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What type of cell phone does your teenager have?


tmk-nj

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Yeah...that's cause of cell phones. Come on, I'm sure you can find a worse argument than that to annoy everyone with. Don't be lazy now.

 

The spending starts with the simple stuff like a cell phone. You know why cell phones became popular? Not because people needed one, it's because they knew someone who had one and they "wanted" one too. It then goes to the type of computer you have, what type of home entertainment system you have, what type of car you drive how much you pay for you home. My example was a minor one. Take the amount you and your family spends on things you want as opposed to things you need. Add it up and imagine putting that into something that compounds and see how much it will be worth in several years.

 

Oh and sorry my arguement annoys you, but when I'm travelling the world during my early retirement don't come annoying me to help you. You can go !@#$ing pound sand.

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The spending starts with the simple stuff like a cell phone. You know why cell phones became popular? Not because people needed one, it's because they knew someone who had one and they "wanted" one too. It then goes to the type of computer you have, what type of home entertainment system you have, what type of car you drive how much you pay for you home. My example was a minor one. Take the amount you and your family spends on things you want as opposed to things you need. Add it up and imagine putting that into something that compounds and see how much it will be worth in several years.

 

Oh and sorry my arguement annoys you, but when I'm travelling the world during my early retirement don't come annoying me to help you. You can go !@#$ing pound sand.

 

It is salt... Pound SALT.

 

Sand? That is where you will be sitting, on the beach!

 

:thumbsup::(

 

Oh... And I agree Chef... Just look at the housing bubble the past 8 years... If I would have listened to my wife and moved into something "bigger and better"... I would have been in deep doo doo. I stayed put, because we didn't "need" it and man I am I sitting pretty when this (as I expected) crunch hit.

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The spending starts with the simple stuff like a cell phone. You know why cell phones became popular? Not because people needed one, it's because they knew someone who had one and they "wanted" one too. It then goes to the type of computer you have, what type of home entertainment system you have, what type of car you drive how much you pay for you home. My example was a minor one. Take the amount you and your family spends on things you want as opposed to things you need. Add it up and imagine putting that into something that compounds and see how much it will be worth in several years.

 

Oh and sorry my arguement annoys you, but when I'm travelling the world during my early retirement don't come annoying me to help you. You can go !@#$ing pound sand.

the genie is out of the bottle...welcome to our consumer driven society!

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It is salt... Pound SALT.

 

Sand? That is where you will be sitting, on the beach!

 

:(:)

 

Oh... And I agree Chef... Just look at the housing bubble the past 8 years... If I would have listened to my wife and moved into something "bigger and better"... I would have been in deep doo doo. I stayed put, because we didn't "need" it and man I am I sitting pretty when this (as I expected) crunch hit.

 

You pound what you want, I'll pound what I want. And I think I'll pound another beer. :thumbsup:

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So get a tracfone or something to be used in emergencies. My kid will hate me, but they're not getting a phone to use all the time. I'll get them something like a Disney phone when they're young and a prepaid when they get older. Use up the minutes, tough, 911 will still work.

 

To each is own I guess, but in my world no kid needs a high tech phone.

 

 

I didn't say anything about high tech phone?

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Those of you that think this is some sort of unique American trait should really take a closer look at the rest of the world. Europe and Hong Kong in particular have many more active cell phone numbers than people.

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Those of you that think this is some sort of unique American trait should really take a closer look at the rest of the world. Europe and Hong Kong in particular have many more active cell phone numbers than people.

 

Well there you go. If that's not a reason to give you 12 year old a cell phone I don't know what is.

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The spending starts with the simple stuff like a cell phone. You know why cell phones became popular? Not because people needed one, it's because they knew someone who had one and they "wanted" one too. It then goes to the type of computer you have, what type of home entertainment system you have, what type of car you drive how much you pay for you home. My example was a minor one. Take the amount you and your family spends on things you want as opposed to things you need. Add it up and imagine putting that into something that compounds and see how much it will be worth in several years.

 

Oh and sorry my arguement annoys you, but when I'm travelling the world during my early retirement don't come annoying me to help you. You can go !@#$ing pound sand.

I have a fully funded IRA, a savings program through work, own an investment property, and put money into savings every month (that I move around to various savings programs...CD's, etc...). I manage my money very well to make sure I can retire very comfortable and never have to worry about where my money will come from.

 

After that, I ENJOY my life in whatever way I see fit. I spend money on travel (been to 6 different countries so far for pleasure, many more for work), and whatever toys I decide I want (and I make a very average salary). I WANT my cell phone and entertainment system. And there hasn't been one person in this thread, including myself, who has asked you for financial help. So go pound whatever you want.

