smartphone vs regular cellphone

[anonymouse1]

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Does the smartphones, like BB Iphone, Andriod, come in handy in dental school? Or is it just a frivolous extra cost that could be saved?

I don't really play music on my cellphone, usually i just use it for telephone and only sometimes texts.

I'm thinking are there any reason to upgrade to a smartphone for dental school? (esp since those plans costs a lot more than my current one...)

Thanks!

 

[Doc Smile]

Does the smartphones, like BB Iphone, Andriod, come in handy in dental school? Or is it just a frivolous extra cost that could be saved?

I don't really play music on my cellphone, usually i just use it for telephone and only sometimes texts.

I'm thinking are there any reason to upgrade to a smartphone for dental school? (esp since those plans costs a lot more than my current one...)

Thanks!

I upgraded about 1/2 through first year. I like it because it gives me a good distraction during lectures. I'm a pro at angry birds. As far as helping me with dental school . . . nah

 

[Old Timer]

I'll never be without a smart phone. The calendar alone is worth it's weight in gold. The ability to check e-mail throughout the day is also a big time saver.

If those features don't appeal to you or are not worth the cost, don't get a smart phone. My kids have Blackberry's and I have a Palm Pre Plus. I love the fact I can charge and synch my phone without ever having to plug it in to anything.

 

[dl9006]

Dos.

 

[Vapor1122]

My iPhone's been indispensable since the start of D1. Having mobile access to my email has saved my ass more times than I can count, and the calendar is awesome for managing patients in clinic. Lexicomp is an amazing drug resource. I can listen to lectures whenever I have some downtime, or I can read slides or articles. And if I forget a file at home, I can use LogMeIn to get on my laptop from school.

Granted, an iPod Touch would do the same thing, but with a minimal data plan, I'm only paying a few dollars more per month than I would with a dumb phone, and it's nice to consolidate two devices into one. Not to mention, I only touched on school-related stuff. Having Google Maps with GPS alone is justification for owning a smart phone, especially here in NYC.

 

[DrReo]

Depends who is paying for it!

Data packages cost $30 if you're with a main carrier. $30 x 12 months is $360 dollars each year. By the time the loan is paid, each year will of costed at least $500 to up to $600 dollars. Multiply this by four years and it's difficult to justify the cost as a student. This is excluding the ridiculous taxes associated with cell phones.

 

[gryffindor]

Granted I am no longer a dental student, but unless the costs are similar, I wouldn't pay a lot more extra for a smart phone. Things like pulling up schedules and Lexicomp on your phone while in clinic are nice, but if you've never had those conveniences, you won't know what you're missing. You can bring your laptop to the clinic and pull info up on there too. As a dental student, you will see a maximum or 2 or 3 patient per day - you'll have more than enough time during appointments to consult a laptop for any info you might need fromthe internet.

As a practitioner I only updated to a smart phone less than 6 months ago. The only reason I upgraded is that my associate offices, vendors, and certain VIP patients would sometimes contact me by email and would get impatient that I didn't respond to them quickly enough because I couldn't check my email while at work busy with patients all day long. Even with the phone, the only thing I use it for regularly is checking my main email account to email patients, offices, and vendors. I don't use the browser too much although it has come in handy a handful of times while out in the city or traveling in a new city. I find that an old fashioned planner from Staples and a pen with some white out works fine for all of my personal scheduling needs even as a dentist and I can remember most important appointments in my head. I'm not busy or important enough to have to schedule my life 24-7 on my phone. (Of course for patient scheduling in my offices we use computer programs!)

I made it through dental school and residency without cable TV and people thought I was nuts. My friend who just graduated residency last year made it through the entire program with just a land line and no cell phone! Technology is good but it is expensive, don't overspend if you don't have to as a student. There will be plenty of time for it once you graduate.

 

[slm266]

Get on AT&T or Tmobile and buy a jailbroken/unlocked iPhone ( most likely a 3GS) on Craigslist. This will allow you to have an iPhone that does not use data unless you are in a wireless hotspot, just like how a laptop typically can only get Internet connection where wireless is available. You can buy a uses 3G for around 175 and a 3GS for around 225 and you will have no monthly data fee. It is legal and AT&T cannot compel you to get on a data plan without your agreement. Wireless Internet will most likely be available in all your classrooms, right?

