Running a personal finance blog and reading personal finance blogs has turned me into quite the savvy shopper, meaning that rarely will you see me buying the newest pair of jeans or newest technology. In fact I wanted to purchase the iPhone when it first came out but every time I went to purchase it I remembered something I read or I would start thinking about alternatives and questioning if I truly need this item. I held off for a very long time on the purchase. Last summer I came very close again but this time I used the 30 day rule to prolong the purchase. The 30 day rule worked so well that by the time 30 days around I had entirely forgotten about the phone.
Finally last November when I began running this blog it hit me that the day would come where I needed to invest in a smart phone. A couple of weeks ago after failing to renegotiate a new monthly plan with a my phone provider I decided to switch phone companies, purchasing the iPhone in the process. In my defense I didn’t lose that much money on the phone because despite it costing me $200 I was able to sell my previous iPod to cover most of the costs. Enough of me feeling bad about spending money and time for me to list the benefits of my new phone:
1. Helps kill down time. I have a lot of down time in an average day due to the amount of time it takes me to go to school and breaks in between classes. Now I’m able to play Chess or explore the various applications available to an iPhone all while on the bus.
2. More time to read blogs. If there’s one thing that has improved it’s my ability to read all of my favourite personal finance blogs daily. Whether I’m at the bus stop or in the car with a friend I can catch up on my reading.
3. Improved organization. I’m a fairly organized person but now I can keep track of every task and appointment that I may have. My favorite feature is setting an alarm to notify me 15 minutes before an appointment or task start time. This ensures that I never miss anything or forget to complete any assignment.
4. Pull more pranks. I’m not going to lie to you guys I love pulling pranks on my friends. Let me tell you the iPhone has some very evil applications that could result in hours of laughter. The best application for pranks by far is the one where you can call a number and use another number to appear on that person’s caller ID. Pretty much meaning you can really scare some people into thinking they are being called by someone that shouldn’t be calling them. I know it’s immature but I figured I should share some personal information about myself sometimes.
Now to turn things over to the readers, I’m curious to know what type of smart phone do you use? Better yet is there anyone out there that has better will power than me and been able to avoid the whole smart phone craze?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I think the iPhone is cute, but not for business users because the virtual keyboard is a bit too small for fingers to hit the proper buttons.
I am waiting for the palm Pre, myself..
Welcome to the dark side of the smartphone world my friend. I got mine last fall and have loved it ever since. I was able to secure a cheap plan using a corporate discount.
It can be used for business purposes, but Blackberry does it better. I use mine for 75% personal 25% business (including my blog).
That being said, I’m really pumped about the Palm Pre as well. I never buy first gen products, but the 2nd gen Pre is already on my list of considerations in 2010.
i have an iphone too. i’m kind of a gadget person and switched from the blackberry curve in september. truth be told i miss the keyboard of the blackberry, and i got emails way faster on the blackberry too. my next phone probably won’t be an iphone, not that there’s anything wrong with it, i think i just prefer the hardware of the blackberry.
congrats on the new phone!!!
I fought for weeks to try and get a Blackberry Pearl into our budget, but in the end, the numbers wouldn’t give enough. We’ve ended up with some pretty sweet Sony phones that are surprisingly powerful, but at least for now our smartphone purchase is another couple of years away.
I was in a similar situation. For a while I liked having my phone just be a phone. But being a Mac user, the iPhone and all it’s wizardry were certainly appealing. I finally used my upgrade in January and made the switch.
I agree that the iPhone is one of the sweetest gadgets on the planet. Not only from a fun standpoint, but from a productivity standpoint as well.
Sweet! I need one… I’m not a huge fan of my Blackberry. It’s just not nearly as cool. One of these days I’ll give and buy an iPhone.
I really would like some kind of keyboard on the iphone. I’d even be happy with a bluetooth keyboard that I attach. The touchscreen is great in a pinch, but I use it a lot at work (shhhhhhhh) and would like to make its use easier.
Heh, I’ve been able to resist any sort of smart phone up to this point. Although, that might be because I’m hopelessly behind the times with respect to technology; it’s only in the last month that I’ve started one of these ‘blog’ things I’ve heard so much about so much about from the young people.
It’s probably for the best, though, as I tend to get easily distracted online, and so it’s probably good I can’t get online anywhere, at any time…
I am in love with my Blackberry Curve.
It is pricey, but it is helpful businesswise.
I am rather tech savvy and find no need to get a smart phone.
Do I really want to be attached to work 24/7? Nooo way!
Smart phones seem really cool to me. What prevents me from buying one is the monthly cost of having internet access.
My ideal phone would be as small as possible, Zoolander style. I want it to be as small as possible, while still being able to text and talk on the phone.