> Note that the article did not mention a smartphone. The article mentioned any phone, include pay-by-minute or similar.

If all you need is a commodity phone, that is quite cheap and isn't really going to impact your playing of the "long game".

> Unfortunately, the stress and pressure of poverty or borderline poverty is a wonderful bed for which addiction can take place. Especially given that the culture of america promotes drinking regularly as a past time.

So just don't engage in it? The point of this article is that through power of will you can achieve great things. You've got to actually exercise some will to do them, though.