 

[BombayBDS]

Get on AT&T or Tmobile and buy a jailbroken/unlocked iPhone ( most likely a 3GS) on Craigslist. This will allow you to have an iPhone that does not use data unless you are in a wireless hotspot, just like how a laptop typically can only get Internet connection where wireless is available. You can buy a uses 3G for around 175 and a 3GS for around 225 and you will have no monthly data fee. It is legal and AT&T cannot compel you to get on a data plan without your agreement. Wireless Internet will most likely be available in all your classrooms, right?

thats sound slike a plan, if it really is legal.👍👍

 

[MatthewLeeDDS]

I have a smartphone and I must admit, I can't imagine not having one.

Here is my top 10 list of how I use my iPhone every day. And I'm only a 1st year:

1. Synced with several calendars, including real-time syncing with a class calendar we created (via iCal or Gmail website)
2. Dropbox certain documents I need for studying on the go in seconds
3. Creating flashcards on Flashcard Exchange (website) and d-loading them to my mental case app to study on the go (saved me big time on two tests this year).
4. Emailing on the go instead of waiting for them to pile up while I'm away from my computer
5. Syncing contacts through Gmail so when I add a contact on my phone or Gmail account, it syncs to the other (I do this via the Mac Address Book application). Also, my contacts won't disappear if I lost my phone bc they're stored on a Google server.
6. Using wunderlist, a todo list that syncs with my phone and computer so I have an updated todo list that I can add and remove items from either my phone or computer and have them sync to the other
7. If someone in my class needs a syllabus or other file, I toss it in my public Dropbox on my computer and email them a link. Later, I can email someone else a link to that file from my phone.
8. Having a place to read and save email attachements (like when teachers email out grade sheets) on the go
9. Syncing quick notes back and forth from my iPhone to Mac with Evernote
10. Angry Birds


It's a bit pricey, so if you're the kind of person that just doesn't find value in these kinds of things, get a regular phone. I use it do do a lot of neat things so at this point, I'm stuck... I basically have to have one.

 

[slm266]

thats sound slike a plan, if it really is legal.👍👍

As of less than a year ago it is legal, and apple cannot void the phones warranty if you unlock/jailbreak it. For every update that apple comes out with you must wait for the corresponding unlock/jailbreak (if you want to update the phones firmware). So if you buy one on Craigslist make sure that it is wiped fresh with a new unlock. You should be able to pop your SIM card in and make a call. Starbucks is a good public place to meet and test the WIFI. There are "professional unlockers/jailbreakers" on Craigslist that will unlock/jailbreak your phone (although I read on the Internet how to do it myself for free).

 

[Andre3k]

Umm just get a smart phone. Not just for dental school for life period. Makes you more flexible and more efficient all around. In terms of being able to read documents, emails, check something online, have text books in your pocket (vitalsource), check movie times, check facebook and twitter, gps navigation, calenders, camera, phone, music, etc.. all in one device. Like seriously how do people survive with out smartphones these days? If you can afford one get one.

 

[gryffindor]

Umm just get a smart phone. Not just for dental school for life period. Makes you more flexible and more efficient all around. In terms of being able to read documents, emails, check something online, have text books in your pocket (vitalsource), check movie times, check facebook and twitter, gps navigation, calenders, camera, phone, music, etc.. all in one device. Like seriously how do people survive with out smartphones these days? If you can afford one get one.

For a dental student, most of what you wrote is a waste of time.

1) read documents, emails, check something online, have text books - use a laptop. Sure you can't do it from your pocket, but universities are literally blanketed with wifi everywhere, a laptop will do the job.

2) check movie times, check facebook and twitter - all of these activities are a serious waste of time for a dental student particularly in the first two years. Especially checking facebook and twitter multiple times throughout the day. Again, use the laptop to check in once.

