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Going Low Tech
I never planned to have an iPhone. In fact, the idea seemed completely outlandish to me ~ why would I need an iPhone??
Well, then someone gave Shane a new iPhone, so he had this old one just lying around. For a long time, we let it just lie around. I just didn’t need one. Then, something happened to my phone. Honestly, I can’t even remember what it was. What I do remember is that I was without a phone, and so we decided maybe I could activate the iPhone and just use it as a regular phone. Just not get the data plan. The only problem with that plan turned out to be that you’re not allowed to do that, I guess. So, we debated buying me a new little cell phone, or activating the iPhone. In the end, I decided to give the iPhone a shot.I have had such a great time with my iPhone. I post pictures and status updates to Facebook, search directions using the map feature, look up restaurant menus on the road before we stop… It’s a pretty fun, addictive little device.
But then, here we are trying to save money, and every time I see our cell phone bill, I think, “Holy cow! That’s a lot of scratch!” I mean, with 4 out of 5 of us having cell phones, and two of those being iPhones, we end up averaging about $200/month in cell phone bills. That is just not reasonable, in my opinion, so I went in to AT & T Wireless a few days ago to find out what I could do to save a little money.
I had been thinking for some time that I might like to switch back to a regular cell phone, anyway. Don’t get me wrong ~ I have enjoyed my iPhone. It’s just that I don’t need it. In fact, the more I thought about going back to a regular phone, the more the idea appealed to me. Yes, it’s true ~ I won’t be posting as many up-to-the-minute reports on Facebook. I’m sure we will all survive. In fact, in a way, I think it will be better. I feel like I was living more mindfully ~ that I was more fully invested in living each moment ~ when I was not all Facebook-drunk.
I used to like being out with the family, maybe taking a few pictures, and then coming home at the end of the day (or the week, or whatever) and sitting down to organize my thoughts and write a blog entry about it. Maybe that isn’t for everyone, but it’s more my style. I like having time to mull over things, lay it all down and black & white and mull it over some more before I share it.
I think it’s important to acknowledge here, too, that I have an addictive personality. It’s okay, I can admit that. It is exceedingly easy for me to become addicted to things, and Facebook is one of those things ~ I’d check it on the way to work, in between classes, on my way to pick up kids, while I was out with kids, at dinner, while I was walking, reading, watching a movie….uncool. That was not the way I wanted to live. I wanted to be more present, more relaxed and more…well, just more ME. I am not a technology buff. It’s just not my thing. It never has been, but I got sucked in. And I didn’t really like it.
So, after much consideration, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be better to save that money and spend it on things that ARE my thing?” I decided it would.
Off I went to AT & T Wireless. A very helpful young man named George looked over our account with me, and he advised that we consider removing the insurance from any phones that were more than a year old. That was about $10/month/phone, and we had two that qualified. I told him about the idea I had about dropping my data plan. Turns out, I could save $30/month/phone by doing this. Only Shane and I have data plans, and I think Shane probably really does need his, since he uses his phone A LOT for work, especially when he travels. Therefore, at this time, I would really only entertain the idea of nixing my data plan. Nevertheless, dropping insurance and losing my data plan would save us $50/month, and that is nothing to sneeze at.
I mulled it over for a few days, talked to Shane, and decided to go back and do it. Today, I stopped by the store again. This time, I worked with a young woman named Diana. She was extremely helpful, and directed me to some really cute little phones that would suit my needs. I ended up choosing a Pantech Pursuit II. It is pink, and stupidly cute. Which is weird. I am so not a pink and cutesy gal, but I have had several pink and cutesy cell phones over the years. PInk and cutesy just works for cell phones.
Diana switched everything over for me, so I now have my new phone, with no data plan. The interesting thing is that, if I just cannot hang without my data plan (I think I will make it), I can opt to add a data plan for $10/month for unlimited access. I could also add GPS for an additional $10/month. So, worst case scenario, I totally can’t hang and add data and GPS, and I am STILL saving $10/month over my old data plan. Since we axed the insurance, even if I do add data and GPS, we will be saving $30/month, and that’s better than nothing.
