Jour 119: Can you go without a cellphone? Or should you? Or I?

Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby looks glam with a landline, peignoir & baby leopard

Remember how, 43 days ago, I committed to going cell-phone free for 99 days? This was not out of any sort of anti-technology thing, or really on purpose at all. It's just that my phone died, and my contract is up at the end of June, and I want to switch providers without having to pay a contract cancellation fee.

So, it's been 43 days without a cellphone. To some of you, that may seem completely non-understandable; while to others (i.e. the Amish among you) it's like meh. 

Donna Reed re-enacts how I need to stay in a close radius to my landline phone.

I never really used my cell that much, and I have to say that in the past 43 days there have been very few times when I really missed it. I mean, OK, it would be nice to have a phone conversation in my apartment away from a 2-metre radius from the landline phone (I've heard of new-fangled cordless phones, but that's too advanced for me). And I'm going on a business trip shortly when a cell would be handy to meet up with friends, etc.

But otherwise? I'm totally fine.


This, combined with Fabulously Fru-girl's comment on my post about what's worth the cost (and what isn't), puts a few things into new light. Like, a data plan and fancypants phone are nice, but are they really necessary?

I lust after iPhones the same way I lust after expensive skin creams and shoes they talk about in magazines; it's something cute and cool that famous, glamorous people have and so, if I had one, I would suddenly join the land of the famous/glamorous. Those conversation screens you use when texting on an iPhone? ADORBS! Except... I don't text anybody. So I'd need to start finding people to text. The way you can download apps and check your emails on your phone, 24/7 no matter where you are? SUPER CONVENIENT! Except... I'm not that important. And I have internet access at home and work, so those few hours when I'm in neither place are not that crucial to get emails.

Another option is to have 3 phones in my house, a la Cary Grant in His Girl Friday

So, I'm torn. It all comes down to whether or not the iPhone is cheaper or more expensive than an old-skool phone. If the price is the same either way to bundle into my contract? iPhone all the way! If the iPhone is like, $50/more per month? Old-skool phone all the way!

I know which option Zack Morris would vote for!

I don't know. I could really go either way on this. And yes, I know there are non-iPhone smartphones you could get, but the issues are the same. If I'm only using the phone to, you know, phone people, then do I need a data plan and a texting plan and all those more expensive addendums?

What say you, people who are smarter than I? Is this a good way to save money, or would it be worth the expense to get a smartphone?