Smart Phone vs. Regular Cell Phone?

[dobball23]

How do I convnce my wife it is not worth the extra money to pay for a smartphone vs. keeping her regular cell phone?

A smart phone can do more and is better than a regular cell phone, but in my mind it is not worth any extra cost.

She currently uses Straight Talk (Wal Mart) and purchases a $30 card each month. She now wants to purchase a new phone ($150, according to her) and now pay $45 a month.

So, we would be paying 50% more montly (in addition to the one-time $150 cost). In my mind, we might as well just throw an extra $15 out the car window each month.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Unless you are required to have a Smart Phone by your employer (in which case they will pay for it or give you a per diem, as I do), no one on earth "NEEDS" a SmartPhone.

That said, no one "NEEDS" cable TV, a trip to Disney, dining out a nice restaurant, or anything other than the bare necessities.

A smart phone is a fun, but pricy, gadget. I currently have an IPhone 3GS (that I bought used on eBay for about $100 and works with the StraightTalk plan). While I am required to have it to check work emails while I'm traveling, it's fun to play games on it when I'm waiting, look up a product review on the internet while I'm shopping, look up a recipe at the groccery store, and get directions whil driving if my husband has the GPS that day. I also like taking pictures of my dogs and posting them on their facebook page (yes, they have their own facebook...).

It just comes down to figuring out if this phone is in your monthly budget and if you are both okay with this not-needed-but-fun purchase.

I'm going to be leaving my job when I have my baby and I am personally debating keeping my current phone and paying the $45 mo/fee on my own, or just getting a cheap regular cell phone on eBay and switching to the $30/mo plan, since I won't really "need" it after that.

 

[Fyrefly]

I don't know what your financial situation is like but you're coming across as a bit mean here. Do you have little splurges of your own? If you have some hobby you put $15 a month into why would yours be any more valid than her desire for a smart phone?

You either have the money or you don't. If you don't have the funds right now then that's the end of that conversation. If you both have an allowance for fun items which in my opinion you should, then if she can afford it then she ought to be allowed to make that decision as an adult without you needing to "convince" her not to.

 

[ceecee]

You couldn't convince me to get one. I have a triple minutes Tracfone with the touchscreen (I upgraded) and buy the year card for $100.00. DD has an iphone with virgin mobile for $30 a month (unlimited texts/200 min a mo) and DH has the same plan as I do. Funny thing is our Tracfones get better reception than that of our friends that pay $100 a month!

 

[dobball23]

I don't know what your financial situation is like but you're coming across as a bit mean here. Do you have little splurges of your own? If you have some hobby you put $15 a month into why would yours be any more valid than her desire for a smart phone?

You either have the money or you don't. If you don't have the funds right now then that's the end of that conversation. If you both have an allowance for fun items which in my opinion you should, then if she can afford it then she ought to be allowed to make that decision as an adult without you needing to "convince" her not to.

I'm not being mean. I just don't see a value in it. All of our financial decisions are based on value, but this one is not. It is throwing me for a loop.

 

[Fyrefly]

I'm not being mean. I just don't see a value in it. All of our financial decisions are based on value, but this one is not. It is throwing me for a loop.

Everything is value? How do you decide fun stuff? Surely there has to be something a little frivolous in your budget.

I'm not sure what to tell you aside from maybe asking her to explain why she wants one, explain why you don't think it's necessary (using a bit more detail than "throwing money out the window") and come to a compromise that way. Clearly there is "value" for her or she wouldn't be suggesting it.

 

[HM]

What reasons does she give for wanting it?

I myself use a pay-as-you-go phone which costs me about $20 a month. My DH doesn't even have a cellphone.

But, our kids both have iPhones through Virgin Mobile and we pay $30+tax a month for them (and their phones were several hundred dollars more than the one your DW wants). To them, they are pretty necessary and they really do get a lot of use from them both for school, social, and other reasons. I can see the value of paying for those for our kids, but not for me.

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

$15/mo is not very much money in the grand scheme of life.
$150 for a smart phone is very reasonable (she may even be able to find one that is less expensive).

I'm all about keeping the peace in life. Pick your battles carefully, they can haunt you.

Say she keeps the smart phone for 2 years, $360 additional for upgraded service and $150 for the phone. Is it worth $510 over the course of two years to make your wife happy by fulfilling one of her desires? Or is it worth a $510 savings to tell her what she wants is the same as throwing money out the car window every month?

 

[pixiewings71]

How do I convnce my wife it is not worth the extra money to pay for a smartphone vs. keeping her regular cell phone?

A smart phone can do more and is better than a regular cell phone, but in my mind it is not worth any extra cost.

She currently uses Straight Talk (Wal Mart) and purchases a $30 card each month. She now wants to purchase a new phone ($150, according to her) and now pay $45 a month.

So, we would be paying 50% more montly (in addition to the one-time $150 cost). In my mind, we might as well just throw an extra $15 out the car window each month.

I'm not being mean. I just don't see a value in it. All of our financial decisions are based on value, but this one is not. It is throwing me for a loop.

Yes, mean.
What does that even mean ($150 according to her)? That's ridiculous, if you don't believe how much it will cost go find out for yourself. Do you think she's lying to you? I have a smart phone, it wouldn't be the first thing I'd cut from my budget if I had to make changes. I use it for a lot of things, not just fun. YOU don't see the value in it, maybe SHE does. I echo the other posters, what do you do for fun? I mean both of you, if you do things based on value what about fun? If you can afford the $15 per month I don't see how this is a big deal.

 

[Pigeon]

If she sees that value in it, it doesn't matter if you don't.

The plan she's using is pretty cheap, even for a smart phone. I use Virgin Mobile, which is similarly priced. I upgraded to a VM smartphone from a really basic tracfone about six months ago. I like it very much.