It’s also interesting to note that I can still use my iPhone like an iPod (all of my music is on it), and I can use it to access the internet wherever there is WiFi. In the end, I really don’t feel like I am losing much at all. Of course, this is day one. It might be a tougher adjustment than I think, but, for now, I am happy with my cute little pink phone. I’ll keep you posted on how I feel as time goes by.
How much do you think a family of five can survive on? We're not canceling the kids music and dance lessons or anything. That's the stuff that really makes a life. What we want to do here is cut down all of our unnecessary spending (think coffee at Starbucks, clothes, frequent snacks and meals out) so that we can do more of the things we love and make a really good life for ourselves.
So, here's the plan:
In 2012, the Ross Family is committed to challenging ourselves to be more mindful about our spending. We are going to examine the ways in which we use our money, and try to save as much on the superfluous stuff as possible, so we can do more of the things we love, and achieve some family dreams.
The point is to stop and think about where we are throwing our money, and why; and maybe, as a family, start to make better, more responsible choices that will benefit us all. Why "The Low Life?" We are striving toward low cost, low impact, low stress, low maintenance family living. Being vegetarian, we eat low on the food chain. Some people say we're just a bunch of lowlifes :)
Follow us as we embark on our journey. Will it be an experiment, or will it become a major lifestyle change for us? We honestly don't know. We know it will be tough sometimes, and we know it will be rewarding. Most importantly, we know that we will be doing it together. Wish us luck!
With contributions by Sam, Shane, Justice, Hallie and Kaia.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Sam: Sam (a.k.a. "Mama") is a wife, mother of 3 and part-time elementary school drama teacher. Originally from the D.C./Metro Area, she met Shane on a roadtrip in 1994. When he was crazy enough to ask her to marry him, she agreed, moving with him first to Arizona (to finish earning her college degree) and then to Los Angeles, where he works in television post-production. She has been vegetarian since she was 14 years old. Sam fancies herself a Frugal Fashionista, frequenting yard sales and thrift stores and cutting up crappy old clothes to make fabulous new ones. She loves all things free (samples, books, speech, etc.) and has been known to rescue abandoned furniture from the side of the road in order to give it a happy new home. In her spare time, Sam likes to point and laugh at people who think mamas have "spare time." When she manages to steal a minute or two, she enjoys good, loud, live music, dancing (yes, she's that person who dances in L.A.) and not looking very cool. She is learning to knit, and enjoys sewing, gardening, cooking, graffiti, body art and dyeing her hair unusual colours. She wears combat boots. To church.
She would like to waste less food and save up enough money to put a down payment on a house and get health insurance for her family, as well as pay off the family's debt. In her dreams, she imagines taking another family vacation to Amsterdam, but will settle for planting tulips in the backyard.
Shane: Shane Ross is a television editor who specializes in documentaries, but been known to dabble in children's programming on occasion. He is from Western Montana, and Western Oregon, and then moved to Phoenix, AZ in the name of love. After a short while he relocated to Los Angeles, CA forcing his wife to move, in the name of love. He is an avid bicyclist, movie fan, and TV junkie…who skis on occasion (on the mountains, not the water). Been known to consider a can of corn "dinner."
He is hoping to save money so that he can buy a house, and a motor scooter…in that order.
Hallie (age 11): Hi, my name's Hallie Kay Erin Ross. I love writing, drawing, performing, and writing comics. I am also fascinated by ancient Egypt, and when I grow up I want to write comics and novels, but I also want to become an Egyptologist. When I perform I like to do plays. I am a drummer, and I play a little violin, flute and guitar, too. I want to learn how to play every instrument in existence and I like to make my own clothes, because no stores have exactly what I like, or alter my old clothes and turn them into new ones. I think the idea of trying to live off a $50 budget is a smart idea, and a good way to save money. I want to be able to buy a house, but I also hope we can save enough money to take a family trip to Egypt, and maybe to go to Berlin's Neues Museum in Germany to see the Bust of Nefertiti.
