Cellphones Are Eating the Family Budget

raksrules said:
Kids today get lot of pocket money. I had cherished my first mobile phone bought using my hard earned money. It was Sony Ericsson w800i. Getting a phone from your own hard earned money has a different value and feeling, even if it is not some high end one.
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I second that. My first phone was a SAMSUNG flip-format that I had won in a national level competition.

Sure it was not much but it was mine till I got an XPERIA go recently.
 
baccilus said:
AFAIK most people in US and Europe by phone through contracts so the phone's cost is included in the monthly bills.I know people who really go out of budget to buy an iPhone or an expensive smart phone and then use it only for texting and calling.This urge to show off is really illogical and stupid.
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You get the phone at a discounted price IF you are going to pay for a plan for a period of time. Supposing you don't want the phone, or you get your own phone, the plan with the same limits, etc will still cost the same per month.
 
just curious - to the working folks out there. There is a rule of thumb when buying a car that you don't buy something worth more than what you make in 1~1.5 years. What's a good rule of thumb for a phone. my phones have typically been 20~30% of my monthly pay, but I see young'uns buying phones 3~5x their monthly salary.
 
greenhorn said:
just curious - to the working folks out there. There is a rule of thumb when buying a car that you don't buy something worth more than what you make in 1~1.5 years. What's a good rule of thumb for a phone. my phones have typically been 20~30% of my monthly pay, but I see young'uns buying phones 3~5x their monthly salary.
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That sir,would be the Iphone.
 
greenhorn said:
just curious - to the working folks out there. There is a rule of thumb when buying a car that you don't buy something worth more than what you make in 1~1.5 years. What's a good rule of thumb for a phone. my phones have typically been 20~30% of my monthly pay, but I see young'uns buying phones 3~5x their monthly salary.
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Personally I have kept it equal to or less than monthly in-hand salary. This too because phone is my favorite gadget which I feel like changing regularly.
But haven't bought any phone till now that cost more than 50% of monthly salary.

And I agree with you on second part, I see so many guys and girls buying S3 or iPhone 4/4S within first 3-4 months of job! :O
 
R0H!T said:
Personally I have kept it equal to or less than monthly in-hand salary. This too because phone is my favorite gadget which I feel like changing regularly.
But haven't bought any phone till now that cost more than 50% of monthly salary.

And I agree with you on second part, I see so many guys and girls buying S3 or iPhone 4/4S within first 3-4 months of job! :O
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There is a reason for that. Not all parents can afford high end phones for the their kids and many a times they just give them basic phones. But kids / teens as we know always want the greatest and many a times (not always) it is related to cool factor and flaunt value. So when they get their first salaries they splurge on gadgets, clothes etc. Also initially they are not much into savings and all but eventually (hopefully) they understand.
In my case i had a basic nokia phone 6610 (color screen at that time was like wow) when i joined my job but i wanted an upgraded phone. So around 8-10 months after my job started, i saved up to buy Sony Ericsson w800i (cost me 17K). And yes at that time, 17K phone was costing me more than my then salary :)
 
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