3) gps navigation - do you need this to know how to get to school, your nearest grocery store, and back? Where else does a dental student need to go?

4) calenders, camera, phone, music - These features can be had in a dumb phone except the calendar synching stuff.

 

[7 Iron]

Maybe I'm strange, but I don't really see much use in a smartphone. I've survived so far without a smartphone, so I guess I don't know the difference. But really, why does everyone need to be hooked to the internet constantly? I actually find it quite draining emotionally. That's why I love to leave my "dumbphone" in my car so I can break freeeeee!

 

[Doc Smile]

For a dental student, most of what you wrote is a waste of time.

1) read documents, emails, check something online, have text books - use a laptop. Sure you can't do it from your pocket, but universities are literally blanketed with wifi everywhere, a laptop will do the job.

2) check movie times, check facebook and twitter - all of these activities are a serious waste of time for a dental student particularly in the first two years. Especially checking facebook and twitter multiple times throughout the day. Again, use the laptop to check in once.

3) gps navigation - do you need this to know how to get to school, your nearest grocery store, and back? Where else does a dental student need to go?

4) calenders, camera, phone, music - These features can be had in a dumb phone except the calendar synching stuff.

Wow. Someone is cynical. I bet you hated dental school? Who are you to decide what is and is not a waste of time? I use those things bolded above to take a break from constant studying and to stay sane. My wife and I go to movies often because it is a good excuse to hang out and get away from it all. For the vast majority of dental students that enjoy school, the things listed are very realistic. In an ideal world, we would be locked in a cubicle and forced to learn for 4 years straight. . .

 

[gryffindor]

Wow. Someone is cynical. I bet you hated dental school? Who are you to decide what is and is not a waste of time? I use those things bolded above to take a break from constant studying and to stay sane. My wife and I go to movies often because it is a good excuse to hang out and get away from it all. For the vast majority of dental students that enjoy school, the things listed are very realistic. In an ideal world, we would be locked in a cubicle and forced to learn for 4 years straight. . .

I didn't decide anything, I'm just giving my opinion that the poor OP doesn't need a smart phone if the purpose of it is going to be checking websites all day that don't really contribute anything to one's education. I don't know how we managed to survive dental school without Facebook or Twitter. 🙄 We went to the movies from time to time, we would make a plan to go and then look them up the "old fashioned" way on a laptop. Spontaneous movie theater attendance was rare because we really didn't have time or interest.

Just wait till you get patients in your chairs who can't bear to put down their smart phones and cry when you ask them to please turn the phone off during the appointment. Your perspectives on being hyperconnected may change.

 

[Doc Smile]

Just wait till you get patients in your chairs who can't bear to put down their smart phones and cry when you ask them to please turn the phone off during the appointment. Your perspectives on being hyperconnected may change.

I am sooooo close to finishing D1 that I would, literally, rip my teef out to get into clinics - phone-addicted-pts or not.

 

[Noble6]

I didn't decide anything, I'm just giving my opinion that the poor OP doesn't need a smart phone if the purpose of it is going to be checking websites all day that don't really contribute anything to one's education. I don't know how we managed to survive dental school without Facebook or Twitter. 🙄 We went to the movies from time to time, we would make a plan to go and then look them up the "old fashioned" way on a laptop. Spontaneous movie theater attendance was rare because we really didn't have time or interest.

Just wait till you get patients in your chairs who can't bear to put down their smart phones and cry when you ask them to please turn the phone off during the appointment. Your perspectives on being hyperconnected may change.

+1

People are WAY too connected these days.

To the OP: You DO NOT need a smartphone for dental school. It's an added cost that you'll have to pay back + interest in the end.

 

[Andre3k]

For a dental student, most of what you wrote is a waste of time.

1) read documents, emails, check something online, have text books - use a laptop. Sure you can't do it from your pocket, but universities are literally blanketed with wifi everywhere, a laptop will do the job.

2) check movie times, check facebook and twitter - all of these activities are a serious waste of time for a dental student particularly in the first two years. Especially checking facebook and twitter multiple times throughout the day. Again, use the laptop to check in once.

