The invention of the iPhone will probably be one of the key technological events of my lifetime. It changed the game from quirky Blackberry kind-of-phones, to a new experience that delivered a whole set of new capabilities in people’s lives. It has changed the businesses I serve and will continue to change our lives for years to come.

Once I finally got an iPhone it took over my life. This coincided with the birth of my children, so I spent a lot of time on the iPhone while they were at the park, or sleeping, or messing around at our house.

Then I realized that I will never get those moments back.

I realized that the promise of convenience and greater efficiency does not line up with my personal goals because my personal goals are to live a life of meaning, love, and connection, especially with my family.

To put it more simply, I was on my phone and ignoring my family.

What to do about this? I considered going away from a smartphone. That didn’t seem possible because there were times when it really did serve me. I tried to make a few rules like, Stop ignoring my children, but those didn’t seem to work when the siren song of Facebook and email came singing.

On top of that, I was spending over a thousand dollars a year on this habit that wasn’t serving me.

Then I learned about a better way: Republic Wireless. With Republic Wireless, I bought a phone for $300* and now spend $10 a month on my mobile phone. I get data through Wi-Fi, which, by the way, exists at home and at work. I don’t get data on the way home from work. If I’m traveling, I get the option to change to the $25 a month plan that has data. I can even change it back to the $10 plan when I get home and only pay for the $25 plan prorated for the amount of days I used it.

This means that I don’t instinctively go for the phone when I’m out and about. It’s a tool; it’s not my master. It also means if I need it to direct me somewhere I can type in directions before I leave when I’m on Wi-Fi, and the smartphone will get me there.

I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Combine that with my $10/month landline, I now have no excuse to be on my phone ever. It’s an accessory. It’s not my whole life. Now I can live with the best elements of it and leave the rest alone.

If you’re interested in freeing your life from the insane addiction from the smartphone, you can get $10 off of Republic Wireless (as well as give me $10 off on my bill) by going here. Enjoy!

• You can get them even cheaper for $99 for an off-contract phone. Do the math, and you’ll save a bundle while being able to spend less time on your phone. It’s a win-win!