I'm just a girl...

You could get a itouch, it has all the functions of an iphone without the phone or contract.

I was looking at those and decided not to since I would be getting a cell phone. I will have to break down and get one by December. I always need internet when I travel. So I didn't want to spend the money for both an iTouch and a cell phone.

I have an iTouch* and, while I like it quite a lot, it doesn't come with a data plan or any way to add one. So unless you're driving by an open wifi spot, it won't solve your GPS issue.


*I haven't checked if the new generations have this capability, but I'm kinda doubting it.

I would have purchased one if they had that capability. That was one of the things that prevented me from purchasing an iTouch.

I see no reason to rush into it other than how extremely handy it is to have internet-enabled personal organizer and GPS with you all the time. New, better phones will come out and existing phones will get cheaper between now and December. Is it worth the extra $30/month they charge to have internet on your phone (in your case $60/month more than your landline and is a cellphone worth $30/month more than a landline)? I'm not sure and I think that's overpriced but there are very few alternatives. Anyone who has $30/month in disposable income should spend less on something else and get a cellphone instead of a landline. Anyone with another $30/month to spare should add internet access to their phone. You'll never miss an important call or get lost ever again which at least halfway pays for itself in time and gas saved and depending on your lifestyle can pay for itself several times over.

You might try getting a car GPS device first. For about $100 you can get one with a map that's current for at least 4months (you can keep using it after that but the maps will eventually be outdated enough that you'll have to cough up $40-$120 for updated maps (12months TomTom or Lifetime Garmin respectively). Actually saves you money if the car GPS delays your new cellphone purchase by at least 2 months. Maximum of $100 lost, potential for $113 saved over 4months (using assumption from above of internet halfway paying for itself). They are also more user friendly and could be a good stepping stone to getting a smartphone with GPS software.

I think I just talked myself into buying one for my g/f instead of forking out for a new phone for her.

I got my first cellphone when I was 19. Within 3 months I was absolutely convinced I should have done it when I was 15, even without internet, and I don't even call people that much. It is absolutely essential for doing business while on the go and over the next couple years it earned/saved me tens of thousands of dollars I couldn't have gotten otherwise as I moved from place-to-place and, for the first time in my chaotic life, didn't lose contact with people or miss important calls.

I do have a pay by the minute cell phone that I use for emergencies. If one of my instructors needs to reach me they have that number. But it's a 6 year old phone with NO features. No caller ID, no internet, no camera, no video, nothing. On average I use the phone about 10 minutes a month which brings my monthly bill to a total of about $1.00.