Apparently the price of gas has skyrocketed to reach the price of one of those ultra cool, all-in-one smartphones.

With all these high-tech, complex phones on the market one has to stop and ask the question: Should I really spend $200 on a phone or spend that on my gas for the next two months?

The answer should technically be the latter, but we’re not fooling ourselves.

There’s something so exhilarating about holding that fabulous contraption in your hand, where with the touch of a button you can listen to your favorite Journey song and answer all your e-mails.

The magic of convenience, ladies and gentlemen, is the answer to why we spend such an obscene amount of money on those pesky little devices that malfunction after a month. Convenience. We’re obsessed with it so much we’ll pay what ever the cost. And if that means having to hitch a ride with a friend because we couldn’t afford to fill up a full tank then so be it. Right?

Since I brought up the subject, I’ll use myself as an example as to how important convenience is.

Three years ago I succumbed to the smartphone craze and painfully forfeited $400 for the Sidekick II Juicy Couture edition. Back then that was almost equal to my one-month salary at Cold Stones.

Then about a year and a half ago I upgraded to the more mature smartphone, the BlackBerry. I quickly understood what the term Crackberry meant. I was an addict to say the least. I couldn’t stop emailing, writing to-do lists, checking my Facebook and texting like I had robotic thumbs. The world was at my fingertips.

I was able to get a hold of sources for articles faster, make my appointments on time and do it all with one handy device.

But all this convenience came at an excruciating price.

My BlackBerry cost $250. My monthly service charge to connect to Research In Motion in order to use the device costs $45. Another $70 goes towards my service plan every month and then there’s the insurance on the phone for another $5 a month.

All together I have spent approximately $2,290 on convenience in the last 17 months.

It’s astonishing to know I’ve potentially wasted all that money on something where there is an alternative for it. I could very well have saved $1,100 by having a regular phone, checking my e-mails more frequently on my computer and carrying a day planner with me.

That may be all well and good, but you and I both know it doesn’t look like I’ll be deserting the dark side anytime soon.

Unfortunately for my bank account, and probably that of many people I know, the convenience of staying connected 24/7 is just as important as saving money for gas. The only foreseeable solution in order to spend a significant amount of money on both your phone and gas would be to forfeit other luxuries, such as daily visits to your favorite barista, among other things.

The real truth of the matter is it’s very absurd to pay such a steep amount of money for the sake of convenience. People, including myself, should understand where their monetary priorities lie and be able to make the distinction from both.