We get everyone around here to use our cargo bike. Even my husband’s boss knows it’s great for local deliveries at the flower shop. It was a busy Mother’s Day week for them, and with all the vans out on further deliveries stuff still needed to get around town. Here is Tom ready to go with a loaded bakfiets full of plants. He made a couple deliveries this way, and for as stressed as everyone was last week, it made everyone smile. I think Tom enjoyed the ride too.
I admit I have a problem, an addiction if you will, with my iPhone. No I do not belong on an episode of My Strange Addiction, but an addiction non-the-less. It goes everywhere with me. I’m always connected to the internet, even when out at the park, where I should be actively participating in my children’s lives, or maybe reading a book, or drawing, or yelling at them to stop hitting each other, etc. But I’m emailing and checking facebook for the millionth time instead. We go over for dinner somewhere and we are all on our phones! Playing each other in Words With Friends, in the same room or house, but looking at our phones. Why? This is not good. My brain cannot take much more. I believe the internet is great and has opened so many possibilities for so many, myself included. But I’m tired of it always being in my face. So, I looked into how to fix this. Give up my iPhone completely? Hmmm. I have had it since the first one came out, I will give up my unlimited data! Do I need unlimited data when I should be enjoying life? No! Shouldn’t my cell phone really be for more serious situations instead? Yes!
I have not given up my iPhone completely. I wanted to, but maybe I need to do this in baby steps haha! Plus, it is better for texting purposes.
So, I still have it, but this is what we did:
* We canceled our regular at&t plan (yes there were cancelation fees for both of our phones, but with the money we would save for the year we are still spending less money. we are actually saving about $400 for the year).
* We had our iPhones switched over to basic GO Phones with no data, 250 minutes, and unlimited texting. (hence why I kept the iPhone instead of switching to just a basic cell phone, easy texting).
* We still can get all the iPhone features to work when we have wifi signal, but not when we are out at the park, or other places where maybe we shouldn’t be on it anyway.
* Is 250 minutes enough? No, but I signed up for Google Voice and now have a “home phone” number where people can call me for longer conversations, and it’s FREE! This also helps me to keep my phone conversations in check. Do I need to be on the phone right now? I will now have to be sitting at my desk in order to talk. That means less time bullshitting on the phone, and making sure the conversations are needed.
We used to spend $156 per month on our phones. Now, we spend $53. That’s a big difference, and a lot of savings.
It is was hard to do this. The internet on at all times is addictive and I felt trapped by it. Now, when we are out it’s just a phone and a camera 
One day I might finally get rid of it as my phone and just have a basic cell phone. I’m not there yet. This is just the first step.
It’s great to be connected to people, but sometimes, like Louie C.K. says, “it’s just too much!”
The May/June issue of Natural Life Magazine is out!
I couple months ago I wrote an article for Natural Life Magazine about how and why we went car-free, and my photo of my husband and the boys snagged the cover too! You have to subscribe to Natural Life Magazine to read the article (it’s an online only publication). It’s a great magazine and more than well worth subscribing to. If you already have a subscription, and read the article, we would love to hear what you thought of it in the comments below 
A great big “Thank You!” to Natural Life Magazine for featuring us.
We are really excited to share our car-free journey, and hope it inspires people to at least get on a bike once in awhile.
