This month’s 2 biggest expenses!
April 23, 2018
The Phone Chronicles
I let PiC pick my new phone because he wasn’t really picking for me – he was picking his future phone. I have to learn to use whatever phones we get first so that I can troubleshoot them because I am IT, and I don’t much care about which phones we use as long as they’re functional and not Apple, now. (I refuse to give Apple any more money on principle. I find their confession to throttling older phones, and their excuse, to be fishy. Also, I HATE iTunes and iCloud and all the proprietary, frustrating as all get out software, and Apple ID, with a hot fiery passion and never want to have to see it again. Ever.)
Then again, since he inherits my now “old” phone which has quite a lot of use left in it, I’m destined to spend a few more years with them.
He was debating the Google Pixel and the Samsung Galaxy, and I decided in favor of the Pixel 2 since I would like the option to go to Project Fi in the future to save on monthly costs. We’re still getting service from T-Mobile but we’re paying more than I want to for cell service.
I don’t like buying new phones but it was originally to give us some flexibility as to our phone plans earlier on. Now, while I’m happy to sell our old phones, I am doubtful about buying used/refurbished – what if we get a lemon? Transferring phones is already a colossal PITA buying new, is buying used another layer of risk? Maybe no more than it is with a car which we DO believe in buying used.
I need to hunt down a verified reliable source for refurbished phones for the future. This time we simply didn’t have the luxury of waiting because his phone suddenly made the acquaintance of a large rock with extreme force and prejudice. Actual chunks of the screen were falling out when he got home from that run. Given the choice, I’d prefer that he temporarily lost it again but clearly the choice wasn’t mine.
Quick review: The phone is fine, though too big for my hands, but I HATE the Android WordPress app. It’s so bad that I’ve stopped blogging on it so that’s going to seriously slow down or cut into my blogging.
Phone: $706
Phone case: $14
Phone screen protector: $9
Phone cable (because I didn’t realize that the Pixel uses USB-A grrr): $12
Total: $741
NewPup Pupdate
NewPup was free to us but for the cost of picking her up. She’s supposed to be spayed though I haven’t seen a certificate yet, and there’s no superficial visual way to tell if a female dog has been fixed. She was sent home microchipped, newly vaccinated, with a large package from Just Food For Dogs that both she and Seamus demolished in three days, a bag of treats from JFFD, a month of heartworm medication and a month of flea treatment.
We still had Doggle’s old collar (a bit big but it works), leash, dog bed and blanket she can use. Our travel bowls are now her food and water bowls until we can find space for a new standing bowl feeder. She eats what Seamus eats, so our kibble and sardine supply is dwindling twice as fast, but that simplifies the food supply situation.
Unfortunately our car arrangement wasn’t comfortable for two dogs, so I bought a new orthopedic bed that doubles as a living room bed, and she will need new tags, in addition to a license. I’m holding off a little bit on those because it’s looking like PiC may be allergic to her and we’re working on options. Cross your fingers, please?
Orthopedic Dog bed: $86
License: $20
Collar and new tags: $20?
Total: $126
*****
We weren’t expecting these expenses to land at the same time, or this month(!) but we were loosely prepared for this happening sometime this year so we’d been looking for ways to trim our spending. Then again, I’m always looking for ways to trim our spending because we so naturally expand it. *skeptical eyebrows at ourselves*
:: Did you have any budget busters this month?
Definitely share if you find a reputable refurbished phone seller! I always worry about the potential that the previous owner caused the phone irreparable damage or has weird tracking technology– to supplement all the normal, totally fine surveillance technology already on our phones– embedded into it.
Same – I’m good enough with technology but it doesn’t mean I’m good at hunting down invisible damage. I will share if I find one!
I’m thinking about a Pixel. I need a better phone camera.
Budget buster? Nothing this month, but we need to replace our old HVAC soon. That will cost around $8,000. Pretty crazy!
WHEW $8000 is a big chunk. But I think we’re going to need to consider doing the same in a few years, if not sooner :/
I’m at a point where I now use two iPhones because I maxed out storage on my personal phone. I take too many pictures! I’ve also been wary of iCloud, so now I just begrudingly delete photos when space gets full again. This makes my husband shake his head. I know this would not be a problem with Android, and sometimes I feel a pang of regret that I switched over to iPhone in the first place.
Also, I’m impressed you can blog on your phone. I can’t do anything on my phone except read blog posts!
Haha, just thinking the same thing!
I can’t do anything on my iPhone except obsessively check my wordpress stats! haha.
I can’t blog or write on it that’s for sure.
And meanwhile, I can’t check my stats, which is probably a good thing š
Wait, how do you use two iPhones? One for work, one for personal use, both for pictures?
I hate that I was more prolific blogging on the iPhone than this new phone XP
I have the WordPress on Andriod too and it’s okay for my standards, I don’t do too much on it. I have it just to get notifications and make small edits on my posts. I can’t imagine writing a post on that app and I could see why your frustrated with it. Really admire that you can blog on your phone.
I normally do so much blogging on my phone, it’s still frustrating that I can’t just get some work done š
Our plant-based eating has been a budget buster for us. But this past weekend, for the very first time since we made the big switch 2 months ago, our grocery budget was back down to where we’d had it before – even lower. We’ll be bringing our new pup home in about a month. I expect him to be a major budget buster š
Good job bringing that budget back in line! I can’t wait to meet your pup.
Phone battery started draining to 0 within a few hours off-leash. Already bought a replacement on ebay, but since it’s time-sensitive, I paid an extra probably $30 to get it within the next 2 weeks rather in the next month and a half…grrr
I’ve already replaced the battery in it once, and it’s one of those where you have to pry off the back and do phone surgery to replace the battery. Not looking forward to that process again. Why do phone companies do this to us?!
Ugh, feels a bit like they’ve got us stuck. We’re hoping that PiC isn’t TOO allergic, though.
also, hearing that New Pup may be causing allergy flare ups in PiC broke my heart. I hope things do not get so bad that she has to leave :/
My.Phone.Saga. I refuse to do Iphones because I have always been suspicious that they collected info and were just kinda shady. It looks like my instincts were correct. I had a blackberry back in 2009-2011 for work. I loved it. I used it like a word processor, in addition to phone/research capabilities. I then used a cheap smart phone Android from Verizon., which I liked, but I have not liked any phone as much as I liked my old blackberry…sniff, sniff. I bought a Galaxy, which conked out on me three weeks later, and I had to mail it back to the company. They sent me a refurbished one, which conked out in two months. I was furious. At that point, I was so mad, I went to a $20 flip phone from Total Wireless. Yes, a flip phone…old school….the plus side of this is that I spend very little time on my phone. I can text and talk only on my prepaid $25 a month plan. I get more stuff done around the house, instead of playing with my phone. But still, I miss my Blackberry….sigh
Do they not make those blackberries anymore? I thought I still saw lawyer friends living on theirs.
What do you think of picking up an unlocked phone at Walmart? Especially if it’s a unit you may not use much…is this worth considering?