My nephew asked me why I still have a landline

He's seven. Said it looked like a toy from a museum. I told him it's for emergencies, when the power goes out. He just stared at it and said, 'But your phone is right there.' Pointed at my cell. Made me realize I've been paying $30 a month for a decade out of pure habit. Anyone else keep something around just because you always have?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewmartin2mo ago

I read an article that said keeping a landline is one of those things we do on autopilot, like a subscription you forget about. The emergency reason feels solid until you realize how rarely the power actually fails for long. My parents finally cut theirs last year and nothing bad happened. It's funny what we hold onto just because it feels safer, even when it costs us money for no real benefit.

parker1832mo ago

Honestly I used to think a landline was a must for emergencies. But you're right, when was the last time the power was out long enough for it to matter? It's just an old habit we mistake for being smart.

jason_henderson2mo ago

Man, that hits home. I still have a cable subscription I never watch. It's just background noise now, but I keep paying because canceling feels like a whole thing. I bet we all have something like that, a gym membership for a place you drive past but never go to, or a streaming service for one show you finished years ago. It's like we pay a lazy tax for not wanting to deal with the hassle of stopping.