The following post is a guest post. We would love to hear your thoughts.
A lot of stuff invented in the last couple of decades – heck, in the last century even – has made our lives easier but they still don’t qualify as necessities. I often write about needs vs. wants, and it is in the area of technology that people often blur the lines between the two. For my family, this started by forsaking a piece of technology that has become, for most Americans, an absolute need over the past couple generations: a car. While I understand that going carless is not possible for everyone, we get around on public transit, taxis, and our own two feet – and we don’t miss having a car even a bit.
If we could forsake the car, I figured, there are certainly other, more frivolous types of technology on which I can cut back. We certainly don’t need digital cameras, for example, in order to survive. Here are some ways I’ve been looking to cut back on some slightly more essential technology, the type that walks that line between needs and wants:
Cell Phones
These days, thanks to technology, cell phones can be either really cheap or really expense. Are you looking for a smartphone loaded with features and an unlimited data plan? Expensive. Do you just want a phone that allows you to communicate with others when you’re on the go? Well, now you can start getting cheap. Minimize your data use.
And while the modern smartphone can replace many things, including time-telling, it can’t replace the luxury of a nice watch. Many people steer clear of smartphones, which over the course of a year or more will cost you thousands of dollars, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is a one time charge. And you’ll even have enough left over to treat yourself to a watch winder from WatchCases.com.
Internet
I’ll admit, having access to the internet borders, for most of us, on the “needs” category. I use the internet to get news, write emails, do work, and – of course – blog. But the internet is virtually everywhere, and one only needs to head down to the nearest Starbucks or local café to get some broadband reception. It might be even more of a sacrifice than tossing the car, but you can’t deny: it’s doable and it brings you savings.
Cable Television
The last of our “big three” technological needs: TV. This one, also, is the most expendable for me. I don’t watch sporting events, most shows are mediocre, and nobody watches television anymore to get the news. If there’s something I really want to watch, it’s usually posted online the next day. Otherwise, by eliminating reality shows and made-for-TV movies from your life, you’re really only doing yourself a favor.
This article just looks generally at some of our biggest technological needs/wants. Even these, it goes to show, can be cut back, and you’ll probably realize afterwards how unessential they were to your life. Got any other ideas? Please, let me know.
*Guest post by Becky W.
Leave a Reply