Household Economics, Circa 2011
So that amount, $176.49 is my monthly car payment, right?
Try, my July cell phone bill.
Make that my family’s July cell phone bill.
That’s what it cost for three lines with unlimited minutes and data; insurance on 3 devices (4 when son #2 is old enough); and the cost for a “hotspot” that allows your phone to act as a mobile Internet access point — never a bad idea when you can’t take chances finding an open Wi-Fi.
Oh. . . and I might have charged a new carrying case last month, too.
Still, that’s a lot of moolah for something that most people paid exactly $0 for 20 years ago.
Admittedly, $200 a month doesn’t begin to cover the full cost of owning a car; gas and insurance can easily double it.
But increasing mass transit — and innovations like ZipCar — are lowering transportation costs.
Meanwhile, I don’t see my cell phone bill going down any time soon.
