Cheapskate = Luddite

Siobhan sent me an article this morning on how to monitor your eBay auction using your cell phone or PDA, and my first thought was, "Wow, that's really neat!"

My next thought was that, especially with my return to a paper planner, I am so 1995. I had an emergency phone while travelling to Emporia for my Master's, but didn't get another until we put Trixie in daycare in early 2004. Even then, I bought a TracFone so I wouldn't have to pay a monthly service charge. It's cheap, it's convenient, and I don't use it for anything other than making the occasional phone call.

And, even though I've got a wireless PDA, it mostly stays in the cradle. This is because it won't do what I want it to do: sync with my calendar, instant message, and...work as a cell phone.

The obvious answer to this is to get either a really high-end cell phone or a combo device. However, I am waaaaaaay too cheap for this ever to happen. Not only am I not interested in spending $300+ for a device, but I am also not interested in a monthly contract for service.

This little incident has gotten me thinking about how the lack of money keeps us from pursing change in our lives, both personal and professional, technological and otherwise. How many opportunties do libraries pass up because there is not enough staff, or enough funding? Would access to these opportunities make the libraries the vital centers they want to be? Would my overbooked, constantly-juggled life be easier to manage with the right tools? Would a Treo make the difference for me between staying afloat and really reaching my goals? If you could have the money you needed to make a change in your life, what would it be?

Most libraries will never know, and I'll never know. We simply can't afford the investment needed to innovate.