Yup - the cable companies get you coming and going with their package plans. You end up paying way more for just internet, so they entice you in with "super-value" package deals, to the point where it doesn't make sense not to, but then again you are still spending more money that you would if you just opted for internet.
I wonder what we as consumers can do about this. Any thoughts?
The idea of a wine bottle having a cork trelly is just society wanting to remain with the past way of doing things. I frequent a wine merchant regularly and have quite a penchant for good wines. Several I've come across have either the synthetic cork, or most likely, a screw top. I definetly prefer a screw top over all because it is FAR easier to open as a female. I've actually chipped the glass on a wine bottle before trying to pull out a cork. Or even better, expecting a man to do it and they can't!
See, converting to screw tops will save the pride of single bachelors.
Loved this post, as I do not account for but spend on just about all the items you outline here. My telecomm is definitely the ballbreaker in our household as well!! At $99/month I am about as stripped down to the basics as I feel I can go - digital cable, VOIP phone and internet in one package. Can't do without the internet, and I am negotiable on the other two except that we have a two-company monopoly-of-sorts. You can't have DSL from one company without taking a landline hookup, which we long ago dropped (VOIP is cheaper!); and if you drop cable from the other company, the internet cost doubles! So my solution has been to stick with the package plan which, without saving me money, is at least giving me the best value I can find, since in any other setup I'd be spending 3/4 of the cost for 2/3 of the service... It is rather criminal. I feel trapped! I have a small child, I could have sacrificed the cable but not the land or cell phones. SIGH! The only way I can fight back is also by not owning a car.
You can still call 911 from a landline that's been cut off, so there is no need for you to have phone service if that's all you are using it for...Just keep the phone plugged in(I don't think it can be cordless though.
I worked for a major credit card company for a couple of years. Many, many cardholders that took out the insurance were stunned when the underwriter (not the bank) wouldn't pay when they lost their jobs. The bank's response was that the insurance policy stipulates that the credit card accounts must be current (no late or past due payments) while the insurance claim is filed and processed, or the claim for benefits will be denied. The policy was to inform cardholders to contact the insurance underwriter for the details. The bank pushed the insurance product because it inflates credit card balances, at minimal to no cost to the bank, thus providing a larger claim and higher base for interest charges.
You are correct, LeEtta! Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, it is. Thanks for reading, everyone! I had forgotten this while I was writing the post, but one of my favorite moments on TV was when Steve Martin appeared in The Muppet Movie as an insolent waiter serving Miss Piggy and Kermit.
They select a wine that he disdains (I think he says it's from Idaho or something, which back then was a weird concept), and when he opens the bottle, he asks "Would you like to smell the bottlecap?".
With the way the internet works today cable isn't something that we really need unless of course you can afford to pay the high rising cost that the cable companies are charging.You could just use a satellite dish but then they are getting more expensive too.I've found that with enough surfing you can find anything you need on the internet and that includes being able to watch cable tv shows.I've even discovered a site where I can watch just released movies without downloading anything or even having to join the site.As for cell phones,yea some of us can live without them and some of us can't it all depends on what they are needed for.I just moved to a really small town where there is no cell tower so of course we get no signals and I thought that it would bother me since I'm an avid cell phone user.But since we can use Yahoo to call other computers that are long distance I've found not only do I save money but I can connect with a lot more people.
I have an organic home security system - a German Shepherd. The intruder doesn't need to know she's a pussycat.
We have basic cable. We gave up all the other cable channels when we realized we weren't watching them anyway. We do use cable internet and yes, DSL requires having a land line.
I save what I can where I can by not using this or that - and make my coffee at home ;)
I have a question for anyone with a home security system. I have to keep my $35 a month land line so that my alarm will dial the security company, etc. Any ideas about this? I hate having the land line...
thanks.
