Comcast, Dish, Direct TV, Smartphones..... UGH!

[Fishawn]

At our friends having dinner last night and we started talking aboot TV, phones, etc..... And how much everything costs these days.... We pay about $450 a month for TV, Internet, land line, fax and 3 smart phones.....

Im sure some pay similar, less, and probably more........... So our New Years resolution is to cut these bills down.

My job is the TV, internet, land line, fax portion we currently have Comcast, but am open to changing to whatever...... We don't have HBO, Skinemax, etc. But Have the sports package, which is $10 a month.

Our friends have HULU, Roku and maybe some other similar stuff? But I really don't get how all that stuff works too well

We just want basic TV channels, including ESPN and all I really watch is sports and cooking shows.....

What are you guys/gals using/doing for TV these days

[Richtee]

Hmmm not sure this belongs in classifieds, but OK..it's slow

Maybe drop lynsey/Herb a line. He was into some data VoIP stuff... as a start?

And get a flip phone like mine

[Fishawn]

Hmmm not sure this belongs in classifieds, but OK..it's slow

Maybe drop lynsey/Herb a line. He was into some data VoIP stuff... as a start?

And get a flip phone like mine

yeah, sorry on the location Rich..... Just not sure where it should go, or even be on here, but theres so much great input on this site, thought I would start here, which I usually do with just aboot all questions

[Slanted88]

Direct TV here...and with our thunderstorms I ain't had notta issue...Louie has us bundled with AT&T for landline & internet...now me cell & our business is straighttalk from wally mart 45 bux a month unlimited we have on all 4 business phones...and I swipe cc cards with the Intuit jack in...happy, no problems & affordable...Green Beans Rock!

[Richtee]

.Green Beans Rock!

I'd prefer the rock.

[Texas-Hunter]

This is what I did...

WAS....

Wife's iPhone with AT&T.. $120.00 a month

Land Line with DSL.. $80.00 a month

Time Warner Cable.. $69.00 a month


Now It is...


The wife's iPhone is now jail broke and I dropped AT&T and dropped in a straighttalk chip from and now she has everything that AT&T had plus for 45 bones a month..


I dropped my land line & DSL... Went with a bundle from Verizon Fios TV, 148 channels no premium ones and Fios internet 50mbps download / 25mbps upload for 134 bones a month..

I use a free internet fax service for anytime I need to send a fax.. But I know I was looking at Nextiva if I had to do a lot of monthly fax's.. I think they are around 5 bucks a month..

[Fishawn]

Thanks guys!

Great to know/have some options, keep them coming

[Ryan]

Just become a tight a$$ like me, 2 smart phones for 150 a month. That's it, no land line, cable, or internet. I tether my phone to the computer for free when I want to use that its very seldom though. Thinkin about getting cable for sports, this crap where the major bowl games are only on ESPN is BS. But then again everyone who has it says there's nothing on it anyways. Good luck!

[cgaengineer]

Dsl only, no cable/sat...rokus for us. I pay less then $20 per month for 2 roku channels. Cell phone, no data...text and calls only.

I now watch what I want to watch and keep myself off couch so I can do other productive things. At 40 years old I fall asleep watching tv anyway.

[jwbtulsa]

Total ATT UVerse household with >500 channels including HD stuff. Full DVr, three extra wireless receivers. Max speed internet, home land line, four iPhones, three iPads, and Netflix to boot through Apple TV. Cost me about $500/ month. But I have access to everything 24/7 and have 24 hr battery backup just in case. We have volumes of recorded stuff. Love it. Companies can shove commercials up their ass.

[cgaengineer]

Total ATT UVerse household with >500 channels including HD stuff. Full DVr, three extra wireless receivers. Max speed internet, home land line, four iPhones, three iPads, and Netflix to boot through Apple TV. Cost me about $500/ month. But I have access to everything 24/7 and have 24 hr battery backup just in case. We have volumes of recorded stuff. Love it. Companies can shove commercials up their ass.

You could buy a nice truck or a second house for that amount per month...no way in hell would I ever pay that for entertainment...in fact, I have a nice BMW 135i in my garage for that amount.

[Conumdrum]

To each his own.

Some need a 8 track player to be happy, some need a rocket ship, some want a car or a vacation home, it's possible that he also has a nice car and a second home, he's lots richer that you know. $500 could be a drop in a big bucket. It's the Internets you know? And how did a car come into this discussion eh?

I need fast internet, I live in a city. I pay about $170 for cable and internet, Cox Cable, no HBO or special channels, two DVRs with HD on both. I pay about $140 for the wife and I to have smart phones. My needs are email and web sites, viewing this great place while having a cig out back at work, viewing PDFs from vendors and work related stuff while not having to be in my office all the time. I also have a ol' land line for $13 a month I'm thinking of dropping. The wife has messaging and phone, more if she decides to just get more, tech challenged.

