[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Kal-El7:
[MENTION=4190053]mscion[/MENTION] - " I'm burning through close to $2000 on phones over maybe 6 months......convince me to jump over that psychological barrier!"

Okay, hopefully I may convince you a tad bit. Though you and I are the same when it comes to desiring wisdom over finances over splurging, I don't think you're spending close to $2000 every 6 months if you go about this another way.

Those numbers would only be possible if you're actually KEEPING every single phone every 6 months. Instead, I would encourage maybe getting one awesome phone that you really like, one that you could see yourself not having an issue using if you needed to revert back to it a couple years down the line. Purchase that phone fully. The next and every subsequent phone should be purely on T-Mobile's JUMP just for the sake of leasing a toy that you'll give right back. If you're on the new JUMP program, then you'll need to have contributed 50% of the phone's cost (at worst case scenario) before you're eligible to JUMP.

If a phone is $750, then by the time you've paid $375 under the newer JUMP program you can go ahead and get your Snapdragon successor phone and keep THAT phone until you've paid 50% of it. This is NOT supposed to be purely a savings plan, it's supposed to be a I-want-to-play-with-a-new-toy plan and we get JUMP with the prior knowledge of that's what's really going on here. So if you're next successor phone (after 6 months) is another phone at $750 (just for example sake), then you would have spend $375 only twice in an entire year's time for a brand new phone if you're only chasing after "flagship" phones, which are seldom in the year. The new JUMP is designed to let you JUMP unlimited times in a year, but worthy phones do not come out that often to justify that.

At best case scenario (which is my personal case and the BEST one ever), I have the OLD JUMP program which allows me only two jumps per year. At a WORTHWHILE flagship phone that's actually WORTH my time being only every 6 months (just about), then I can pay the monthly EIP for 180 days and then jump. If a phone I'm on costs $750, then I'll only would have needed to pay $187.5, then JUMP to a Snapdragon successor. Then, if the NEXT phone even after that is the same price (for example sake), then I would needed to have paid only another $187.5, totalling only two times in the year of me needing to have paid $187.5 (twice in the year) for two amazing phones assuming they both equally costed $750.

So, given the BEST case scenario ($187.5) twice a year - or given the worst case scenario ($375 twice a year) - you'll still be under having paid a FULL $750 twice a year, which would be $1500. All numbers have been factored before taxes - still, the concept remains the same.

So you'll SAVE $1,125 at best case scenario or you'll save $750 at worst case scenario. A savings is a savings.

Other words, use the JUMP benefit that is entitled to you while keeping one fully purchased bangin' phone.

Lastly, Snapdragons succeed every several months, so don't feel pressured to chase after the next subsequent by holding out in the current selection lineup, 'cuz then you'll always be waiting.

You live once, so live it up (in moderation and wisdom). Wisdom in this case means you don't have to spend the full $1500 in maybe over 6 month's time (per your statement, if I understood that right).

Hope that helped. :)

[MENTION=5057596]jazzmachine[/MENTION] CC'ing my good buddy Nate...