Cutting my cable bill expense

Poverty is more than a mind state.

Cable $58 to $76 Phone $17 to $31 iNet $64 to $79 That's $139 at the bottom end, plus taxes which works out to about $150. At those prices, the incrimental cost of a 2nd cell phone (about $12 to $22 including taxes) is barely worthwhile.

Nope. You're using your work ISP for access and your home ISP (knology.net???) for email. If you're going to do that, you migth as well use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, or other free email provider. There's not much else your home ISP can provide remotely, except maybe SSL/VPN service for using the account securely at a coffee shop.

If the coffee shop charges money (most don't), then get whatever they are using (iPass??).

Limited bandwidth, limited hours, download quotas, weight gain from greasy pastries, overpriced coffee, etc.

With more than one cell phone, you're probably best off with the family plan. If you're using cellular data, that doesn't apply because the various providers haven't gotten their act together on family plan shared minutes for data, yet. If only one phone, think about pre-paid. I use PagePlus Cellular where my total bill runs about $30/month. For VoIP, I use Future-Nine.com for under $7/month.

The biggest cost reduction to cable/internet service is to share the cost for the connection with a neighbor. Of course this is proscribed in the TOS (terms of service) so don't tell anyone I suggested it.

I'll start this discussion where I started a few days ago. I'm in some agreement with you. The wife was phone shopping and I couldn't pull her back from the edge!!! We have one cellphone and two land lines. The plan was to drop one landline and add a cellphone, I thought the cost would just about be a wash but the convenience factor was high. She got taken in by the only one day left with free activation. (saving $70) Rather than the $70, 700 minute plan, she went for the 1400 minute $90 plan. now what did cost $73, is now over $100. But it is more convenient, once I figure this new phone out!!

Now about the iNet, yes about $65 a month, if I drop that, it's $800 a year. That would be a nice savings, but I just set up online banking so I suspect I want the more secure service.

Ok, not sure I understand all that. I need access to the internet and mail, so I assume I need somebody to act as my isp, even if I don't log on through my home cable system, I think I still go through knology to get online? If you recall, at work I'm in the marina using someone else's wifi signal, (only seen 43 signals).

My 17 yr old son got a prepaid plan (with texting) for $35. Worked good for 5 weeks then he lost the phone. I had ask him and my daughter how much he paid for the phone, they both said "you don't want to know". I don't want to know.

So how do the coffee shops work this out?

So If I got a cheap isp and log on through someones wifi, the cheap isp could limit my bandwidth? Thanks, Mikek

I don't use my cell much, got consumer cellular for $25 a month. Includes slow data.

A friend dropped comcast entirely and is now using t mobile for tv and Internet. Her phone rebroadcasts wifi. She uses a HDMI out of her laptop from the phones wifi.

Greg

T-Mobile has no issue with tethering. That is probably a better solution than dealing with wifi from the phone. Seems to me you would hit the T-Mob 5G limit quickly if you streamed a lot of video.

Incidentally, a basic phone is maybe $25 with tax, but that doesn't include a long distance plan. I still keep my phone line for the DSL +

911, but have the phone set up so there is no long distance on it. All the toll calls are essentially bundled with the cellular plan.

huh? You don't need no steekin `ISP` "to gain access to the net over work or coffee shop wifi signals."

Once you're connected to the Access Point, you _are_ on the net.

An email account is a whole 'nuther thing. Gmail, probably.

Jonesy

Tell me more, Can I get rid of my isp and use my neighbors wifi to pull up google as my home page? (my neighbors like me) Email is another situation, and easy to get around. Mikek

It's easy. The ISP does many things. However, you only need the ISP for one thing and that's getting your computers on the internet. Once you're on the internet, you can get the other traditional ISP services (email, web hosting, support, etc) from other vendors, some of which are free.

When you drop into a coffee shop, you're using the coffee shop's ISP, not your own, for internet access. You might be required to use their ISP's SMTP server for outgoing email, but that's very unusual. Everything else, you can get from other providers. For example, the coffee shop's ISP does not provide YOU with email service.

If he's on Verizon, almost any CDMA phone can be provisioned. I have a side biz doing just that. The customers that lose their phones are usually faced with either a $200 retail phone from Verizon, or a $50 used phone from me. *228 and follow the instructions to activate.