Don't forget this one. I've been cautioned, although only by our insurance person, that if you are diagnosed with something like asthma later, your chances of ever obtaining life insurance in the future are slim. While I wish both of my kids long and productive lives, I know the reality of losing a child - you still have bereavement, you still have planning, you still have funeral expenses. If my kids get to be grown up, as I hope, then having bought them insurance now is something of a gift to their future families, people I don't know yet and might never know.
My in-laws scoffed when we got life insurance for ourselves and the kids. But to be truthful, by the time my mom was my age, she was widowed 8 years already and we'd gone from a lower-middle-class lifestyle to a middle-lower-class, because she was slammed with depression that didn't seem to ever go away. I'm grateful my uncle managed to fight for her to receive a pension - it was the buffer between living on the street or something. We're in a good position now, but I learned the lesson.
I need a cell phone. Whenever I attempt to go anywhere new, I get lost. If I didn't have a cell phone, I'd still be driving around Vancouver, looking for that whole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant with stellar dimsum, sobbing my eyes out.
Nice work, Nora. Good luck with the move, too. Call us when you land just so we know you got there safe. Also, don't forget to wear sunblock.
Honestly, you really don't need a cell phone. It's just a luxury. I don't have one and I'm doing fine. I don't have a car either. I save $500 a month just with those two alone.
If power goes out, your wireless phones and maybe even cell phones stop working. Also, if you ever have to call 911, do it from a land line to speed things up, because 911 determines your location by the number you called from, and it may not be where the emergency is located. My daughter was rather fragile when she was born, so we're keeping our land line, to speed things up should there be a problem.
I can see wanting to switch exclusively, but make sure you know where you can find a land line, just in case.
I don't pay for cable, landline phone, or internet. But when I plugged my TV into the wall, the cable worked. And my laptop has wi-fi, so I catch signals where I can. And I have an affordable cell phone plan. So I have what I need. I just don't pay too much for it. Great post!
Great question about internet! Currently I use wireless only. I only have my laptop and I use free wireless services wherever they're offered. It can be a pain, but at least it's free.
And in Hawaii where I'm going to live by next week, I have free access to a wireless router, so I am lucky.
Immediately prior to being a Professional Hobo, I too went with the basic phone and DSL. However I can't recall: is DSL service predicated on having a land line? I don't know. If I could do it all over again I'd take the DSL and nix the land line.
I have also had cable internet without the television cable services. I ended up paying an additional $5/month to separate the service out, but it was still a savings over the extra cash I would have doled out for tv cable too.
How do you have internet access at home with 1)no landline phone and 2)no cable?
This is our dilemma. We've found its the least expensive to have a very basic landline service and DSL, and no cable. We're about to move, and we're going to try to go with dial-up instead of DSL, & see how it goes.
Sometimes I wish I had access to the cool DIY shows, but for the most part we have gotten by with the basic antena or rabbit ears and internet options our entire married life. I only recall having cable a couple of times when I was single, and that was because I couldn't even get local channels without it, so I got the most basic plan I could. We don't really miss it, most of the time.
Another reason is because the synthetic corks don't go bad... so you can store that one bottle of wine for hundreds of years, and you shouldn't have to replace the cork.
I live in a small midwest town with very limited shopping options. Our closest Target is 70 miles away! We are do have Walmart & Kmart with of course the traditional dying main street stores (but not due to those 2 stores). Anyhoo - I always try to go somewhere else then Walmart because, well you know. But honestly folks - 9 times out of 10 I still end up going to Walmart. Someone could die in our Kmart & it would take a act of congress for the body to get moved. OK - maybe I am exaggerating a bit but not much. My son worked there one holiday season & I think even I could run that place more effectively. Maybe I should write to Martha... I have wasted more time there looking for stuff - it would have been cheaper to drive 70 miles to our closest 'shopping' town. I don't think I would drive thru the parking lot for the free candy even if they were tossing it into my open window.
Heeeeey. I knew what it was and like Firefly, and I'm not single... (then again, I'm female, that probably helps.)