Things that make it worth it to me are that I can check my email, both personal and work on it. I also have a few apps that I love. It allows me to use voice for texting, rather than typing in all those tiny letters. I can use this phone to download audio books from the library and listen to them, as well as listen to music.

 

[ssawka]

If it makes you feel any better, there are some cost saving advantages to having a smartphone:

1. There are apps that will allow you to compare prices by scanning a product's bar code. Useful when you are out shopping.
2. You can do free texting through Google Voice.
3. If you use a GPS, you can use an app on the phone that is always up to date. No need to buy an update.

 

[HM]

I had another thought about this. OP, if you and your wife are usually very careful about how you spend your money, I'm betting she put a lot of thought into this before broaching the idea with you. She really must have seen enough value in having it to ask about getting one.

 

[IUTBAM]

What kind of phone do YOU have? That's what I like to find out, first and foremost.

I am one of the most budget-conscious/frugal people on the planet. I think about every dime I spend of the family budget, and I don't splurge on "luxuries" for myself. I've been using a cheapo flip-phone Tracfone for years (since 2004). My DH's phones are always company provided.

I finally decided I wanted a smartphone. When Target was offering the Virgin Mobile iPhone 4S for $450 with an additional $100 gift card this past November, I jumped on that like a duck on a Junebug. $350 for a brand new iPhone, and VERY reasonable rates for Virgin Mobile (I pay $32 a month, tax included) for unlimited texting and web (the two things I use most) plus 300 minutes for calling (which I use maybe 10 minutes a month of). I love, love, love my iPhone. The built-in GPS and camera are awesome to have, plus a lot of cool features I never even realized it had. Best money I ever spent on myself. Had my DH raised an eyebrow over me wanting to upgrade my phone after 9 years...well, let's just say, he wouldn't have won that argument. Everyone deserves a splurge, especially when it's something that can make your life easier (which a smartphone definitely does, and I don't even use mine that much). And this is again, coming from someone who is extremely frugal. Back down and give your wife a break. Put a smile on, and let her have what she wants with analyzing it to death.

 

[shystalips]

Why don't you let her get a tmobile prepay smartphone and get under walmart's 100 minutes/unl,data/unl,text plan for $30 month. They have some nice smartphones and it's pretty reasonable if you don't talk alot and also give gives you unlimited data and text. But then again you can always use a voip app for calling to circumvent the 100 minutes. By the way the data is only throttled after 5gb so this is the best plan going.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I'm not being mean. I just don't see a value in it. All of our financial decisions are based on value, but this one is not. It is throwing me for a loop.

And you are guaranteed that your wife sees "value" in each and ever dollar you spend? The total would be $180/year for the extra StraightTalk fees and it's possible get a SmartPhone for cheaper than what she quoted if she's open to buying a used/refurbished phone on eBay. Many people are addicted to having the latest-and-greatest phone, so there are many used phones out on the market that have been traded in.

If it's in your budget (not going into debt for it, still would be on track for savings/retirement goals, etc.) I say why not.

 

[dobball23]

Thanks for all the feedback everybody! I definitely wasn't looking to stir up trouble. I was just trying to find out if the sentiment was that a smartphone was worth it since I, personally, do not think it is.

 

[RitaE]

I think this thread demonstrates a prime reason why in a normal couple, joint finances situation everybody should have a reasonable amount of money that they get to decide how to spend all on their own without judgement from their partner. Call it an allowance, call it spending money ..... whatever you want - but I think everybody needs that.

I can't tell you if this extra $15 is significant in your budget or not, but your statements kind of translate to "I think this smartphone she wants is stupid and so she shouldn't get to have it!"

And now you want us to tell you how to get her to do it your way.

Now if she's already spending a couple hundred a month on other luxuries then by all mean bring up that she should have to make some choices and decide if she'd rather have the smartphone or she'd rather have manicures or whatever --- and you should get an equal amount to make choices on things for you. But fighting like this is just going to cause bad feelings all around.

 

[shystalips]

I think this thread demonstrates a prime reason why in a normal couple, joint finances situation everybody should have a reasonable amount of money that they get to decide how to spend all on their own without judgement from their partner. Call it an allowance, call it spending money ..... whatever you want - but I think everybody needs that.

I can't tell you if this extra $15 is significant in your budget or not, but your statements kind of translate to "I think this smartphone she wants is stupid and so she shouldn't get to have it!"

And now you want us to tell you how to get her to do it your way.

Now if she's already spending a couple hundred a month on other luxuries then by all mean bring up that she should have to make some choices and decide if she'd rather have the smartphone or she'd rather have manicures or whatever --- and you should get an equal amount to make choices on things for you. But fighting like this is just going to cause bad feelings all around.

Like This.

 

[S. C.]

You couldn't convince me to get one. I have a triple minutes Tracfone with the touchscreen (I upgraded) and buy the year card for $100.00. DD has an iphone with virgin mobile for $30 a month (unlimited texts/200 min a mo) and DH has the same plan as I do. Funny thing is our Tracfones get better reception than that of our friends that pay $100 a month!

Would you mind telling which Tracfone that you have? I'm thinking of going that route. Since I retired I hardly ever use my cell, cut back from Verizon to Straight Talk $30 plan. I don't use 1000 minutes text or talk. I use between 200-300 minutes a month talk and about 10 minutes text. I never use internet on the phone.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Thanks for all the feedback everybody! I definitely wasn't looking to stir up trouble. I was just trying to find out if the sentiment was that a smartphone was worth it since I, personally, do not think it is.

This is the key factor. It is a want, they are fun!

Remember, Happy Wife, Happy Life