Paying attention to my daughter, thanks to Ting.

Ting gave me my life back and made me a better mom.

Ting also made me a better driver.

What is Ting? It’s our new cell phone service.

In an effort to not throw anymore money out the window, I researched Ting as a cell phone service. I’d heard it was cheaper… Something about paying as you go.

After looking into it, it was intriguing and attractive to only pay for the service I was using. When I thought about it, I wasn’t using my cell phone in a smart way anyway…

Checking it at stop lights. Using it for stupid things while out and about – always connected, always hopping from one app to the next, from one site to the next.

Why? Well, because I could.

I paid for a plan with AT&T where I had so much data and unlimited texts, etc, that I might as well use it. Doesn’t everybody?

Not anymore, now that there’s Ting.

Distraction has a mighty cost.

I wish I could say that I was a bigger person. I wish I could tell myself “no” and have better control with my cell phone. I tried. I really did, but the attempts never stuck. A connected cell phone was addictive. So damn hard to put it down. I had a bad habit. My life felt overly fragmented. Exhaustive, really.

But, I’m on a mission to be financially independent / retired early / have a stash of “f-you” money, and that means taking a hard look at all of my expenses.

Inspired to save money on my cell phone bill, I imagined a life where…

I only used data if I really needed it, which is rare if I’m honest with myself. I don’t need to constantly check yelp, twitter, Facebook, or anything.
I could use wi-fi for most things cell phone related, which wouldn’t cost me anything from my cell service.
I could text less.
I could use my cell phone less.
I could text other iPhone users for free over wi-fi.
I used my phone mostly at home with wi-fi.
If I’m out running errands, I can hop into any cafe with wi-fi if I really need to.
And, if desperate, I can just use the data with Ting, paying as I go. Again, that rarely happens.

Those are all reasonable.

Then… why pay so much for a cell plan? I even tried to reduce the AT&T bill, but their “minimum” was still overpriced for my needs.

Hello, Ting!

I was drawn to Ting for the cost savings, but immediately realized many more important benefits.

I became more mindful. I became more present for myself and my family. I started driving better. And, that brings me to my post today. Ting made me a better mom. When I stopped looking at my phone so much, because I couldn’t use it (by choice) without paying for the data, I started seeing my daughter more.

We went to the beach in May, and instead of constantly using and checking my phone, I simply sat on the beach and watched my daughter. I took it all in. I absorbed the moment. It was powerful. I’ll never forget that.

Now those “moments” are regular occurrences and my life is much richer (literally and figuratively).

BTW: Our cell phone bill (for both my husband and myself) went from $140 a month to less than $25. Yeah. For real. Obviously, we’re extremely mindful of our usage in order to accomplish this, but the benefit goes way beyond the money savings. Here’s a TING affiliate link. I’m a proud person using Ting and encourage you to check it out. We both get a deal if you sign up using it. You get an initial savings of $25 off your first bill as a service credit or $25 off a new device.

Ting Made Me A Better Mom

Distraction has a mighty cost.

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