So, I did something crazy. Shocker, right? Anyways, there's this competition running for folks to go a year without their smartphone or tablet, and I've entered it. Chances of my entries being chosen are less than me being run over by Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve, but still I hold a hope.
If chosen, the task is to go an entire year without a smartphone or tablet for a grand prize of $100K. And many seem to think it would be easy to just cut it out, but for those of us who are addicted to the technology it is a daunting task. I'm not addicted in the way that most are - I don't shun human interaction for the glaring screens. I am addicted to the order it brings to my family's life. We live and die by our shared digital calendar. I'm a SAHM who is accessible to my husband and children with a text or an email, immediately.
So, I've done some soul searching on ways I could make it work, because well...$100K. And with that $100K, I'd do some super sexy things.
First, I'd put 40% away to cover taxes. Hooray, NYS! But with that $60K leftover, that is where the magic would happen. Mentally, I've built a new deck onto our home. I've replaced all our windows and purchased the expensive front door that I REALLY want. I've drywalled our family room. Bought the new couches for our living room that will take me 2-3 years to save for. I've gotten Lennox (our piano) refinished back to pristine condition. I've ripped out the bathroom in our basement and replaced everything so that it is actually usable and functional. I've used all this money to benefit our family into making our home into our dream home. You know, a smart investment.
Sure, there were moments of, "I could buy a pair of Louboutin's that I could never afford." But then I thought that the whole family is going to need to make concessions in how the year would play out, so the money, naturally, needs to go to things that we would all reap the benefits.
In any case, root for me (cross your fingers, say a prayer, offer a sacrifice or whatever it is you do for good luck) that I might beat the odds at the chance of a lifetime - whut?!? - to chuck my phone for a year. And know a cool bonus is that without my phone, I think I'll have some extra time to get my blog posts back to running. 😂