Justice (age 14): Hey there, world! I’m Justice Camille Noel Nem Sitscuit “Peanut Butter” “Kisa-chan” “Justi” Ross, and a whole lot of other things, too. I’m 14 years old and am in 9th grade as of spring 2012. I play the acoustice and electric bass, and I plan to pursue music proffessionally, in teaching, performing, or music therapy. I pass my time listening to music, dancing, playing bass, singing, reading, and making TONS of crafts. I am craft crazy. I especially making my own jewelry, usually made out of my own clay beads. I started making clay beads in about 5th grade, and I hope to open an etsy page to start selling, so keep an eye out! Plus, I love making anything to do with duct tape. I’m working on a skirt and plan to make a dress.
Also, I am a complete fashionista and I play by my own rules. One day, a turtleneck and slacks; the next, a plastic necklace, saddle shoes rock-n-roll gauntlets and a dress. I’m obsessed with accessories and interesting haircuts: right now my hair is in a very steeply angled bob, before that I looked like Ramona Flowers (in book one). I also love restyling clothes, which is part of how I plan to contribute to our project. If I see a cute skirt or shirt in a boutique, chances are I can get a thrift store T-shirt and make something that looks practically identical. This would save loads of money.
Another thing I’ve been cutting down on is snacks from the student store – I used to spend maybe $10-$15 per month, which is just a whole lot of cash down the drain. And I’m trying a lot of cheap brands with my family – you wouldn’t believe how good cheap food can be. Or how bad it can be. So, here’s to a sense of adventure and a picky pallette!
One thing I’m working on: tomatoes. They fit right into our budget we ca even grow them, abundantly, in our own backyard. And I like them! But ever since I was little, I’ve convinced myself that they are disgusting, and so now I gag every time I come near them even though I enjoy the taste. It must be a food aversion or something. Don’t laugh, this is serious! So, yeah, just thought that would be an interesting tidbit there.
And about that – our garden. We grow a bunch of food, and I plan to help the family effort a lot by weeding and planting (and digging and tilling and burying and picking. . .). not long ago I cut a bunch of rosemary. We probably won’t use it all in a year. Lettuce too. Anyone want to trade? Pretty pretty please with a dozen cherries? Same if you want lemons or oranges, let my mom know!
I really hope that with this money, we can do a lot of things we’ve been wanting to do. I want to take my family to Magic Mountain, Hallie and Daddy would love Tatsu. And maybe Seaworld, too. I haven’t been to the zoo forever, and Disneyland, or Universal Studios, are also definately on my list. But in addition to that, I found a few charities that I really want to be able to help out. One is called Gifts of Hope. There, you can donate money and chose where it goes, you can give a family a goat, a grove of mango trees, baby blankets, disaster kits, or even school uniforms. I also would love to be able to give to MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity. It helps people in need. . . do what the name implies. (Even if you can’t donate, you can volunteer – check it out!) NRDC, the National Resources Defence Council, has been sending me petitions since I was ten, but sometimes they need donations – and we just haven’t had enough to spare. And I also hope that one day, if I get asked to prom, I can get a nice dress without breaking the bank. The last one seems silly, and of course I don’t plan to buy a thousand dollar dress anyway, but it is true. The same goes for college funds, assuming I’d have to take a huge loan otherwise.
So, that’s the down and dirty. Who I am, what I do, what I want to do. How I plan to help. And how I plan to spend my time livin’ The Low Life.
Charity Sites:
http://www.mendpoverty.org/ - MEND
http://www.planusa.org/giftsofhope/search.php - Gifts of Hope
http://www.nrdc.org/ - NRDC
Kaia (age 8) My name is Kaia (KI-uh) and I am 8 years old. My favorite subjects are Math & Science; my favorite color is purple.I play the trumpet and I have a purple hippo that I've had since I was 1 year old. I think The project is a good idea because we won't be spending so much money. The big thing we're all aiming to save enough money for is a house. One of the things I want us to save up for is 5 tickets to Disneyland. We all agreed to sometimes have Sunday Treat at home. I think how I could help is by donating my allowance toward what we're aiming for. It wouldn't exactly be SAVING UP, but it would help the cause.