3) gps navigation - do you need this to know how to get to school, your nearest grocery store, and back? Where else does a dental student need to go?

4) calenders, camera, phone, music - These features can be had in a dumb phone except the calendar synching stuff.

I wasn't giving reasons specific to a dental student as to why a smartphone would be better. "Not just for dental school for life period. " (from my previous post).

Do you need this to know how to get to school, your nearest grocery store, and back? Where else does a dental student need to go?

LOL Dental students are people too aren't we? I dont know about you but im not ALWAYS sitting in front of a laptop. There is no way that all you are going to be doing is going back and forth between home and school and immediately pulling out your laptop and connecting to wifi.

All I'm saying is it makes certain things accessible to you at times when they usually aren't. For instance you are away from your computer and you receive an email saying that class is canceled (or crime Alerts, weather reports, fire etc). You are notified by your "smartphone" and you can plan accordingly.
OR if grades were recently posted on Blackboard and you want to check them without going somewhere that has wifi and whipping out your laptop. You just open up your Blackboard app.
OR if you would like to reference something real quick in one of your text books without pulling out your laptop you just look it up on your phone.
OR if you are out and you want to check to see where the nearest bar, movie theater, bowling alley, etc is you just simply search for it with your phone and you are on your way. (I'm sure we all go out at some point. If you don't then you need to)
OR if you are lost somewhere and you need to know how to get where you need to be. Use your maps/navigation built into your phone.

There are a many times when you aren't able to pull out your computer and connect to wifi to get stuff done. Having a smartphone helps in those instances. Not that its necessary to have one to survive. But if I had the choice I would chose to get one as it makes you all around more flexible in many different situations including dental school.
That not make sense?

 

[gryffindor]

There are a many times when you aren't able to pull out your computer and connect to wifi to get stuff done. Having a smartphone helps in those instances. Not that its necessary to have one to survive. But if I had the choice I would chose to get one as it makes you all around more flexible in many different situations including dental school.
That not make sense?

Sure. But I still stand by my original stance that if you don't go down the road of the smart phone, you won't know what you're missing and life will still be ok. You and I both agree that it's not necessary for survival which is what the OP was asking since the cost difference to the OP was significant.

 

[Daurang]

No it's not worth it.

I'm still on my RazrV3 $29.99 plan with 1000 anytime minutes since 2005 and saved many thousands of $$$ not upgrading to smartphone. I have found 3 iphones and simply return one, sold one, and kept one for my kid to play games on airplane. I don't think it's smart to have your whole life inside a phone that can easily be misplaced. It's something extra to clutter your life unnecessarily, in a busy world that you need to tune out for quality time to yourself. It tracks everywhere you go and may or may not be such a good thing. I did told Osama not to turn on his app showing his location but he didn't listen.

It's ridiculous that my most of my dentist friends can't savor their meal without being bothered my smartphone. It's stupid that people can't get their teeth clean in peace without worrying about what's on their text.

 

[Daurang]

Get on AT&T or Tmobile and buy a jailbroken/unlocked iPhone ( most likely a 3GS) on Craigslist. This will allow you to have an iPhone that does not use data unless you are in a wireless hotspot, just like how a laptop typically can only get Internet connection where wireless is available. You can buy a uses 3G for around 175 and a 3GS for around 225 and you will have no monthly data fee. It is legal and AT&T cannot compel you to get on a data plan without your agreement. Wireless Internet will most likely be available in all your classrooms, right?

At&T will know you're using a smart phone and automatically upcharge you. But if you have to have it, the iphone 3GS is only $49 with any data plan.

 

[DrReo]

I wasn't giving reasons specific to a dental student as to why a smartphone would be better. "Not just for dental school for life period. " (from my previous post).



LOL Dental students are people too aren't we? I dont know about you but im not ALWAYS sitting in front of a laptop. There is no way that all you are going to be doing is going back and forth between home and school and immediately pulling out your laptop and connecting to wifi.