Nice article-- I tend to like non-cork bottles better because I find them easier to open, and then I get mocked less pre-opening and can enjoy more fully.
This is an idea I heard about when I was a child. So although I didn't invent the idea myself, I can guarantee you that the website you linked to didn't come up with the idea first either.
It depends on the quality of the cork. If you use synthetic corks you run a really low risk of getting a cork infection - you know that mouldy/pharmaceutical taste that sometimes comes with the wine.
Personally I prefer natural corks - they are a lot nicer, but other that that the synthetic ones do have their advantages.
That stinks! It is interesting to me how "policies" can differ from store to store. It seems like this was less than a freebie, and more an experiment in consumer advocacy... Eat your "free" chocolate very, very slowly to make it last!
You should also have a health directive or living will, something that indicates your wishes should you become ill (think Terry Scheivo, misspelled - sorry). AND make a video tape of YOU reviewing these papers/wishes. My mother died with all of these papers in order but some of her relatives had (and still do after 16 years)trouble accepting my dad/me carrying out her last wishes. This includes you funeral plans -open casket or cremation or whatever you want. Don't forget your DNR if that is also your desire. A new wrinkle is you need to leave your PIN's or passwords for anyone who might need immediate access to account information. Don't put this off - my mom died suddenly at 51 with no health issues that we knew of, except for that blood vessal in her head that ruptured. Death is hard, sudden death horrible and unless you have gone thru this you have no idea of what families can do to each other, all under the guise of "what dad/mom/sis would have wanted". Write down what you want, copy it & send it to a lawyer AND then videotape what you want for your final days and goodbye. Far from morbid, it leaves you with feeling empowered that you have done what you can to ease & protect your surviving family. Plus you don't have to worry if they took the college fund for you grandchildren & put you in a butt ugly expensive casket that was sold to them at their weakest moment. Many web site exist to walk you through your legal & personnel choices.
Yup - the cable companies get you coming and going with their package plans. You end up paying way more for just internet, so they entice you in with "super-value" package deals, to the point where it doesn't make sense not to, but then again you are still spending more money that you would if you just opted for internet.
I wonder what we as consumers can do about this. Any thoughts?
The idea of a wine bottle having a cork trelly is just society wanting to remain with the past way of doing things. I frequent a wine merchant regularly and have quite a penchant for good wines. Several I've come across have either the synthetic cork, or most likely, a screw top. I definetly prefer a screw top over all because it is FAR easier to open as a female. I've actually chipped the glass on a wine bottle before trying to pull out a cork. Or even better, expecting a man to do it and they can't!
See, converting to screw tops will save the pride of single bachelors.
Loved this post, as I do not account for but spend on just about all the items you outline here. My telecomm is definitely the ballbreaker in our household as well!! At $99/month I am about as stripped down to the basics as I feel I can go - digital cable, VOIP phone and internet in one package. Can't do without the internet, and I am negotiable on the other two except that we have a two-company monopoly-of-sorts. You can't have DSL from one company without taking a landline hookup, which we long ago dropped (VOIP is cheaper!); and if you drop cable from the other company, the internet cost doubles! So my solution has been to stick with the package plan which, without saving me money, is at least giving me the best value I can find, since in any other setup I'd be spending 3/4 of the cost for 2/3 of the service... It is rather criminal. I feel trapped! I have a small child, I could have sacrificed the cable but not the land or cell phones. SIGH! The only way I can fight back is also by not owning a car.
Sorry about all the repeats everyone,my computer is doing the fritz thing today and my comment wouldn't go through so now it's on here three times.
@ sylrayj
You can still call 911 from a landline that's been cut off, so there is no need for you to have phone service if that's all you are using it for...Just keep the phone plugged in(I don't think it can be cordless though.
