TV, Cell Phone, Home Phone, Internet, and Insurance - $98/month.

[smokesec]

Recently I've become pretty disgusted with the amount of money I pay (*waste) for these services.

I've spent the few weeks making a concerted effort to cut costs.

Firstly, I cancelled DirecTV @ $125/month. I bought an OTA antenna and 2 Roku boxes. My antenna pulls about 55 stations between Madison and Milwaukee, including the majors like ABC, CBS, PBS, Fox, etc... FREE. The Roku boxes give me over 600 "channels" of live streams and on demand content - hundreds of thousands of things to watch. FREE.

Also have a Netflix subscription - $8/month.

I slashed my internet speed and am now paying $18/month.

Sprint has a new plan for unlimited calls/text for $45/month. Boom. Don't need "data", can do that through my wifi.

For a home phone I have a magic-jack. $20 year, call anywhere in the US. Works beautifully. Doubles as a fax line.

And auto insurance - I shopped around. Those cute little Geico commercials have some truth to them. They cut my auto insurance from ~$45/month to $24/month.

So, when added altogether, it's roughly $98/month for all the above services. I am saving THOUSANDS per year now.

Just some food for thought for anyone looking to cut costs.

 

[Brown Thumb]

The only bAd part I see is geico ins. If you have collision ins. On your vehicles and you have a bummer that is your fault they will use all aftermarket parts. Not the good ones either but the ones we call value line in the industry. The better ones Are CAPA Certified. I cringe when I get one of there cars in the shop. They are known as the right armpit in the industry the left armpit is progressive they suck also for junk parts when fixing cars but are getting better.

 

[smokesec]

I have liability only

 

[Brown Thumb]

I have liability only

Enjoy your Savings.

 

[workhorse_01]

I have GEICO also and I hope I never have to use it!

 

[Knucklehead]

I have liability only

Check into adding comprehensive, it covers "acts of God" like storm damage, hitting deer, windshield cracks, etc. It's usually affordable.

 

[smokesec]

My truck is 15 years old. Cracks and dents would just add character!

 

[FmGrowit]

I can't remember when I last paid for TV...and I don't have cable from a "friend" either. If I ever had time to watch TV, I'd probably catch up on some sleep instead anyway. I listen to the radio, but I can do that while I work.

 

[deluxestogie]

It doesn't matter how much money you make or how much money you have. It's all about cash flow. Like the Second Law of Thermodynamics, money in your pocket will always diffuse into the universe. The more money in your pocket, the faster it leaks out.

Bob

 

[Boboro]

I got sat. from a friend But you right, waste of time. Except for skin a Max. Nascar and fox news, Ok its all crap.

 

[Brown Thumb]

I can't remember when I last paid for TV...and I don't have cable from a "friend" either. If I ever had time to watch TV, I'd probably catch up on some sleep instead anyway. I listen to the radio, but I can do that while I work.

Man that is living good, I do not watch tv and when I do I can't remember what I watched , late at night.
I listen to the races on the radio.
But I got 3 kids and a wife.
Smart phones 160.00 a month, Wife says a must.
Cable, phone, Internet 130.00 and you cannot choose your supplier here there is only one.
The list goes on and on .

 

[Boboro]

Sleepy holler looks good.

 

[FALaholic]

Recently I've become pretty disgusted with the amount of money I pay (*waste) for these services.

I've spent the few weeks making a concerted effort to cut costs.

Firstly, I cancelled DirecTV @ $125/month. I bought an OTA antenna and 2 Roku boxes. My antenna pulls about 55 stations between Madison and Milwaukee, including the majors like ABC, CBS, PBS, Fox, etc... FREE. The Roku boxes give me over 600 "channels" of live streams and on demand content - hundreds of thousands of things to watch. FREE.

Also have a Netflix subscription - $8/month.

I slashed my internet speed and am now paying $18/month.

Sprint has a new plan for unlimited calls/text for $45/month. Boom. Don't need "data", can do that through my wifi.

For a home phone I have a magic-jack. $20 year, call anywhere in the US. Works beautifully. Doubles as a fax line.

And auto insurance - I shopped around. Those cute little Geico commercials have some truth to them. They cut my auto insurance from ~$45/month to $24/month.

So, when added altogether, it's roughly $98/month for all the above services. I am saving THOUSANDS per year now.

Just some food for thought for anyone looking to cut costs.

Alot of what you have described, I have cut . Some you can do the same, to cut costs further.
TV, I use alot of free streaming: http://livetvcafe.net
Internet and cell phone: Sprint, turn your cell phone into a WiFi hot spot and sync it to a repeater/extender for the whole house.
Insurance: Hagerty
Phone: Google Voice

There are limitations for the above mentioned, but manipulation of one or the other will allow you alot of freedom, while cutting costs.

 

[Chicken]

theres one big MONEY SAVING FACTOR you forgot to add in,

you grow your own tobaccoo, that alone is ;; thousands '' per year.

 

[workhorse_01]

Page plus (Verizon) $39.95 per month X-2
18 meg high speed internet (media stream) $69.00 per month
Magic jack $20.00 per year
Directv every channel (used every day) $120.00 per month divided by 2
65" Widescreen 3D smart Tv

I'm not giving up the TV!

 

[Fisherman]

Skype mobile number is like $80 a year and have used it for 7 years at least.
That Roku sounds good too.............. Direct TV is really the pits............. We don't have a single movie channel with the basic here.

 

[workhorse_01]

I don't like Directv either, but the local cable stinks, and dish is Directv's red headed step child. Every one around here who went to AT&T U-verse said it's not worth the money. They're going to getcha one way or another.

 

[FALaholic]

65" Widescreen 3D smart Tv

I'm not giving up the TV!

How much of the 3D do you actually get to use? Does it only work with 3D embedded video?

 

[workhorse_01]

I have 3 channels plus one pay per view channel broadcast in 3D. Nascar is unbelievable in 3D. Yes it must be broadcast in 3D to be seen. I was scepticle when I made the purchase, but I'm sure glad I did. I wish FTT had a yahoo app for my tv. I wouldn't have to leave my easy chair.

How much of the 3D do you actually get to use? Does it only work with 3D embedded video?

 

[Southern Planter]

I've been in the mining business all my life, so around 1980 I blew my old zenith tv to smithereens with five sticks of 60% nitro on a dare. TV is banned from my house. The land line company saw God when most of their folks dumped them for radio telephone, so they give me unlimited long distance and hook up for $20 a month. I don't know what the wife pays for the intertoobs.