All I'm saying is it makes certain things accessible to you at times when they usually aren't. For instance you are away from your computer and you receive an email saying that class is canceled (or crime Alerts, weather reports, fire etc). You are notified by your "smartphone" and you can plan accordingly.
OR if grades were recently posted on Blackboard and you want to check them without going somewhere that has wifi and whipping out your laptop. You just open up your Blackboard app.
OR if you would like to reference something real quick in one of your text books without pulling out your laptop you just look it up on your phone.
OR if you are out and you want to check to see where the nearest bar, movie theater, bowling alley, etc is you just simply search for it with your phone and you are on your way. (I'm sure we all go out at some point. If you don't then you need to)
OR if you are lost somewhere and you need to know how to get where you need to be. Use your maps/navigation built into your phone.

There are a many times when you aren't able to pull out your computer and connect to wifi to get stuff done. Having a smartphone helps in those instances. Not that its necessary to have one to survive. But if I had the choice I would chose to get one as it makes you all around more flexible in many different situations including dental school.
That not make sense?

No, not financially.

 

[ToothBlaster]

Any good iphone apps?

 

[mr24]

$30 extra a month x 12 months x 4 years equals $1440. Which may sound like alot but when you take into account that we are graduating with $300,000 of dept it ain't a big deal! If you want one get one. I know ill spend more than $30 a month on fountain drinks. Hope that adds perspective. And i know someone is going to tack on the interest for me, but still not a big deal in my opinion.

 

[Noble6]

$30 extra a month x 12 months x 4 years equals $1440. Which may sound like alot but when you take into account that we are graduating with $300,000 of dept it ain't a big deal! If you want one get one. I know ill spend more than $30 a month on fountain drinks. Hope that adds perspective. And i know someone is going to tack on the interest for me, but still not a big deal in my opinion.

The thing is, this is the type of attitude that results in people graduating with more debt then they ought to. $1500 plus interest to me is quite a bit of money. If I looked at it as chump change then why not take that extra vacation? Why not get that apartment that's a little nicer then what I need? Why not buy my lunch at the cafeteria instead of bring it from home? Why not buy that nice new TV? It all adds up.

You don't NEED a smartphone for dental school.

 

[mr24]

The thing is, this is the type of attitude that results in people graduating with more debt then they ought to. $1500 plus interest to me is quite a bit of money. If I looked at it as chump change then why not take that extra vacation? Why not get that apartment that's a little nicer then what I need? Why not buy my lunch at the cafeteria instead of bring it from home? Why not buy that nice new TV? It all adds up.

You don't NEED a smartphone for dental school.

You don't need more than one pair of shoes, one shirt, one pair of pants, one set of scrubs. You don't need a car, you don't need a couch, definitely don't need a tv, don't need decor for you house. And you sure as Hell don't need a cell phone!!!!! But we all have those things. 4 years of dental school is hard work, all I'm saying is if $1400 dollars will make it more enjoyable for you, then get it. People blow $30 a month on nothing. I know I won't have cable tv because that is some I can do without, but some people would call me crazy for doing that. Choose where you want to spend and save.

 

[gryffindor]

But we all have those things.

We don't all have those things. I've known dental students and residents who went without cars, couches, home decor, TV, cable, cell phones, etc. I can think of one classmate who even did without all of those items on your list. But you're right, it's all about priorities and if you want to keep your debt down, you have to make some sacrifices somewhere.

Home decor, LOL, that was one thing I never even considered. I moved 5 times in 10 years during school & residency and my home decor consisted of a $5 mirror from Ikea and a photo collage of some family/friends. The glass on the photo collage finally broke on the last move but the mirror survived. I hung in the bathroom of my office for now to replace the ugly one the previous doctor had hanging in there.

 

[Andre3k]

No, not financially.

Umm just get a smart phone. Not just for dental school for life period. Makes you more flexible and more efficient all around. In terms of being able to read documents, emails, check something online, have text books in your pocket (vitalsource), check movie times, check facebook and twitter, gps navigation, calenders, camera, phone, music, etc.. all in one device. Like seriously how do people survive with out smartphones these days? If you can afford one get one.

