e-mail until mid-law school). Even then, they were very basic and limited. We survived.

That being said, as I said above, having them makes a LOT of things more convenient. I do not understand the luddites who rail against them.

MotionMan

Competitive pressure makes it closer to a necessity. Who wants to work with/hire/promote the guy that can't coordinate mobilely.

 

[rh71]

As a college student, it would be totally impossible to live without one. No landline in the dorms, and even if there was it can't text. Almost every group project relies on group texts to meet up.

Not everyone wants to pay $5 extra to have instant messaging that should already be free - so what if we didn't do texting? Maybe Google Voice...

We just used regular email to schedule meets way back in 1999. If things got changed, we did have to check email after no-shows since cellphones weren't prevalent yet.

We also had land lines in dorm rooms included "back then".

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Competitive pressure makes it closer to a necessity. Who wants to work with/hire/promote the guy that can't coordinate mobilely.

Those who expect you to perform reliably at a set time and place? Those who expect you to be responsible for the business while they run around looking busy? Those who's productivity is measured in the number of customers satisfied rather than the number of calls/contacts made?

 

[rh71]

That reminds me, even the spanish dude who just did my fence was fielding business calls throughout the day. Makes the world go round.

If I am a prospective customer and I'm asked to leave a msg on your answering machine for you to check at night, you may very well lose out to the guy who I just spoke with on his cellphone and can be here for an estimate at 5pm.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Those who expect you to perform reliably at a set time and place? Those who expect you to be responsible for the business while they run around looking busy? Those who's productivity is measured in the number of customers satisfied rather than the number of calls/contacts made?

Those whose patients will unnecessarily suffer or die because you're always out of the office performing surgeries.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Cell phone is essential for a social life. Being 22, a cell phone is necessary to maintain contact with people my age.

I imagine if I was older, had a family, had an established career, I wouldn't "need" one as much.

 

[MotionMan]

So, you're justifying the expense of a cell phone, based on an expense that might hit the average person once or twice in their lifetime?

That sounds like a perfect description of insurance. I guess we should not buy insurance.

MotionMan

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Those who expect you to perform reliably at a set time and place? Those who expect you to be responsible for the business while they run around looking busy? Those who's productivity is measured in the number of customers satisfied rather than the number of calls/contacts made?

How is any of that mutually exclusive to someone who has the ability to communicate any time and anywhere in a multitude of ways. Between two people of equal skill the one who bothers to keep a cell phone is the clear superior. Really what you just said is idiotic as none of it has any relation to owning a cell phone or not.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I do not need a cell phone. I am not an important person so making it possible for anyone to contact me anytime is not necessary. At least that is my stand on the subject. When I need info I have a desktop, laptop and a tablet. Most of the incoming landline calls I get are unnecessary and I may shut it down soon. How in the world did we survive without all this tech crap?

We survived fine. But having a smart phone, makes life more convenient and easier.

I have a GPS for directions.

When meeting-up with folks, if someone is going to be late or decide to meet elsewhere, someone can call/text the others.

While running errands and it's late, I can look-up a store to see when they close or call them.

I have an app for the subway/bus that actually on a map shows me their exact location and how long it will be til it reaches my stop.

Shopping, I can comparison shop quickly with an app or looking up another store's website.

When my father collapsed at a restaurant, I was hiking in the woods but was able to be reached and go directly to the hospital.

When one of my dogs injured himself at the dog park, I was able to call the vet's as we were driving to let them know we were coming.

Need a taxi, I can send a text message and get picked-up.

While walking to the close of my refinancing, I was able to be called and be told that the closing had been post-phoned.

If I'm out and about, my gf/friends can call/text me to make plans for later.

Etc, etc, etc....

 

[IndyColtsFan]

As a college student, it would be totally impossible to live without one. No landline in the dorms, and even if there was it can't text. Almost every group project relies on group texts to meet up.

Smartphone features are even better. The ability to check email, open documents, use gps, etc on my phone have saved my ass numerous times.

LOL, kids these days. I don't know how people my age (late 30s/early 40s) managed without them.