If the phone is AT&T or T-Mobile, he'll need to get a new SIM card to replace the one he lost. Otherwise, it's a similar ritual to Verizon.

and of course, eBay.

I wouldn't know. I'm a tea drinker.

For ocassionally checking your email, coffee shops are fine. For web surfing and research, tolerable. For Windoze updates, massive downloads, file sharing, and Netflix, forget it. For the few coffee shop networks that I manage, the biggest PITA is someone dropping in with a laptop that's drastically out of date, and then downloading all the necessary updates.

No. The coffee shop router will limit your bandwidth. The idea is to prevent any individual connection from hogging all the available bandwidth. The coffee shop may also decide to block services or port numbers. For example, common file sharing services are commonly blocked.

Again, you do not "get" a cheap ISP when at a coffee shop. You use the coffee shops ISP. If you "leach" off a neighbor or someone in the harbour, you're using their ISP. It's considered good form to ask the owner and possibly contribute to the cost of their internet connection.

A lurker says... Great Reply:-))

Lou

My bill is $168. It can only go up, especially if I add hd converters. My final setup will enable me to watch at least 3 channels at once. Luckily my iPad can control more than one box in the same room. Comcast.

I used to pay $41 a month to Verizon, no Internet, and 450 minutes. I now have consumer cellular 300 minutes and limited internet for $25 month, but I can change up or down as I need. I get better coverage at home and vacation with the AT&T towers on cc.

Greg

I don't consider myself to have poverty in mind, assets or income. I ignored this comment until now, but I'd like you to expand on this. Thanks, Mikek

Sure. It has many implications, some of which are applicable to your question. I assumed you were having financial difficulties and needed to cut expenses. With about 15% of the US population living below the poverty level, the problem is not uncommon.

I have seen many people and families, who are living near the official poverty level, spend an inordinate percentage of their income on entertainment items and services. In my never humble opinion, the problem is not so much a hereditary poverty mentality, but simple math. Many such people have little clue how to spend money, calculate expenses, or distinguish between a bargain and a rip-off. For example, the $140 per month may not seem like much money to some, but if annualized, the $1,680 suddenly becomes a serious expense. If a two year contract is required, $3,360 is even more ominous. Inspiring you to do the math, using a distorted tag line from the 1960's poverty fighters, was my intent.

Optimizing monthly expenses is an important part of budgeting. Many activities have a very high per-hour cost. For example, cable or satellite TV typically costs about $75/month. Many busy viewers watch about 2 hrs of TV per day. That's about $1.25/hr. You could do much better with Netflix or renting an occasional DVD. My Verizon cell phone previously burned about $75/month for about 400 minutes of use per month. That's about $0.19/minute. I'm now on a prepaid PagePlus plan, which only costs me $0.05/minute.

In other words, do the math, and perhaps you may see some more economical alternatives.

Well put, Jeff.

LOL, one of my pet peeves, someone in poverty on the taxpayers dole and the have a cellphone, cable tv and big wheels and low profile tires on their car, that's newer than mine.

I wasn't aware it was a 60s tag line, but, I'm not in great agreement with it. If you are healthy, then with a proper mental attitude poverty at most, should be temporary. I have watched several members of my immigrant inlaws with poor english do very well with the mental attitude that with hard work they would generate income and assets.

That is what my post was all about. I am just ticked off that it is a repetitive cost and seems to keep going up. I'd rather put the money into my pension plan. No, I already max that out, into my savings account for retirement. You ever listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio/tv? Fun to hear people that worked their way out of debt and the pride the have. Now if we can just get those in poverty to figure out there is a better way. Should we have mandatory inspirational economic education for anyone taking welfare? I would think they would have the time. How about a 35 hour a week class schedule? :-) Probably enough make them consider getting a job! Yes, I'm fully aware these are tough times in the Obama economy, and there are many hard working people suffering. :-( Mikek

Sure, and you could cut down your grocery expenses by inviting yourself for dinner every night at your neighbors place.

No, no, it is worse than that. It's breaking into your neighbors house, and taking their food.

If the neighbours secure their house, then it is harder to steal their food, same with their WiFi, it is being radiated into space, hence security is needed.