I agree. financially it isn't the best move. That's the trade off.
As much debt that we take on as dental students I don't think an extra $50 a month will kill you. Dental school is living hell as it is. Whats an extra $2500/4yrs if it makes your life a little easier/enjoyable?

Best decision financially: dumb-phone 👍

 

[Andre3k]

The thing is, this is the type of attitude that results in people graduating with more debt then they ought to. $1500 plus interest to me is quite a bit of money. If I looked at it as chump change then why not take that extra vacation? Why not get that apartment that's a little nicer then what I need? Why not buy my lunch at the cafeteria instead of bring it from home? Why not buy that nice new TV? It all adds up.

You don't NEED a smartphone for dental school.

Nobody is saying go around blowing money. Treat yourself some times though. As stressful as it is in dental school you mean to tell me you are going to wake up every morning and make your lunch, come home cook dinner, have a cell phone with the bare minimum features, spend vacation time studying, watch a 19 inch black and white tv w/no cable, and walk to school everyday? I don't think so. Pretty sure you spend a little extra money on things you dont NEED because they are little more convenient, accessible, comfortable, fashionable, etc. We all do.

 

[Daurang]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

 

[herkulease]

If you're not under contract you can you can get a LG optimus V from Virgin Mobile. they are a sprint MVNO. So if sprint has great coverage where you're going to school you might want to look into it.

its an android smart phone. Its not the fastest but you get unlimted web/text and 300 minutes on the cheapest rate. 25 bucks a month. Its not the fastest mobile speed or anything but at 25 bucks a month it can't be beat. Its probably cheaper than what you pay now.

its prepaid, rather than post paid like att/verizon etc.

 

[DrReo]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

Although the Millionaire Next Door is semi-dated, but they said the most frequent driven care by millionaires (maybe it was self made) was the F-150! 😀 But anyways, I cannot agree more with this statement!!!👍 Buffets still alive.

 

[Noble6]

Nobody is saying go around blowing money. Treat yourself some times though. As stressful as it is in dental school you mean to tell me you are going to wake up every morning and make your lunch, come home cook dinner, have a cell phone with the bare minimum features, spend vacation time studying, watch a 19 inch black and white tv w/no cable, and walk to school everyday? I don't think so. Pretty sure you spend a little extra money on things you dont NEED because they are little more convenient, accessible, comfortable, fashionable, etc. We all do.

Lol, since you asked... Actually I do wake up (almost) every morning and make my lunch for school (as do a lot of my classmates). I live in a cheap and safe apartment that is far from glamorous. I take 1 vacation a year (if that) to a modest location, usually to see family. I do not have the nicest TV.

Sure I spend money on things I don't need. That wasn't the point of my post. It's a slippery slope though and the question is where do you draw the line. My point is a smartphone is not necessary and pretty easily is something you can cut out to save some money while you're in school. Feel free to disagree but don't call me a hypocrite.

 

[charlestweed]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

Great post. I would pay off all my loans (including the home loans) and become 100% debt free by now if I did what Daurang suggested. My ortho salary alone is many times more than my sister’s and her husband’s salaries combined and yet my sister has less debt than us. She only has about $300k left to pay for her beautiful 3600sf house. My wife and I leased new fancy German cars every 2-3 years. My sister has driven the same old Lexus ES300 for 10+years.

Orthodontics is an easy job but it is still a job. I still have to work hard to please the referring dentists and to avoid getting sued. I learn my lesson. I no longer lease new cars and spend my money on unnecessary things. I try to pay off all my debts as soon as I can so I don’t have to go door to door to beg the GPs....so I can quit my job at a dental chain.

In addition to working at her own office, my wife also travels to 9 different GP offices. She also drives our kids to school, piano class, Taekwondo class, swimming class etc. She uses the cheap $10 day planner to manage all of these. She likes to use her Razr flip phone because it has the physical keys. She hates my Thunderbolt 4g android phone because its touchscreen is too sensitive for her.

