Dial I for Irresponsible

The latest blame game: "Newest family budget killer? It's the $300 cellphone bill, readers say".

"Herring’s $240 monthly bill for four phones was lower than many others with the same number of phones, but it is still a bitter pill to swallow. She moved to Wisconsin from Flagstaff, Ariz., earlier this year, so her husband, who recently completed 10 years of military service, could attend law school. The couple and their three kids live in a suburb, and he needs broadband wireless Internet access so he can study on the bus.  'There's a very specific reason we have the phones we have,' she said. Two smartphones with data plans can't be had for much less than $200. Throw in a couple of 'dumb' phones, even at discount prices, and the cost climbs to near $250 for the Herrings."

It's not the phones that are dumb -- it's these people who pay for expensive phones and plans they don't need and can't afford! Personal responsibility doesn't cost a thing.