I have Netflix, two DVD at a time with HD, and streaming movies and a few TV series. I like HD due to the 80" HD TV and the expensive stereo. If I'm watching a movie, a newer one, I want it to be the best. I watch very little live TV, I record a lot of science and history stuff, Big Bang, but all free stuff.

Thought about Rokku or Google Play etc, I don't have the time. I'm happy, enuff' for me.

[cgaengineer]

To each his own.

Some need a 8 track player to be happy, some need a rocket ship, some want a car or a vacation home, it's possible that he also has a nice car and a second home, he's lots richer that you know. $500 could be a drop in a big bucket. It's the Internets you know? And how did a car come into this discussion eh?

I need fast internet, I live in a city. I pay about $170 for cable and internet, Cox Cable, no HBO or special channels, two DVRs with HD on both. I pay about $140 for the wife and I to have smart phones. My needs are email and web sites, viewing this great place while having a cig out back at work, viewing PDFs from vendors and work related stuff while not having to be in my office all the time. I also have a ol' land line for $13 a month I'm thinking of dropping. The wife has messaging and phone, more if she decides to just get more, tech challenged.

I have Netflix, two DVD at a time with HD, and streaming movies and a few TV series. I like HD due to the 80" HD TV and the expensive stereo. If I'm watching a movie, a newer one, I want it to be the best. I watch very little live TV, I record a lot of science and history stuff, Big Bang, but all free stuff.

Thought about Rokku or Google Play etc, I don't have the time. I'm happy, enuff' for me.

Because the op wanted to cut his bills down, not incresase them by $50.

I too have nice TV's and a stereo...I also have the fastest internet available...but $500 per month for TV is crazy. The reason it's crazy, well after over $6000 per year, what do you have to show for it? Nothong at all.

[curious aardvark]

Because the op wanted to cut his bills down, not incresase them by $50.

I too have nice TV's and a stereo...I also have the fastest internet available...but $500 per month for TV is crazy. The reason it's crazy, well after over $6000 per year, what do you have to show for it? Nothong at all.

yeah but it's his choice

I'm actually astounded by how much you all pay for everything

My phone calls, landline rental and internet are through aol. Works out around $50 a month (I'm just going to straight convert currency as I go)
That includes unlimited downloads, and unlimited 24/7 calls to 53 different countries - including canadian and us cell phones.

I don't pay for tv. We have direct to aerial freeview digital tv in the uk which has around 100 channels. I honestly don't watch that much tv.
If I'm here on my own I might switch the tv on 2-3 time a week. other than that I like listening to roadio and reading a helluva lot of books.

I currently refuse to carry a cellphone - but I suspect that won't last. however I have seen a package for $25 a month that includes ulimited data and more call and txts than I'll ever make (I don't believe I've ever sent a text !) as well as a half decent android smartphone.

Money is currently super tight - work has been nonexistent since the week before christmas, and if you're self employed with no regular income - that's about as bad as it gets. I'm Just hoping for a rash of new super computer viruses to start the new year off.
I'm currently running at 100% virus clean rate for the last 20 years. Easy quick money - hopefully.

If I could afford paid for tv, I'm still not sure I'd bother.

But it's each to their own. You do seem to have a lot more options over there - but I'm astonished at how much you pay for your cellphone contracts.

Over here I could get unlimited data and texts, stupid call minutes, the latest android or iphone, 4g data speed for around $70 - 100 a month. Or $25 for a decent package that would suit most people and anything inbetween.

I think the sky full package with internet, sports & film channels and phone calls and line rental is around $75 a month.

If I changed my phone and broadband to talktalk or bt I'd get cable tv with smke sports channels and an online tv box as part of the deal.
But I'd lose my free international calls. And with friends and relatives scattered all over the world - that wouldn't be worth it.

I'm actually pleasantly surprised that this kind of stuff is so much cheaper over here. makes up for everything else being way more expensive, kinda lol

[Otis857]

To each his own.

I have Netflix, two DVD at a time with HD, and streaming movies and a few TV series. I like HD due to the 80" HD TV and the expensive stereo. If I'm watching a movie, a newer one, I want it to be the best. I watch very little live TV, I record a lot of science and history stuff, Big Bang, but all free stuff.

Thought about Rokku or Google Play etc, I don't have the time. I'm happy, enuff' for me.

I too have the Netflix (1 blue ray at a time + streaming), HD Directv with no movie channels, and am also an audio/home theater buff. 80" tv? Sweet!!! I'm not sure if I get off any cheaper than most of you, but I'm debating dropping the landline for VOIP - after suitable research.

Good luck Fish! Let us know what you come up with along with cost savings.