 

[NoPresident]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

I agree with pretty much everything you've said. It's reckless to overspend on unnecessary things with borrowed money and it can lead to a slippery slope of fiscal irresponsibility. At the same time I do understand some of the other viewpoints that it's only a drop in the pond. I think an intelligent balance can be struck between having some niceties though; those decisions should be made carefully and with the realization that you'll be paying back two dollars for every one you borrow. That said, I had an interesting conversation concerning Bloomberg with my girlfriend recently:

Mayor Bloomberg hosted (meaning footed the bill) for a $25,000/person private fine dining experience at the restaurant my girlfriend works at in NYC a few weeks back. There were 11 guests plus him. A twenty percent gratuity was added to the bill; this is not his first time he's done it this year. So apparently he's happy spending $391,500 on dinner but refuses to buy a third pair of shoes! What an odd place America is.

tl;dr: Bloomberg spends almost 400k on dinner...to each their own.

 

[Chrono]

I agree with pretty much everything you've said. It's reckless to overspend on unnecessary things with borrowed money and it can lead to a slippery slope of fiscal irresponsibility. At the same time I do understand some of the other viewpoints that it's only a drop in the pond. I think an intelligent balance can be struck between having some niceties though; those decisions should be made carefully and with the realization that you'll be paying back two dollars for every one you borrow. That said, I had an interesting conversation concerning Bloomberg with my girlfriend recently:

Mayor Bloomberg hosted (meaning footed the bill) for a $25,000/person private fine dining experience at the restaurant my girlfriend works at in NYC a few weeks back. There were 11 guests plus him. A twenty percent gratuity was added to the bill; this is not his first time he's done it this year. So apparently he's happy spending $391,500 on dinner but refuses to buy a third pair of shoes! What an odd place America is.

tl;dr: Bloomberg spends almost 400k on dinner...to each their own.

25K per person for food..they must've s*** diamonds afterwards.

As for this thread: I'm a techie, and once I got my HTC Incredible their was absolutely no going back. This "phone" (really a computer when you consider all it can do) is the greatest mobile device ever - I use it for so many things (free internet tethering using PDA Net, Cloud storage with drop box google docs, CALENDER WIDGETS FTMFW, taking pictures of friends notes with my 8MP camera when I missed lecture then sending them to dropbox from the phone and then viewing at home (awesome), wirelessly syncing my itunes playlists to my phone and then playing them in my car (glorious). Android is an awesome OS, it rocks my socks.

Of course not everyone is a techie and is even aware their smartphone is capable of such things. I suggest people to actually, you know, USE ONE for an extended period of time before saying its not worth it because it totally is for the $30 I pay for the data plan. It's, pun intended - incredible 😉

 

[gryffindor]

In addition to working at her own office, my wife also travels to 9 different GP offices. She also drives our kids to school, piano class, Taekwondo class, swimming class etc. She uses the cheap $10 day planner to manage all of these. She likes to use her Razr flip phone because it has the physical keys. She hates my Thunderbolt 4g android phone because its touchscreen is too sensitive for her.

My younger brother tried for years to convince me to swap my Razr for a smart phone but I refused! If I was going to switch, I needed a smart phone that was a flip phone, similar in size to the Razr, and with a full keyboard - none of this touchscreen swipe stuff on giant phones that don't fit in tiny purses. The Blackberry Style met all of my requirements so I finally upgraded late last year - yet I use the phone more often to play the stupid game that came with the phone than for the actual smart features. Smart phones still don't work on underground subway rides making them not much better than dumb phones or my Ipod touch during my commutes and thus I get hooked on a dumb game.

And I still use my $10 planner too.

 

[Andre3k]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

To each his own. I understand what you are saying. Id be willing to bet however that there are plenty people that are great with money yet still drive nice cars, have nice phones, and have more than one pair of shoes. And still can put $5000 in their mattress and invest because they cut back in other areas that you arent cutting back in. Its all about how you prioritize things. You see getting a smart phone as a waste of money because you dont see the benefits that others may see in it. Similarly I might see something that you spend money on as unnecessary.
Yes its a slippery slope but just because you spend your money on something that is not totally necessary in everyones eyes does not mean that you will have poor spending habits across the board.