 

As for a reason for a kid to have a cell phone, I'll give you a personal example. I have a little sister who got a cell phone when she was 12. I live half way around the world, and only get to see her maybe twice a year for a few days at at time. Our time zones are 6 hours apart, so by the time I'm out of work, she's sleeping. With a cell phone, I get to call her anytime our times match up and no matter where she is I get to talk to her. She does the same thing. She's called me in the middle of her school day cause she was having issues at school and needed someone to talk to. Without the cell phone, we MIGHT get to talk once a week, if we are both home at the right times on the weekends. I would love to have my sister living right next door and see her all the time, but since that's not possible, I have to deal with the next best thing. Without a cell phone, I wouldn't even have that.

 

Just because you can't imagine a reason to for a kid to have a cell phone, doesn't mean they aren't there. And just because you either can't afford or aren't able to manage your money correctly to save AND have the unnecessary, fun things in life that you may desire, doesn't mean that's true for everyone.

(And yes, I know that's not true. You don't NEED to drink expensive wine, do you?)

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I have a fully funded IRA, a savings program through work, own an investment property, and put money into savings every month (that I move around to various savings programs...CD's, etc...). I manage my money very well to make sure I can retire very comfortable and never have to worry about where my money will come from.

 

After that, I ENJOY my life in whatever way I see fit. I spend money on travel (been to 6 different countries so far for pleasure, many more for work), and whatever toys I decide I want (and I make a very average salary). I WANT my cell phone and entertainment system. And there hasn't been one person in this thread, including myself, who has asked you for financial help. So go pound whatever you want.

 

As for a reason for a kid to have a cell phone, I'll give you a personal example. I have a little sister who got a cell phone when she was 12. I live half way around the world, and only get to see her maybe twice a year for a few days at at time. Our time zones are 6 hours apart, so by the time I'm out of work, she's sleeping. With a cell phone, I get to call her anytime our times match up and no matter where she is I get to talk to her. She does the same thing. She's called me in the middle of her school day cause she was having issues at school and needed someone to talk to. Without the cell phone, we MIGHT get to talk once a week, if we are both home at the right times on the weekends. I would love to have my sister living right next door and see her all the time, but since that's not possible, I have to deal with the next best thing. Without a cell phone, I wouldn't even have that.

 

Just because you can't imagine a reason to for a kid to have a cell phone, doesn't mean they aren't there. And just because you either can't afford or aren't able to manage your money correctly to save AND have the unnecessary, fun things in life that you may desire, doesn't mean that's true for everyone.

(And yes, I know that's not true. You don't NEED to drink expensive wine, do you?)

 

I don't need to drink expensive wine.....I chose not to drink cheap wine.

 

And what a touching story about your sister. 0:) Not sure why you need a cell phone to talk to her. What do you live on a boat without a land line.

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I don't need to drink expensive wine.....I chose not to drink cheap wine.

 

And what a touching story about your sister. 0:) Not sure why you need a cell phone to talk to her. What do you live on a boat without a land line.

 

 

I'm not sure you need a computer.

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This is a bit of a funny thread in that my wife and I have this same conversation all of the time. My oldest daughter is almost seven so we've been trying to guess when she'll first ask for one. My assumption is 10. My wife thinks she'll be a bit older.

 

I'm on the fence. It all depends on how you view them. I wouldn't want her spending time sending stupid text messages to her little friends all of the time and I wouldn't want her even having her own phone line. At the same time, I can *easily* see how it might help her out of a very bad situation.

 

When I was a teenager, I wound up walking home at 11:00PM more than once because of a dead car. While that's fine for a male in 1995, I'd rather not have my daughter having to do the same in 2018. That's a situation where I think taking advantage of the technology makes sense. It could very well keep her safe. It doesn't "build character" or "put hair on your chest" to have to go through that. Especially as a teenage girl. It's simply dangerous.

 

Teenage girls are great at getting into crappy situations. Drunk boyfriends. First taste of the Beam. Sneaking out.

 

So, they've got ones with parental controls and whatnot, no? Where you can program the numbers that can dial out? Seems that's a nice happy medium. Makes good use of the technology for a "real" reason, but doesn't have the drawbacks. When she takes the bill, she can unlock it.

 

That, or I'll buy her a Glock 9. It will keep the scumbags at bay, she can't talk on it, it doesn't take pictures, and they don't jam very often. The decision is still up in the air. 0:)

 

I personally hate my damn phone. It's a tether to my job. The downside is that it's required for most people in my line of work. The company pays for it. I just have to keep it on. If it wasn't for my line of work, I'd probably pick up a pre-paid. I see a direct parallel between a Cell phone now and a CB radio for 'the road trip' 20 years ago.

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I don't need to drink expensive wine.....I chose not to drink cheap wine.

 

And what a touching story about your sister. 0:) Not sure why you need a cell phone to talk to her. What do you live on a boat without a land line.

So not only is reading comprehension out the window, but so is your "only have what you need and save the rest" thing. :blink:

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