A downgrade. For Dave Ramsey.

The budget has spoken.  The oh-so-important media package on my Blackberry must go.  In fact, so must the Blackberry.  And in order to avoid the $30 "renewal" fee that my wireless provider now charges simply to renew a contract (even if you're downgrading your phone), I made a few phone calls and rounded up an old, ratty, er, well-loved dumb-phone that has been dumped by both my Mother and Sister.  


Ah yes, the gem is now mine.


Funny thing is, I'm sort of relieved in a way.

For starters, I've never used my smart-phone for anything really important.  I don't use it for navigation (yes, I still actually stop and ask people for directions) or any fancy apps.  I don't play games on it or sync it any other technology.  I don't keep a calender on it.  I don't usually post updates to my blog, Facebook page, or Twitter account.  I don't shoot videos and post them to YouTube.


In fact, the only thing I really use my smart-phone for is to make telephone calls and send text messages to my friends & family.  That's right.  I have friends.  Are you surprised?


The only thing I will greatly miss about my smart-phone is receiving the comments that y'all post on my blog wherever I am.  I love getting to open up that little email icon and seeing what (usually) nice or informative idea you had to share with me!


Alas, I suppose I can do it the "old-fashioned" way and simply check my email...


...something tells me I'll survive.


And to be honest, I really don't like getting all my emails directly sent to me.  I subscribe to blogs that I thoroughly enjoy reading and I don't want to get the wonderful posts on a 1.5" by 1.5" screen - I want to sit down with a cup of tea in the quiet of the night and read them properly.


And I really don't like receiving my utility bills and junk mail in the middle of a call.  It's distracting and twice as much work for me to delete them.


All that to say, I'm dumbin' down.  Sure, the phone may randomly die.  Sure, a few of the buttons don't work (if I remember this phone correctly).  Sure, I'm the third owner of a phone that was designed to last it's original owner five months.  But who cares.


I'm not trying to keep up with the Jones here, people.  I'm trying to keep Dave Ramsey's stupid budget spreadsheet happy.  


Dang you, Dave Ramsey, in all your financial wisdom.  


Thank you for helping my realize what a luxury, and how unnecessary, so many of our "entitlements" are.