via here
About two months ago I traded my spiffy Blackberry with its delightful internet and email capabilities for my father in law's old cellular device. It's a little scratched up - but it's a great green color - and has a full qwerty keyboard. :-)
I'm downgrading at a time when it seems like the world is upgrading. Even my patients at the free medicaid clinic have sweet iPhones...all the high school kids on the subway in NYC had fancy phones...and I swear I saw children in Central Park with bedazzled Blackberry's. Interesting.
We are trying, so desperately, to embrace minimalism around here. We need to save big bucks before baby comes...and it wouldn't be so bad to give up some of the luxury that has become rather commonplace in my world.
Has this been an easy transition? Well, I do miss not having my email send directly to me at all times of day...but I find that checking my email once a day at night is turning out to be OK too. I really missed not being able to read blogs whenever I was bored...but more and more it's no big deal to me. I'm saving some money doing this. And I'm willing to do anything to save a lil money these days. (Roughly $350 per year). I'm sure that Tommy and I will end up with nice phones with phat capabilities someday....just not anytime soon.
Are you doing anything to save your cash flow?? Care to share?
*note: it would have been VERY handy to have the internet capabilities on our phones while we were exploring NYC this past weekend. Gotta be honest.
Downgrading is always hard but its definitely worth while in the long run, and like you say, its not forever.
ReplyDeleteThe BF and I are saving to move to NZ and we have had to cut back on A LOT of luxuries and also move in with his parents (and sister and brother!). Eating out is our favourite hobby, along with travelling, and we are having to think much more carefully about going out and if we holiday at home or abroad.
Although its tough now, it will be worth it in the end!
TOTALLY have chosen to downgrade. Have a cell phone, but no account at the moment.
ReplyDeleteHave held onto our older computers longer.
Moved to a smaller rental (though still very nice) and saved $500 per month.
And the biggest thing? I am currently driving a 20-YEAR-OLD Honda Accord!!! Zero car payment. Yeah, we have an ace mechanic that specializes in Hondas, or this would never happen. Plus I work at home, so the car isn't put through much traffic.
The car is a pain in the butt lately with repairs, but I'm trying to nurse it along until next spring. Then I will lease a new car for 3 years. (I don't want to commit to any car when I know technology will cause new cars to have fabulous gas mileage soon.)
If that isn't delayed gratification, I don't know what is. ;) Also good for the environment. But yeah, I'm looking forward to spring!
And yeah to what Hannee said. It's a LOT easier to downgrade when you have a goal in mind and you know it's not permanent.
ReplyDeleteOver the last two years, I've cur out a lot. I no longer get manicures/pedicures. My haircut timeframe is about three to four months instead of six to eight weeks (longer hair helps with that). I don't get any fun "beauty" stuff like eyebrow waxing or fancy makeup (yay for CVS). We downgraded our cable... to none. We watch TV (a $25 find on craiglist) on the internet now. We eat out once a month and cook/use leftovers the rest of the nights. My computer has been on its last legs for nine months, but I'm waiting for it to diedie before I do anything. I didn't repair the dent in my car (someone hit it - hard - while it was parked) because I have better use for the $1000 deductible right now. And really... I don't miss any of these things. It's about priorities, and I think we're doing okay finding free/cheap alternatives. Though I'm entirely impressed about the phone. I feel like a phone downgrade would be hard, but some people feel that way about my cable decision, so I understand.
ReplyDeleteum...downgrading describes my life in this season. Andy and I were actually sharing an old grandma phone when we got back from traveling until i got a job!. Everything we own was thrifted or given to us...we only have one car....NO television, we're poaching our neighbors internet access...Yes, I totally understand what you're going through.
ReplyDeleteyou will be so glad you cut out expenses when you had the chance... I'm sure a lot of baby expenses will come up and you won't be able to cut those out! good job :-)
ReplyDeleteNo cable. For the last fifteen years. Yes, I feel smug about how much money that has saved me. And we have three cars, excessive maybe, but with an average age of 23 years and no car payments.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. We're on the saving train with you guys! We've only just got freeview because they've turned off the terrestrial signal here in the UK - no Virgin or Sky for us and i have a pay as you go phone, with about £10 on a month! Plus we're are the charity shop and using leftovers for other meals king and queen! It's totally worth it though when you see the money you've saved, right?! x
ReplyDeleteHey, Meghan,
ReplyDeleteFeeling smug is the bonus. There HAS to be an upside to this stuff! ;)
feek ya on downgrading... we only have the most basic phones (text and talking, that's it). we also ditched netflix, we got rid of cable tv, and we stopped going out to eat and going to movies. :P saving us quite a bit, but not sure if we can sustain this for more than a few months.
ReplyDeleteWhen we got married (a hundred years ago) we made a rule that we couldn't use the credit card for anything that wouldn't still be in our possession when the bill came...so no dinners out or vacations on credit.
ReplyDeleteTo back-up what you're saying...this last week I just upgraded our dining room table after 31 years with our "newlywed" table. Upgrades seem all the sweeter when you've economized in the early years.
I totally agree. My husband and I don't have high paying jobs right now (for the next 2-3 years) and we're paying off student loans. It's tough, but like you said, it's not forever.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have fancy phones either -- just plain pay-as-you-go phones, and we only pay about $10 a month. We hardly eat out, we cook at home, and bring lunch to work. We hardly buy new clothes.
The only sad thing is I want to buy more organic food and household things (like biodegradable detergents and shampoos), but those are more expensive! So we end up buying cheap generic supermarket brand stuff even though I'd like to buy "better" and healthier things for us and the planet. :-/ Oh well, I just keep thinking "in the future"... Also, we can't afford to donate to charity as much as we'd like to either...
Also, like another commenter said, we watch all TV on the internet, too!
ReplyDeleteWe're "pinching our pennies" around here too (which is not altogether new - we're pretty economical people). ;)
ReplyDeleteWe:
* eat in.
* watch our 1 favorite TV show on Hulu.
* purchase the "generic brand" for some toiletry and grocery items.
* check out books & movies from the library.
That said, Tim & I try not to "scrimp" in the technology department since our home-based business depends on a speedy Internet connection and high-functioning computers. We also both have iPhones.
P.S. I have a feeling you won't have to go without fancy phones forever (unless you want to, of course). You are, after all, a doctor. :)
stephanie@metropolitanmama.net