I'm one of You now.

Did i want it? NO. Did I need it YES.

To all the Blackberry and IPhone toting people out there, I did not want to be a part of your world. Sure I wanted to ask you for directions on how to get from A to B or what the name of that old Dave Coulier show was from time to time (Cut-It-Out!), but I didn't want one permanently glued to my palm.

But then my lack of ability to open up email attachments and Google on the go threatened my new freelance job only two days in. While my associates could freely roam the streets with their hand held devices, (we are scouting businesses in need of renovation assistance), I was tied to my computer. I didn't want to carry around my expensive laptop in a rainy Nor'easter so I had to keep running home to stay in the loop and avoid costly pit stops at internet cafes. As a result I kept falling behind on my work.

Faced with potentially loosing a long term gig (16 weeks!), I knew my wireless plan needed an upgrade. Before investing in a smartphone of sorts I threw my dilemma out there to all my smart people to see which type I should get. Thank you again for all your input by the way. Since I needed to open attachments more than I wanted to Shazam, I decided to go with the blackberry.

Right before opening the doors to the Verizon store I paused with my hand clenched tightly around my wallet. $30 more a month just for service? Really? The reality was that I could spend extra money in order potentially make more money or I could live frugally like a detached hermit. Hermits don't have jobs to my knowledge. So I opened the door and walked in...

I think a big part of being unemployed is learning how to distinguish your wants from your needs. My steady paycheck enabled me to indulge in all my ($10 pinkberry) wants. When my severance pay stopped I barely had enough to support my basic needs. As my savings account began to dwindle, spending cash on anything not necessary for survival gave me a huge sense of guilt. Getting an I-Phone just to find out where I was (it's hard to get lost while blogging on my bed) was out of the question.

Long gone are the days when clunky Zac Morris phones were considered a luxury item. The newest models are now a necessity in order to compete with the best in a time when jobs are few and far between. So I got a one, and yes, it does like to accidentally dial all the wrong people.

I'm proud to have matured from being a Pinkberry addict to Blackberry addict. Pricey frozen yogurt is still ok for me to splurge on every now and then. But by limiting myself to just one Pinkberry trip a month SHAZAM! - I am able to invest in something that will give me an edge. Totally worth it.

Now send me your bbm pin #'s!