Len's News, Notes, and Stuff

Mobile Internet is an Investment in Crap-Avoidance … and that Saves You Money!

If you have shopping urges – and be honest, you do – mobile internet can save you money.  Just this morning, as I wandered aimlessly around Wal-Mart while my car was in the shop to get winter tires put on, my having a Net connection on my phone saved me money.  Seriously.  And this wasn’t the first time, either.

Now, if you’re addicted to buying clothes, shoes and accessories – i.e. you’re a woman – this won’t apply to you 100%.  But if your purchases revolve around digital gadgets, things with electric motors, entertainment media on shiny circular discs, and things that come with spec sheets – i.e. you’re a man – trust me, spending $30 a month on a mobile net connection is worth it.

Let’s talk numbers, shall we?  Let’s use today as an example.  I was going to buy The Ultimate Bruce Lee Collection, a nice little DVD bundle for $15.  I thought about a bargain-bin PS2 game, Women’s Volleyball Championship, for $10.  That’s $25 right there.

However, I didn’t get either of those two items. Why? Because I took my phone out of my pocket, went online, and Googled some reviews.  The reviews for the Bruce Lee DVD set were ok, but didn’t wow me enough to (a) buy it, and (b) sit down and watch all 5 movies.  The reviews for the game were pitiful – in fact, they actively warned readers to avoid the game like the plague.

After that, of course I put everything back on the shelf.  As I write this, I’m still at Walmart waiting for my car – but this isn’t a post about mobile productivity, it’s about how a little investment in connectivity saves you money.  I saved $25 today because online reviews saved my ass.  $5 more, and it’d already a breakeven proposition for the month.

I am a book addict.  I buy them faster than I can read, and I really do read faster than a preschooler.  I get tempted whenever I drop into a well-stocked used-bookstore, or walk into Winners/Homesense with their discount cookbooks.  Thankfully, I have a mobile net connection – I can look up book reviews on Amazon wherever I am.  And once again, those reviews save me from buying crap, just as they did last weekend.  Or was it the weekend before?  Or was it both?

Whether it’s sporting goods, electronic gadgets, video games, movies, music (yes, some of us still buy DVDs + CDs rather than steal the content online), perfume and fragrances, cookware, groceries (hey, do *you* know how to choose a good olive oil or what the hell a chocolate persimmon is?), motor oil, lotions, potions, shampoos, household appliances, or damnit, even a frickin’ restaurant, vacation, car, or house, an Internet connection in the palm of your hand wherever you happen to be can save you from spending your hard-earned money on crap.  Heck, even if you’re a pimp and “hard-earned” is just a figure of speech, a mobile Net connection will save you money.

So if you’re tired of buying crap because you (a) just love stuff – and admit it, you do – and (b) don’t have the right information at the right time, get with it and invest a few bucks in a good data plan.

Now if you’ll excuse me, that cast iron skillet in Aisle 14 is calling my name.  There ain’t no reviews deflecting the temptation on that one.

Hey, a mobile net connection isn’t perfect, y’know.