Her Fate In Your Hands

Nan has been bothering me about a phone for a long time. The thing is, she doesn't only want a phone; she wants a phone that has computing capabilities. In addition to that, she wants a phone plan that includes data (ability to send email and browse the internet). This request has been in the works for about a year. She has given me all sorts of lame excuses to explain why this is critical to her survival. At one point we talked about it being a reward if she met some type of health goal (this goal would have been determined by her and would include points based on how much she worked out, how much weight she lost, etc.)

Perhaps because of my weakened condition and because I am taking some pain medication, today she tried to talk me into the phone again. I told her to write up a proposal outlining a few things.

1. How will this benefit the family?
2. What cost savings will be realized?
3. How will a PDA/phone increase her productivity?
4. How will she measure whether this device is worth the money?

She submitted a proposal to me within 2 hours (if I could only get those results for other things like cleaning the house and doing laundry!)

Her proposal is below. I would like you, the reader, to decide whether or not she has made a good case. Perhaps she has justified a phone, perhaps a PDA, perhaps both, or perhaps neither. Please cast your vote and I will use the results to make my decision. The voting block is located on the left pane. Please only vote once. You are free to get family members or friends to vote, but you cannot vote for them. Please consider the costs of the phone and plan ($300 for the phone and $63 per month!!!) compared to the benefits outlined below. After all, this will come out of funds used to buy food and clothing for the kids:

Dear Chris:

Per your request, I am submitting a requisition form for a new communication device, specifically a Palm Treo with voice and data capabilities. Please consider the following factors and be ready to discuss the matter with me as soon as possible. Remember, a happy wife = a happy family.

Why a Cell Phone?

• Emergencies
  ­ -Roadside assistance
  ­ -Medical needs
  ­ -School, bus issues
• Convenience
  ­ -I’ll be available to others
  ­ -I can call others when I think about it, want to, need to, have extra time
• Coordination
  ­ -Making plans with you—rides, schedules, etc.
  ­ -Last minute changes (decide to do another errand, make another stop, etc.)
  ­ -Notifications (“Sorry I’m late,” “Can I drop by?” etc.)
• Long Distance
  ­ -More likely to call family members and friends

Why a PDA?

• Sanity Saving
  ­ -Have lists on hand (to-do, shopping, wishlists…)
  ­ -Have calendar on hand
  ­ -Have contact information on hand
  ­ -With the time that we invest in getting my new system up and running this week (including you so kindly taking the kids out of town for me, etc.), it would be nice if the organization/systems could actually stay in place (meaning I need access to my info).
• Time Saving
  ­ -Read & respond to emails at convenient times, instead of sitting down at the computer throughout the day.
  -Use downtime (waiting for Tommy's bus, in waiting rooms, etc.) more effectively—draft posts, write emails, proofread your homework and work documents, etc.

Why a Phone/PDA Combo?

• 2-in-1 device convenient, cost-effective
• Data Option: Live access to web, email, etc. A lot of the calendar/organizing applications I use are web-based. This would eliminate the need for me to have to plug the device into the computer and try to synchronize all my information.

$ -The Bottom Line - $ [here are the costs for her proposal]

• Phone/PDA is $300.
• Plan is $63 a month. 450 daytime minutes, Unlimited In-Calling, Nights, Weekends, Data
• We can eliminate all extra options on our home phone -$15 a month
• We can eliminate phone card and long distance calls -$15 a month (pay phone calls are now $1 each!)

Improvements You Will See

• I will know what is going on, what needs to be done, and what I am doing
• I will spend considerably less time in the chair in front of the computer
• I will not put things off, since I won’t have to wait to get upstairs to the computer
• I will enjoy keeping track of things, and getting things done

And finally, a few quotes from productivity guru David Allen:
“I’ve seen people go from resisting to actually enjoying sorting through their stacks once their personal filing system is set up and humming.” and, "I've done some of my best planning and updating for myself when I simply wanted some excuse to use (i.e., play with) my Palm organizer while waiting for dinner in a restaurant."

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Your loving wife, Nancy

UPDATE: Check out Nancy's response to this post.