I worked for a major credit card company for a couple of years. Many, many cardholders that took out the insurance were stunned when the underwriter (not the bank) wouldn't pay when they lost their jobs. The bank's response was that the insurance policy stipulates that the credit card accounts must be current (no late or past due payments) while the insurance claim is filed and processed, or the claim for benefits will be denied. The policy was to inform cardholders to contact the insurance underwriter for the details. The bank pushed the insurance product because it inflates credit card balances, at minimal to no cost to the bank, thus providing a larger claim and higher base for interest charges.
You are correct, LeEtta! Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, it is. Thanks for reading, everyone! I had forgotten this while I was writing the post, but one of my favorite moments on TV was when Steve Martin appeared in The Muppet Movie as an insolent waiter serving Miss Piggy and Kermit.
They select a wine that he disdains (I think he says it's from Idaho or something, which back then was a weird concept), and when he opens the bottle, he asks "Would you like to smell the bottlecap?".
With the way the internet works today cable isn't something that we really need unless of course you can afford to pay the high rising cost that the cable companies are charging.You could just use a satellite dish but then they are getting more expensive too.I've found that with enough surfing you can find anything you need on the internet and that includes being able to watch cable tv shows.I've even discovered a site where I can watch just released movies without downloading anything or even having to join the site.As for cell phones,yea some of us can live without them and some of us can't it all depends on what they are needed for.I just moved to a really small town where there is no cell tower so of course we get no signals and I thought that it would bother me since I'm an avid cell phone user.But since we can use Yahoo to call other computers that are long distance I've found not only do I save money but I can connect with a lot more people.
I have an organic home security system - a German Shepherd. The intruder doesn't need to know she's a pussycat.
We have basic cable. We gave up all the other cable channels when we realized we weren't watching them anyway. We do use cable internet and yes, DSL requires having a land line.
I save what I can where I can by not using this or that - and make my coffee at home ;)
I have a question for anyone with a home security system. I have to keep my $35 a month land line so that my alarm will dial the security company, etc. Any ideas about this? I hate having the land line...
thanks.
Don't forget this one. I've been cautioned, although only by our insurance person, that if you are diagnosed with something like asthma later, your chances of ever obtaining life insurance in the future are slim. While I wish both of my kids long and productive lives, I know the reality of losing a child - you still have bereavement, you still have planning, you still have funeral expenses. If my kids get to be grown up, as I hope, then having bought them insurance now is something of a gift to their future families, people I don't know yet and might never know.
My in-laws scoffed when we got life insurance for ourselves and the kids. But to be truthful, by the time my mom was my age, she was widowed 8 years already and we'd gone from a lower-middle-class lifestyle to a middle-lower-class, because she was slammed with depression that didn't seem to ever go away. I'm grateful my uncle managed to fight for her to receive a pension - it was the buffer between living on the street or something. We're in a good position now, but I learned the lesson.
I need a cell phone. Whenever I attempt to go anywhere new, I get lost. If I didn't have a cell phone, I'd still be driving around Vancouver, looking for that whole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant with stellar dimsum, sobbing my eyes out.
Nice work, Nora. Good luck with the move, too. Call us when you land just so we know you got there safe. Also, don't forget to wear sunblock.
Honestly, you really don't need a cell phone. It's just a luxury. I don't have one and I'm doing fine. I don't have a car either. I save $500 a month just with those two alone.
If power goes out, your wireless phones and maybe even cell phones stop working. Also, if you ever have to call 911, do it from a land line to speed things up, because 911 determines your location by the number you called from, and it may not be where the emergency is located. My daughter was rather fragile when she was born, so we're keeping our land line, to speed things up should there be a problem.
I can see wanting to switch exclusively, but make sure you know where you can find a land line, just in case.
I don't pay for cable, landline phone, or internet. But when I plugged my TV into the wall, the cable worked. And my laptop has wi-fi, so I catch signals where I can. And I have an affordable cell phone plan. So I have what I need. I just don't pay too much for it. Great post!
Great question about internet! Currently I use wireless only. I only have my laptop and I use free wireless services wherever they're offered. It can be a pain, but at least it's free.