 

[kennertt]

Cellphones are always connected to the internet. Whereas regular cell phones are not. That is why devices such as iPhones and the Android phones tend to use up so much data.

 

[Doc Smile]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

Actually, according to "Millionaire Next Door" it is the jeep grand cherokee. Duh

 

[Daurang]

Actually, according to "Millionaire Next Door" it is the jeep grand cherokee. Duh

This was updated five days ago by the WSJ to a Camry by the same author. Good read regardless...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704816604576337691894669976.html

 

[bigstix808]

Umm just get a smart phone. Not just for dental school for life period. Makes you more flexible and more efficient all around. In terms of being able to read documents, emails, check something online, have text books in your pocket (vitalsource), check movie times, check facebook and twitter, gps navigation, calenders, camera, phone, music, etc.. all in one device. Like seriously how do people survive with out smartphones these days? If you can afford one get one.

yup😎

get one, you'll see ... you'll never go back to a "normal" cell phone

 

[BombayBDS]

As of less than a year ago it is legal, and apple cannot void the phones warranty if you unlock/jailbreak it. For every update that apple comes out with you must wait for the corresponding unlock/jailbreak (if you want to update the phones firmware). So if you buy one on Craigslist make sure that it is wiped fresh with a new unlock. You should be able to pop your SIM card in and make a call. Starbucks is a good public place to meet and test the WIFI. There are "professional unlockers/jailbreakers" on Craigslist that will unlock/jailbreak your phone (although I read on the Internet how to do it myself for free).

At&T will know you're using a smart phone and automatically upcharge you. But if you have to have it, the iphone 3GS is only $49 with any data plan.

thanks guys.
I'm gonna go with a smart phone that has a good camera. just cuz im gonna need a phone anyway and might as well get one with more features.

 

[Lunasly]

Wow. Someone is cynical. I bet you hated dental school? Who are you to decide what is and is not a waste of time? I use those things bolded above to take a break from constant studying and to stay sane. My wife and I go to movies often because it is a good excuse to hang out and get away from it all. For the vast majority of dental students that enjoy school, the things listed are very realistic. In an ideal world, we would be locked in a cubicle and forced to learn for 4 years straight. . .

Relax. I don't get how anyone on this forum can honestly say that Facebook/twitter is NOT a waste of time. I highly doubt that Jake's message about how he had a dream about a dragon or how Ashley is looking for opinions on what color she should dye her hair is really important. Regardless of it all, the point I think he was trying to make it you do not need a smartphone to do any of the things you described.

 

[AH11]

We dentists are millionaires and we're advising you it's not necessary EVEN for us. You're living on borrowed money yet keep insisting you need it? what for? It's not the little spending here and there BUT it's the attitude that becomes ingrained in your personality long after.

Billionaire Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg only have two pairs of working shoes. Billionaire Warren Buffet drove his old truck til he died. The most popular car among millionaires is the Toyota Camry. My car since 2004 is a Toyota Sienna. I could have driven a Benz with my pocket change... but each $30K I saved not buying/leasing the Benz over the years is used to buy $30K foreclosed properties that brings me $800/month rent money on each property forever. Similarly, my $29.99 cell phone plan works just as good as your $99.99 smartphone plan; that's $70 difference that'll in go into my mattress every month forever while you're paying AT&T unnecessarily. I finally put a nice $450 50" plasma in my waiting room when I could have put it up 5 years ago for $5000 more; but now I have the $5000 difference inside my mattress. You now need to start living frugally and stop wasting money following pop culture nonsense. Cutting back on your cell phone, internet, cable bill is that simplest fiscal excercise. If you can't do something simple as that, how do you expect to cut back on anything else later on? Our economy is predicated upon you buying a lot of unnecessary nonsense and you are welcome to follow that path too.

Nice post but Warren Buffett isn't dead

 

[Daurang]

Nice post but Warren Buffett isn't dead

Thank you and DrReo for the correction.

 

[yappy]

I agree with what all these dentists have said. Dont go buy an expensive phone with features you dont need.

Smart phones are the latest way for companies to extract money for your bank account. Dont do it!