Why I Ditched My Cell Phone: 6 MONTH UPDATE

Back in February I decided to cancel my cellular telephone plan with the reasoning that I didn’t really NEED it. I mean it’s convenient to look stuff up and text people but is it really worth the $70 / month cost?

Not That Big Of A Deal

Well 6 months later and I can say that the adjustment to not having CONSTANT access to the internet wasn’t that big of a deal.

There have been a few times where I wanted to to look something up but that certainly isn’t worth $70 a month. Keeping in touch with people didn’t change much because I just switched from SMS to WeChat, WhatsAPP, or Twitter DM. If I had to use voice I just connected to wifi and used skype or my desktop.

The Odd Minor Incident

The only incident I really had was when I had to meet my friend who said she was down at the flea market. I ASSUMED she meant the farmers market flea market but it turned out to be another one. Completely my fault for not looking up the address she sent me before I left.

Wasn’t a huge deal, I just drove to McDonalds and used their free wifi. That little detour wasted about 15 mins of time. Otherwise all good!

I do still carry my phone with me but just use it as a clock and camera. A few times I have also connected up to public WIFI when I was out and bored.

It Mostly Just Stays In My Pocket I usually find myself observing and looking around at my surroundings more when I am out and about now.

Didn’t Have A Spiritual Awakening

Praise Jesus Hallelujah!… or not I am sorry to disappoint that my 6 months with out a cell plan doesn’t end with me having a huge spiritual awakening that cell phones are the devil.

The only real difference is that I have TWO less monthly bills to pay and that’s worth something. (Cell Plan & Google Play)

About $1000 Dollars A Year

The thought of paying for cellular service kind of offends me now. It’s just such an unnecessary bill.

If you are thinking about transitioning here are some helpful tips:

Make a list of the things you use your cell phone for and compensate for them:

MUSIC & MOVIES: I used to stream google play all the time. Instead store your MP3’s locally on your SD card. I bought a 128GB SD card and put 20GB’s of MP3’s and 60GB of movies and tv shows on their.

I am here to tell you that you DO NOT need access to every song in the world when you are out and about! A little preparation can save you alot of money.

GPS & DIRECTIONS:
I know the city where I live in pretty well so I don’t need to use this function all that much. However if you do need GPS just buy a used Garmin GPS unit off Craigslist or eBay. Updated maps for life and NO monthly bills. I keep one in my car when I go on trips.

MAKING PLANS WITH FRIENDS:
This one can be frustrating if you have ADHD friends who spend their lives staring at their phones. When you make plans with them just confirm the TIME and WHERE you are meeting them and make sure they know that you don’t have a cell phone so make sure to show up.

If they don’t show up I guess you will have to find a wifi hotspot or just leave. People are usually pretty good about this…or maybe I just have nice friends.

Looking back over the last 6 months I am glad I ended the commitment of having to pay $70+ a month for a cell phone plan. I am not saying that this is right for EVERYBODY and lord knows people will justify having a cell plan with dozens of excuses but I just want them to take a close look at their habits and determine if they really NEED it.

Thanks for reading!

/Ethan