Did you add this time you spent into those totals? I think if you did, your math would come out differently. Personally, if I even feel the need to do any math like this, the answer is already "no, I can't afford this".
To your credit, just stick with the subsidized phone deal, and then don't upgrade when it's paid off. At that point, your phone is now technically unlocked
My point is that there is no research cost for buying outright. You just buy the phone and then you pick whatever service and plan you want. If I have to spend significant amounts of time penny pinching on "deals" and contracts that probably means I'm trying to buy something I can't afford. Moreover, this tendency definitely leads to _more_ spending in the long, not less.