The Thoughts of a Frumpy Professor

............................................ ............................................ A blog devoted to the ramblings of a small town, middle aged college professor as he experiences life and all its strange variances.

Friday, December 07, 2012

Smart Phones



Cell phones create a little bit of controversy in my household.  Where we are currently at is my wife has had a regular cell phone (for this essay, perhaps I will call it a "dumb phone" as it is basically just a phone) for about 8 years with a big, expensive contract. The expense was ameliorated a "bit" by the fact that she was on a plan with her mother which "lowered" the cost a bit.   I have have had a  pay-as-you-go "dumb phone" for 7 years now, and in the full seven years, I have spent less than  $250 total on minutes for the beast.  It has been very useful, but I am not typically one to talk a lot on the phone.  Only three people ever knew my cell phone number... my wife, one of my sisters, and my mother.  The phone is for my convenience for me to call people if I need to while out and about.

My wife's mother decided to go with a different plan, and my wife now is in the market for a new phone and plan.  She really wants a "smart phone".  I have played around a bit with various smart phones of my relatives and my students, and I admit they are rather fun, and the convenience of being able to access the Internet and e-mail from them does have appeal.   There lies the conundrum.  I am very much a penny-pinching-cheapskate by nature.  While I would find it "fun" to have a smart phone to play around with, the idea of paying for the damn thing makes me apoplectic.  Here is the basic breakdown of what the options are that I can see:

1.  My wife gets a smart phone and a "plan" which will run roughly $80-90 every month.  I keep my "dumb phone".
2.  My wife and I get a smart phone and a "plan" which will run roughly $140-150 every month.
3.  My wife gets a "monthly" smart phone which will run about $50 every month.  I keep my "dumb phone". 
4.  My wife and I both get a "monthly" smart phone which will then run about $100 every month. 

My wife has worries about the "service" if she were to go to monthly plan, thinking that the coverage is not good and that she would not have the access she wants.  She would like a traditional (aka pricey) "plan" which she feels has better coverage and better access.  I think it would be kind of "fun" to have a smart phone, but the idea of paying $150 every single  MONTH for such seems too damn extravagant and a bit outrageous.  If my wife got the month-by-month smart phone and I kept my dumb phone, we would be paying roughly what we pay now for her phone, but I would feel a bit left out, I guess.  So, neither of us knows what is the best way to go.  It is still open for debate.  Part of me still feels cell phones in general, while convenient, are just a damn extravagance. 

Enough about phone nonsense.  I am thinking I may be able to visit my elderly father-in-law this afternoon.  If I do, this will become a "special occasion pipe smoking" Friday.  If I do not get to go, I will stick to my zero "non-special day" plan.  

PipeTobacco

Today's (Friday's) Goal =0, or 1, or 2 bowls

Yesterday's (Thursday's) Goal = 0 bowls
Actual consumption (Thursday) = 0 bowls

P.S.  Note to BBC:

For me, when I was smoking my pipe in my more typical rate before 11/26, the big one-pound canister would last me between 3-4 weeks  (usually 4, unless I was more stressed).  Of course, there were occasional supplements from my pouches of flavored pipe tobaccos and one or two cigars a month as well.  If my current "special occasion pipe smoking" mode sticks, I am estimating the pipe tobacco I have now will probably last through June of next year.  

6 Comments:

Blogger austere said...

Sigh.I use a dumb phone,a nokia-- and don't feel like moving to a Blackberry though at some point I guess I shall have to.

Friday, 07 December, 2012  
Blogger BBC said...

Boy, the way you state it makes it sound like you used a lot of tobacco compared to what I've used.

Was thinking before I came here that it's already Friday, I'm starting over again today, well, cutting back anyway.

I have to buy 25 bucks of air time every 90 days to keep my dumb phone active, that's about $8.50 a month and all I'm willing to pay for a phone I very seldom use.

No way will I get a smart phone and expensive service contract, I don't care how cool they are, I have enough distractions.

And my income is less than 1000 bucks a month, most of you wouldn't have a clue how to live on that little but I think I do okay with it.

Friday, 07 December, 2012  
Blogger BBC said...

Just a note: Rick bought a semi smart phone a while back, but he gets so damn frustrated trying to figure out what to do with it that he just turns if off and puts it in a desk drawer. I guess he keeps it active because he hasn't got sense enough to spend that money on something more useful. :-)

Friday, 07 December, 2012  
Blogger PipeTobacco said...

BBC:

Yes, I smoked a lot of pipe tobacco when I did so in an unrestricted fashion.

I am lucky that I got my "dumb phone" before the 90 day recharge requirement happened across the board. I have been grandfathered in and never have to pay for anything I do not actually use.

PipeTobacco
http://frumpyprofessor.blogspot.com

Friday, 07 December, 2012  
Blogger BBC said...

I like some things in an unrestricted fashion, bring on the titties, hehehehe

Friday, 07 December, 2012  
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Friday, 07 December, 2012  

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