Verizon vs AT&T

It is time to get a new phone..... I hate to make decisions that have to last for 2 years!!!!  Why can't I buy a phone (CHEAPER) and not have to sell my soul to the devil.  A 2 year contract???  Lots can happen in 2 years.  You can have a baby and a half in two years!!!  That is a whole human life being formed!!!! What if I have bad service, and the calls drop all the time?  Or what if the phone starts pooping out on me?   What if I move to China or get hit by a bus or struck by lightning???  UGH! Then there is the matter of the phone itself....  Too many to choose from and I want hi-tech without being complicated!  So now what?