And in Hawaii where I'm going to live by next week, I have free access to a wireless router, so I am lucky.
Immediately prior to being a Professional Hobo, I too went with the basic phone and DSL. However I can't recall: is DSL service predicated on having a land line? I don't know. If I could do it all over again I'd take the DSL and nix the land line.
I have also had cable internet without the television cable services. I ended up paying an additional $5/month to separate the service out, but it was still a savings over the extra cash I would have doled out for tv cable too.
How do you have internet access at home with 1)no landline phone and 2)no cable?
This is our dilemma. We've found its the least expensive to have a very basic landline service and DSL, and no cable. We're about to move, and we're going to try to go with dial-up instead of DSL, & see how it goes.
Sometimes I wish I had access to the cool DIY shows, but for the most part we have gotten by with the basic antena or rabbit ears and internet options our entire married life. I only recall having cable a couple of times when I was single, and that was because I couldn't even get local channels without it, so I got the most basic plan I could. We don't really miss it, most of the time.
Another reason is because the synthetic corks don't go bad... so you can store that one bottle of wine for hundreds of years, and you shouldn't have to replace the cork.
I live in a small midwest town with very limited shopping options. Our closest Target is 70 miles away! We are do have Walmart & Kmart with of course the traditional dying main street stores (but not due to those 2 stores). Anyhoo - I always try to go somewhere else then Walmart because, well you know. But honestly folks - 9 times out of 10 I still end up going to Walmart. Someone could die in our Kmart & it would take a act of congress for the body to get moved. OK - maybe I am exaggerating a bit but not much. My son worked there one holiday season & I think even I could run that place more effectively. Maybe I should write to Martha... I have wasted more time there looking for stuff - it would have been cheaper to drive 70 miles to our closest 'shopping' town. I don't think I would drive thru the parking lot for the free candy even if they were tossing it into my open window.
Heeeeey. I knew what it was and like Firefly, and I'm not single... (then again, I'm female, that probably helps.)
Nice article-- I tend to like non-cork bottles better because I find them easier to open, and then I get mocked less pre-opening and can enjoy more fully.
This is an idea I heard about when I was a child. So although I didn't invent the idea myself, I can guarantee you that the website you linked to didn't come up with the idea first either.
Thanks for your input.
It depends on the quality of the cork. If you use synthetic corks you run a really low risk of getting a cork infection - you know that mouldy/pharmaceutical taste that sometimes comes with the wine.
Personally I prefer natural corks - they are a lot nicer, but other that that the synthetic ones do have their advantages.
That stinks! It is interesting to me how "policies" can differ from store to store. It seems like this was less than a freebie, and more an experiment in consumer advocacy... Eat your "free" chocolate very, very slowly to make it last!
You should also have a health directive or living will, something that indicates your wishes should you become ill (think Terry Scheivo, misspelled - sorry). AND make a video tape of YOU reviewing these papers/wishes. My mother died with all of these papers in order but some of her relatives had (and still do after 16 years)trouble accepting my dad/me carrying out her last wishes. This includes you funeral plans -open casket or cremation or whatever you want. Don't forget your DNR if that is also your desire. A new wrinkle is you need to leave your PIN's or passwords for anyone who might need immediate access to account information. Don't put this off - my mom died suddenly at 51 with no health issues that we knew of, except for that blood vessal in her head that ruptured. Death is hard, sudden death horrible and unless you have gone thru this you have no idea of what families can do to each other, all under the guise of "what dad/mom/sis would have wanted". Write down what you want, copy it & send it to a lawyer AND then videotape what you want for your final days and goodbye. Far from morbid, it leaves you with feeling empowered that you have done what you can to ease & protect your surviving family. Plus you don't have to worry if they took the college fund for you grandchildren & put you in a butt ugly expensive casket that was sold to them at their weakest moment. Many web site exist to walk you through your legal & personnel choices.