I finally bought an iPhone. It's a 16 GB black iPhone 4S bought entirely from the money I have been saving since quite some time now. Years actually.
As a kid crazy after mobile phones since class 5, I had always wondered having the best phone in the world. Seeing phones evolve from those black and white Nokias with monophonic ringtones to those with VGA cameras and Bluetooth, I was always in search for the one phone I would buy when I 'grow up'. Then came the iPhone. I faintly remember checking out this mysterious black thing on the Apple website. Seeing the videos and trying one out after a few months, I knew it was the one.
Soon, I forwarded the proposal to my parents. The answer was a mixed bag of you're-too-young-for-something-so-expensive, thirty-thousand-bucks-on-a-phone-is-nonsense and laughter. I tried for a couple of years when the iPhone 3G launched but their response was still "too expensive for a phone at your age". Which made some sense too for an average Indian teenager. That's when I decided that I will save for it.
I soon realized that the price this thing came for was not an easy goal. Yearly clay piggybanks were not enough. Creating a blockbuster website and selling Google Ads wasn't realistic either. I had to smartly spend my time and energy.
I did get quite a few chances to take a shortcut to my dream phone too. I was a finalist in a contest on national TV where 2/5 would get a new iPhone. There was another quiz show last year where the prizes were good enough that I could sell them on eBay and get the required cut. But after failing all such opportunities, I realized that this had to be done the difficult way. Save each penny.
So around 2009, by the time the iPhone 3GS was out, I decided to actually start saving till I can. I also worked a great deal with my elder sibling who had just started working. A good share of extra pocket money from her. And I must say, I do have one of the best sisters in the world who gave me a small cut of her salary every month which I (almost) always fully saved.
What also helped once I came in college was when I found out that I could do small internships or help around with some website work and get paid for it. A fair share (~25%) of my iPhone came from money I actually earned while learning cool stuff.
Then as I was close to my goal, another huge expense came. My Mumbai trip. It was unfunded and the it turned out that six weeks of completely living on your own is not too cheap. The amount was large enough for me to tap into my savings. That's when my parents got around to the idea that I have some serious amount of personal cash stacked up. I had waited long enough for it and another six months of saving were totally worth my Mumbai trip.
Meanwhile, after returning, my parents offered me some pretty hard to resist Android phones. Luckily for me, the goal of buying the best phone, iPhone, stood in its place because even after 4+ years, there was not a better phone. Yes, this is arguable and some may say that I am biased, but this what I believe. I declined my parents' offer and they were impressed enough of me that they later offered me more than 2/3rd of the amount of an iPhone. Which I again declined. I had waited and saved for years now and why not wait a few more months to claim 100% of the iPhone to be mine.
Then, on 3rd January 2012, a few days after my 31st December goal, there it was. I got a few days late because I did not get it from India and there were some supply-chain issues in the country I got it from. My dad got it for me but settled for no pocket money for a long time now. I had to have an unboxing ceremony with pictures and all:
As a kid crazy after mobile phones since class 5, I had always wondered having the best phone in the world. Seeing phones evolve from those black and white Nokias with monophonic ringtones to those with VGA cameras and Bluetooth, I was always in search for the one phone I would buy when I 'grow up'. Then came the iPhone. I faintly remember checking out this mysterious black thing on the Apple website. Seeing the videos and trying one out after a few months, I knew it was the one.
Soon, I forwarded the proposal to my parents. The answer was a mixed bag of you're-too-young-for-something-so-expensive, thirty-thousand-bucks-on-a-phone-is-nonsense and laughter. I tried for a couple of years when the iPhone 3G launched but their response was still "too expensive for a phone at your age". Which made some sense too for an average Indian teenager. That's when I decided that I will save for it.
I soon realized that the price this thing came for was not an easy goal. Yearly clay piggybanks were not enough. Creating a blockbuster website and selling Google Ads wasn't realistic either. I had to smartly spend my time and energy.
I did get quite a few chances to take a shortcut to my dream phone too. I was a finalist in a contest on national TV where 2/5 would get a new iPhone. There was another quiz show last year where the prizes were good enough that I could sell them on eBay and get the required cut. But after failing all such opportunities, I realized that this had to be done the difficult way. Save each penny.
So around 2009, by the time the iPhone 3GS was out, I decided to actually start saving till I can. I also worked a great deal with my elder sibling who had just started working. A good share of extra pocket money from her. And I must say, I do have one of the best sisters in the world who gave me a small cut of her salary every month which I (almost) always fully saved.
What also helped once I came in college was when I found out that I could do small internships or help around with some website work and get paid for it. A fair share (~25%) of my iPhone came from money I actually earned while learning cool stuff.
Then as I was close to my goal, another huge expense came. My Mumbai trip. It was unfunded and the it turned out that six weeks of completely living on your own is not too cheap. The amount was large enough for me to tap into my savings. That's when my parents got around to the idea that I have some serious amount of personal cash stacked up. I had waited long enough for it and another six months of saving were totally worth my Mumbai trip.
Meanwhile, after returning, my parents offered me some pretty hard to resist Android phones. Luckily for me, the goal of buying the best phone, iPhone, stood in its place because even after 4+ years, there was not a better phone. Yes, this is arguable and some may say that I am biased, but this what I believe. I declined my parents' offer and they were impressed enough of me that they later offered me more than 2/3rd of the amount of an iPhone. Which I again declined. I had waited and saved for years now and why not wait a few more months to claim 100% of the iPhone to be mine.
Then, on 3rd January 2012, a few days after my 31st December goal, there it was. I got a few days late because I did not get it from India and there were some supply-chain issues in the country I got it from. My dad got it for me but settled for no pocket money for a long time now. I had to have an unboxing ceremony with pictures and all:
There were moments of frustration when you save for something for so long and see new models every year pass by. There are also times when I thought that "it's just a phone" but I have to say, it's totally worth it. I am so proud of myself to have not settled for some Android phone or a second-hand iPhone or last year's model. I am also so happy to have ticked off a major goal on my list.
The iPhone is doing great and like an ideal smartphone, making my life easier in every way I always pictured it to.
That's actually the best part.
Psst- This post also explains recent "Congrats" messages on my Facebook Timeline from my school friends. Thanks guys for being so encouraging.
