I got thinking the other day about the convenience of having a smart phone and the number of things it replaces in my personal life over the course of about a year. Here’s a quick list that I came up with:
- Home phone line – $480 ($40/month)
- Alarm clock – $30
- Watch – $50
- Dictionary – $15
- Day Planner – $30
- CD Player – $60
- Camera – $200
- Road maps – $15
- Calculator – $20
- Compass – $20
- Game Device (ie gameboy) – $100
- Letters/stamps – $15
- Magazines – $50
- Newspapers – $180 ($15/month)
- Recipe books – $30
- Biblical scriptures – $10
- Photo Albums – $50
- Memo Recorder – $50
- Kids toys when we go out – $20
- Flashlight – $20
- Guitar Tuner – $20
- Encyclopedia – $200
- TOTAL – $1665
It’s a pretty incredible value considering that most new, top of the line phones are only a couple hundred dollars (with a wireless plan) or much less if you are willing to settle for an older model. No wonder people get so attached to these things.

