Everyone seems to be talking about Indians lining up to buy the latest iPhone. I have a completely different problem. My daughter thinks my phone is an embarrassment. 😂

She usually uses my phone to check her school app and sometimes to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.

A few days ago, she was looking for my phone. She searched everywhere and then came to me and said sarcastically, “I looked all over and found a phone on the table.” Then she quickly realized it was the Instahelp person’s phone. It was an iPhone and apparently in much better condition than mine. 😄

She was clearly trying to rub it in about the phone I carry. We had a good laugh and moved on.

But the whole thing made me think about how much importance we have started giving to having the latest gadgets. I use my phone for a very small set of things. Calls, Outlook, Teams, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Zepto, Amazon, Blinkit, FirstClub and a few health apps.
That probably covers more than 95% of what I do on the phone.

I don’t have other social media apps on it. I don’t enjoy constantly checking my phone. And with the small text, I usually find my laptop much easier to use anyway. For me, a phone is simply something that keeps me connected when I am away from my laptop.
Which means I usually carry a very basic phone. Something that my wife and daughter would probably prefer I never use to click a photo. 😂

But I think this goes beyond phones. We sometimes spend money on things not because we need them, but because of the status attached to them. The latest iPhone is one example. A bigger car, a more expensive watch, a larger house, better clothes. The list keeps changing.

And there is no real finish line. There will always be something newer, bigger or more expensive. So perhaps the more important question is: Do I actually want this, or do I want what owning it says about me?

Because that small difference can have a very big impact on how we spend our money over the years.


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PS: All views are personal