What I decided to do about the iPhone
Thanks to all who voted in my poll and left comments about whether I should listen to my spend demon and buy an iPhone, or obey my save angel and stick to my low-frills mobile.
Of the 186 people who voted, 36% said get the iPhone, 29.6 percent said stick with what I've got, and 25.3% said get a cheaper alternative. One reader named Kim was especially persuasive.
"As with every "latest and greatest" gadget...the chances of the iPhone and the service contracts will probably get cheaper as time goes on. You might want to wait it out. (Remember how expensive laptops used to be??)"
Queenbee12 added to my doubt.
"Trouble with an all in one == if one part breaks, you're out of all of it while it gets serviced."
But more than one reader stoked my appetite for an iPhone, including this anonymous one:
"It is absolutely the coolest, most useful device I've ever owned. Most gadgets start to depreciate in terms of usefulness after a few weeks or months. With all the applications being developed, the opposite is true with the iPhone."An iPhone will allow me to blog from anywhere and will cost - I did the math - $30 more a month. (Hubby's company is paying for the first line so I will be the cheaper, second line in our family plan). Plus there are perks like GPS and mobile Internet.
Dear readers, I tried to...
...shake off the iPhone's practical and aesthetic appeal, but the more I used Hubby's iPhone the more I realized it was a match made in heaven, even if buying one meant listening to hell.
I have given into temptation. I am asking Santa for an iPhone.
The thought of having my own iPhone makes me giddy, but there is a down side. Asking for something so not-frugal makes me feel incredibly guilty. I grew up with Catholic guilt, which I'm realizing has many similarities to iPhone guilt.
Buyers remorse over the money my family is spending to purchase me an iPhone? Check. Shame for having one when others are truly struggling? Check. Self-doubt because I may well lose it or break it? Check.
As penny penance, I'm going to call our Internet provider and ask for $10 off our monthly bill, which just went up. I'm going to give up buying Toffutti Cuties, individual yogurt cups and other pricey groceries to save about $15 a month. Now I just need to find another $5 in my budget. Any suggestions?
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About The Bargain Hunter
Daily News staff writer Julia Scott loves to find bargains on everything from groceries to Gucci. Her tips will help keep your hard earned cash where it belongs - in your pocket.
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just get it and if you feel that bad its a work phone so you can feel better
Dear Bargain Hunter Babe,
I don't blame you. The iPhone is too irrestible. I've seen friend after friend absolute fall in love with their iPhones. Being that Hubby has one, and the fact that your work revolves around the internet and technology, I suspected you were a goner from the moment he brought it home! I of course covet an iPhone as well, but not wanting to pay the enormous monthly bill, am holding back until I am out of grad school and have a great job.
Love,
your New York sis
PS. you nailed the Catholic guilt.
As the widow of an electronics enthusiast, mother of 3 electronics sons and grandmother of 2 grown "boys," but still a practical shopper (someone's got to do it), I understand your dilemma. Does the phrase, "Boys and their toys" ring a bell? Now that you've decided to indulge yourself, wait for the end-of-the-year sales, and follow all the good advice given by your knowledgeable readers (I'm not one of those, just the voice of reason). Once you have your own "toy" and no longer have to use Hubby's, lose the guilt, Catholic or otherwise, and just enjoy! As for the extra $5 a month... Skip Starbuck's, et al, altogether, make your own favorite coffee and flavored creamer, and tote it in a nifty thermos. I make better coffee than any of those places, and like the variety of flavored creamers available in supermarkets these days.
Ellie,
You are the voice of reason. No point in feeling guilty once I've made a decision. I may just take your suggestion about Starbucks, too! ~Julia
I guess I was a goner when Hubby brought home the iPhone. Just took me a few weeks to realize it! ~Julia
I hope that this reaches Julia Scott.
About you and an I Phone. Wait until January. Steve Jobs always has something up his sleeve. He has a big convention in San Francisco early January. There is an " I Touch " which is everything but the phone.
Prices never come down until a new version comes out.
Moira
I tried to register about three weeks ago and I don't think it worked
Get the iphone, it will be well worth it. If your work won't pay for it you may be able to deduct all/part of the expense of it as work related.
