Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

£600 iPhone dilemma

31 replies

rubytuesday21 · 28/01/2017 18:20

Is it crazy to even contemplate allowing my 15yr old to buy an iPhone with money she has saved from Birthdays and Christmas? It's all she wants... and she says most teens have them! But it just seems like so much money to me...!

OP posts:

unflinchingasaphotograph · 28/01/2017 18:21

It's her money!

Squeegle · 28/01/2017 18:23

It is her money, but do your best to make sure she insures it, as they do break and they do get lost.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/01/2017 18:23

Could you compromise and let her buy a reconditioned one? If she does get one, think she will need to factor in decent insurance and research the best deals on usage.

Original poster

rubytuesday21 · 28/01/2017 18:31

I am most worried about her damaging it, losing it, getting it stolen...
She wouldn't consider a reconditioned one!
Generally, she buys what she wants with her money, and if she makes the wrong choices, that's how she'll learn. But this just seems extravagant.

OP posts:

Reality16 · 28/01/2017 18:33

Her money, her choice.

Ilovecaindingle · 28/01/2017 18:35

My ds 16 has an I phone 7
Ds 15 has a 6 and ds 13 has a 5. As long as you get a good case and phone insurance.

Hulababy · 28/01/2017 18:37

Its her money who she has saved, I would let her.
Get some Gorilla glass for the screen to double protect it, and a decent case.
Consider insurance.

FWIW DD has had a new iPhone as her phone since she was 11 - on contract so updated every two years.

lljkk · 29/01/2017 19:38

Ouch, could you insure it?
I let 15yo DD have a £300 phone. She insisted on new (price = £380) & we found one 6 weeks old (FB selling pages) that was £290. Which she accepted after all. She's been very happy with it, but drops it often. (sigh)

NotLadyPrickshit · 29/01/2017 19:46

Both DD's have iPhones... I have paid for 3 new screens & DD2 needs hers replaced again!

DD1 was due an upgrade this month but has been told that it's not happening & she'll have to keep her current phone for a year without needing a new screen before I'll consider an upgrade!

DD2 is saving to pay for her own screen (DD1 asked if hers could be fixed from her Xmas present fund).

If it's her money at least she's buying something as opposed to frittering it away on silly things but definitely consider insurance - can she afford this or will you be paying for it?

sandgrown · 29/01/2017 19:52

We bought a refurb from Argos for £269 . It's like new. Lots of refurbisheds are just phones returned in the first 14 days because buyer changed their mind. It has a 12 month guarantee and they offered insurance for £4.99 a month

LizB62A · 29/01/2017 21:51

Check your contents insurance before you pay for additional phone insurance. My home policy covers our mobiles

Patriciathestripper1 · 29/01/2017 21:52

Let her buy it and insure the phone got her.

Patriciathestripper1 · 29/01/2017 21:52

For her

Original poster

rubytuesday21 · 30/01/2017 18:47

Will have a look at Argos, thanks sandgrown didn't know they did them there. Will definitely get it insured, and will deduct it from her pocket money each month, unless it can go on the contents insurance. My phone is so old I've never bothered!
I'm not going to get it yet as we will be moving house soon, and networks are so patchy where we live, and in the mean time will find the best deal

OP posts:

SaucyS000 · 30/01/2017 23:19

To put this into perspective

My car cost just over £600 and I travel alot of miles. It has served its purpose more than I had expected

Does the £600 include phone calls texts and photos for a year or are these on top per month ?

I know some people who change their phones each year but they earn a good wage

Does a teenager really need a £600 phone ?

Reality16 · 30/01/2017 23:27

To put this into perspective My car cost just over £600 and I travel alot of miles. It has served its purpose more than I had expected. How does that put it into perspective? A new car would cost at least ten times that. So no comparison.

does a teenager really need a £600 phone does anybody? Often as we go through life we have things we don't NEED. That's ok. In fact it's rather nice

Original poster

rubytuesday21 · 31/01/2017 14:13

This is the phone, so it would be bought outright and then just SIM only, or would be a contract for £46 per month and a free phone.

www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-iphone/iphone6s/4.7-inch-display-128gb-rose-gold#00,13,21

nobody needs a £600 phone that's my dilemma, but then we don't need much really, apart from food, clothes and a roof over our heads

Reality16 I got rid of my 20 yr old car last yr and got £200 pounds for it. It makes no sense!

OP posts:

Notso · 31/01/2017 14:37

My 16 year old has just bought an iPhone 7 with her savings and we lent her £200 which she will pay back out of her pocket money. She wanted to a contract but we weren't keen which was the main reason we agreed to lend her the extra to buy it outright.

Original poster

rubytuesday21 · 31/01/2017 19:17

Notso what was it about the contract you didn't like?
So has your daughter just go PAYG?
At least with a contract it can be upgraded every few years but £45 every month is a huge amount isn't it? Though there may be cheaper, haven't looked around much yet

OP posts:

Palomb · 31/01/2017 19:20

My just 12 year old has an iPhone 6. It was dh's old one.. isn't that how most teenagers get their phones?

brokenheartdog · 31/01/2017 19:24

Most of year 9/10 in my dc school have iphone 6 and 7s

swingofthings · 01/02/2017 10:37

I'd be very disappointed if that's what my DD would spend her money on. I also know that those who give her cash for birthdays and presents would be disappointed to see the money go that way, but in the end, I agree that you can't give money and then forbid them to spend it as they wish.

Not sure about the 'most teens' have them. They don't in our environment and that is a very middle class one.

Maybe you can have a discussion with her about spending such a large amount of money on a phone which in one year's time won't be all the hype any longer and in two years time will be out and replaced by something cooler which she probably will dream to have again. That's £300 a year to be happy with what she has.

As a mum, I would also want to be sure that this desperate need for the newer model wasn't a result of wanting to be envied by her peers, which could be a sign of low self-esteem. This would be evident from other desires and behaviour.

gandalf456 · 01/02/2017 13:56

A lot of my DD's friends have iphone 7s but I refuse to let her get one even with her own money. I do not have an iphone 7 and I am in my 40s. I would allow her to get a semi decent phone that she is happy with but £600 doesn't seem to be teaching them the value of money and, at that age, they are clumsy and get broken or they could get stolen. I do think they need to learn that sometimes you can't get everything you want. When she's older and earning her own money, a £600 phone will not be in her budget when she has food and bills to pay so it's best she learns the art of compromise now.

Notso · 03/02/2017 13:20

rubytuesday sorry I was just checking old threads and saw your question. Don't know if it helps anymore but the reason we weren't keen on the contract are one, DD is currently in a pretty unstable part time job -zero hours contract, while so far her hours are regular that could change and obviously DH and I will have to pick up any slack.
Two DD is probably going off to university. A two year contract would mean she will be going before it's ended so again if she can't afford to pay we will end up paying.
With PAYG she is still paying a pretty affordable £15 a month and she can reduce the amount or prioritise other things that crop up during the month over paying for the phone. This month for example she has a night away for a friends birthday so isn't topping her phone up as she wants more spending money.
gandalf DD works bloody hard for her wages. No way would I tell her how to spend them. I think if she has saved enough to buy the phone obviously she has sacrificed other things. She gets wages and a set amount from us every month and that is it she pays for all her clothes, travel, lunches, most college stuff, haircuts etc. I'd say she is pretty good at budgeting.

gandalf456 · 03/02/2017 14:29

My DD isn't earning but I would not let her buy one out of her savings. She only has £400. Speaking personally, I think the money would be better spent elsewhere than a really expensive phone. Everyone's circumstances are different and I appreciate that.

Flip

1 2