We all know that situation, the end of your contract is coming up, technology has moved on and the phone you bought 18 or 24 months ago is scratched and beaten up. Words and phrases like touch screen, iPhone, email and internet access on the move scream out of shop windows and internet sites, all to make a functional item a stylish, desirable, must have essential.
The mobile phone marketers are trying to part you with your money, it's their job. But as phones get more technical they cost more, over recent contracts my phone has gradually crept up in cost and now the basic iphone or equivalent is £30 and upwards.
As a "job seeker", volunteering here at PECT, I am cash poor and time rich so I have time to weigh up my options, before applying for yet another career opportunity. Rather than believe the hype, I decided to be creative.
With a pinch of salt I sat down and said not what do I desire but what do I need? This was the list:
- Lower bills - always useful
- A phone that I can use to text, phone, take spontaneous photos and access emails (in that order)
- A phone that is not as scratched and old looking as my current one
- Ease of use (I use Nokia phones for familiarity - I tried a Motorola once but couldn't get on with it)
- Something that looks professional for work
- A phone has all my contacts on it or that is easy to transfer from my old one
- Preferably on Orange because I like the idea of two cinema tickets for the price of one. (Yes that's a piece of marketing that I am a sucker for)
- Something that is personally mine.
My Nokia 6300 still works
(Click for image), it already has all of these features and my conacts are already in the memory, so why do I need to change? It's a current model that's a little scuffed!
While working for Caterpillar (aka Perkins in yellow clothing) I came accross the term
remanufacturing. For Caterpillar this means taking in a bulldozer or engine at the end of its working life, breaking it down for parts and restoring those parts to as good as new to resell them. The great thing is that because you don't have to mine and smelt the metal and the majority of the work is simply replacing the damaged bits. Caterpillar calculates that the energy saved is about 60%. They have a whole division for this and it makes them money or they wouldn't do it.
Click here for how they do it.
Maybe I could remanufacture my phone, so it is as good as new!
If i can do it and change to a SIM only contract for the same service (£10 per month 200 minutes and unlimited texts) I can save £5 a month.
E-bay to the rescue!
New metal case and screen £3.79 - there are loads to choose from - each making my choice a little more personal.
Another £3.89 gets me a new leather wallet to protect the screen in my pocket.
I also discovered that Nokia also have a repair and recylcle section of their website where I can upgrade my software and with the
freepost recycle scheme
send any unwanted accessories directly
Click here.
So I've stopped wasting my money, stopped my phone becoming landfill, Upgraded my phone's software and smartened up the product I have.
I'm quite enjoying being green - it appeals to my practical side.
15:19:08
and will be entitled to a free gift with their next order from Vine House Farm Bird Foods.
organisations, in a city with 160,000+ residents with some 40,000 workers who commute into the city to work, are but a drop in the ocean and if the city is to achieve it’s ambitions of becoming the UK’s Environment Capital..jpg)
