Truth is, you already know the answer. The reason you wrote this post is not to ask us about the phone, a relatively simple and straightforward answer that you just need to decide on your own by looking at your wallet, but rather to tell us about your past trauma, your parents, your journey for self-improvement, show off your vocabulary, knowledge of psychology, the fact that a girl asked your number and to emotionally work through that a guy shit on you, none of which is really relevant to anything related to having a phone or living your life. If there is a "first post syndrome" on the main sub, there is certainly a "first question syndrome" on AskTRP, of people getting their lives together, but wanting a certificate from the community for starting to go through TRP and improve, two separate processes btw. We take the place of parents, friends, spouses or religion, whichever institution was your bedrock of self-esteem and appreciation, from which you needed attention and approval. There are many "help me" posts, not even the "I'm a beta, help" but I'm a "HB 8 man, 10 figure job, play in 25 bands, should I approach women", for example.

So I'm going to tell you what you want to hear: well done.

But you're also a man. You don't need my certificate to know you've been doing well. You don't need my approval, you don't need my attention. Build a fountain of self-esteem within yourself. Be your own rock. I can't live your life for you.

So to answer your question, people have been fucking before phones and without. Do or do not. Make your choice, the one that works for you. See for yourself what works. You can do it.

Get an older iPhone or Samsung (with a case). You can replace the battery for cheap if needed and get on a pay as you go plan.

A phone is important in 2019. But you don't need to spend a ton of money and then get an expensive internet plan and all the new bells and whistles. Not to mention the distraction it will be.

You could get a very basic smartphone for $100. A burner phone for $20

If it's possible to get a phone then get one. If you have to work too much and it makes your grades suffer, then don't do that. You could make an Instagram or an online messaging account and then message girls through that on your laptop. If you don't have a laptop then use a school computer at the library. It's not an amazing option but it could work. Keep improving your SMV you're on the right track

Buy a used iPhone or Android. You can get lg Nokia that are fairly good for about $200. Them sign up with a cheap prepaid service, you can find one with unlimited calls text and some data for $20-30 a month. If you can not afford $30 extra a month, get a new job that will make you the extra money. Painters make good money, I did during college and saved bunch to pay my tuition until I graduated.

do whatever, I go phoneless about half of the year, just cause I can and I enjoy the sense of freedom that comes along with it. I hardly ever call or text, so it really doesn['t matter much, just means I have to take a separate device for music.

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Voip-based services are very cheap. Republic Wireless has unlimited talk and text starting at $15 a month. It's definitely worth it to have a phone in this day and age. The only reason to not have a phone is because you have mastery over your life and you're making a personal decision to opt out of phone use. That doesn't sound like you. You're pigeonholing yourself as the weird guy without a phone whenever you let people find out you don't have a phone.