Apple has announced that Steve Jobs will not appear, nor make his usual keynote address at next months Macworld convention.
An Apple marketing executive will take Jobs place. My hunch is that Jobs is either extremely ill, or Apple has nothing earh shattering to announce.
Apple also said that 2009 would be the last year at Macworld. No Apple, no need for Macworld.
Catholic guilt? I thought jewish gulit was the worst, combined with going to catholic grammar school in Brooklyn, I am left with lots of guilt. That's how I learned to become a Retail_Slut...lol
SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
As a Macphile, I always wished that Apple would someday make a phone, stylish, intuitive, and user-friendly...and my prayers were answered a few years back. Although I normally would've been one of the first in line, the fact that they partnered with AT&T kept me away. AT&T is by far the worst company I have ever dealt with. I previously had Cingular and when they merged I couldn't wait for my contract to expire to never deal with AT&T. Before rollover minutes, AT&T was charging me for overage minutes in the current month for minutes used in previous months. According to their customer service reps, it takes months for them to realize which "cell towers were used." They wouldn't credit my account so I took my business elsewhere. When my father-in-law bought the new iPhone 3G, he gave me his first gen iPhone. I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for service. I was entitled to a 25% employee discount but after getting my first bill, I realized it was not applied. The customer service reps then told me only the primary line could get the discount and it had to be done at activation. I was told to "ask [myself] if going through the hassle of reactivating is really worth the discount." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I should have known better and needless to say, I cancelled my service within 30 days, but they still hit me with an early termination fee which I had to call and complain about. I hate AT&T with a passion and although the iPhone may the be greatest phone ever, I can't bring myself to give AT&T my hard earned money every month. I wish you the best of luck with them in 2009.
bad news -- your readers are bargain hunter wantabes and not the real thing. following their advice will lead you to the poor house!
Robert,
Sounds like you had a really bad experience with AT&T. I hope this is not the case on average. I had Cingular/AT&T for two years and it has not been great, but not terrible like your experience. Best of luck with a new carrier. ~Julia
SCRS, I thought I had it bad, but you have Catholic and Jewish guilt! It all makes sense now. :) ~Julia
Jed, good point. I may be able to get a tax break. ~Julia
Moira,
Thanks for your comment. It did reach me! I am considering your advice and may well wait until January. ~Julia
PS. If you are trying to register for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest, email me a request to join at julia.scott@dailynews.com.
Julia, perhaps you should try shopping for more items at the Dollar Tree or 99cent store to "ease" that extra $5 you anxious of saving each month. Instead of doing your Lincoln lunch pack a lunch with leftovers (a savings of a Lincoln at least once a month)! Internet use could be shaved by signing up with DSL extreme (or do you have someone cheaper than them?)
re: how to save an additional $5 a month in your budget: wash all of your clothes in cold water, cold rinse cycle; it saves money in the heating bill for the water heater. ;-)
-Jenni
Good idea! I need to make a better habit of going to the dollar stores and non-mainstream (minorstream?) markets to get better grocery prices. Old habits are hard to break! ~Julia
Sounds like Scrooge is now going by the name of "Anonymous"... Let's wish him/her Happy Holidays anyway.
Best Buy is not waiting for Wal-Mart to introduce the iPhone on December 28.
Now through December 31, 2008, Best Buy has new lower prices (not by much) of the iPhones they carry.
$189.99 for the 8gb iPhone
$289.99 for the 16gb iPhone
Best Buy's price for the 8gb would undercut the rumored Wal-Mart price by $7.01. But, Wal-Mart matches prices if you bring in the ad for the item.
These new lower prices just want to make run right out and buy one!...lol
SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT
A late comment and question re: IPhone. If I knew $30 a month was all an IPhone would cost I would say sign me up NOW. I am not tech savvy but have been told there are many added costs, taxes and other fees that go along with IPhone useage. $30 bucks sounds to easy to me , am I wrong, let us know how you do, V.....
Violet, It's $30 extra a month for me because 1) I already have a cell phone on a family plan and 2) On our family plan Hubby has the "primary line," which is more expensive. If you are the only on your monthly plan, iPhone service starts at $70 a month.
~Julia