Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Oh dear, internet service (part 2 of 2)

So, who knew that all of the internet/DSL providers are running at about $50/month now? I remember when DSL first came out years ago and it $20/month. It's no wonder why people live beyond their means...rates for basic services go up and up and people have to have every new gadget that include monthly fees. Society is out of control!

I was able to talk my provider down by $5 but not without a fight. Did you know companies have special software that keep track of their customers? Anytime you call in, they have the ability to see if you are a "difficult" customer. This last time I got a very stern operator. They knew I was an angry customer, so they matched me accordingly. I'm not kidding here, I learned about this in my last computer class for business.

When I moved into my house last year, I intentionally waited over 6 months to get internet service. Knowing that I could access it at my parent's house, work and school, I wasn't too worried about it.  I had to finally break down and get it because I signed up for online classes.

I still don't have any television. My area does not have free local channels like a lot of other cities. I refuse to spend a lot of money on tv because I am hardly home. Call me old fashioned but I don't even have a newer style flat screen tv. I have an old tv passed down from one of my Aunts and a dvd player I got for free from a friend. Granted, I do subscribe to Netflix and get 2 dvd's at a time for entertainment. I also go over to my boyfriend's house to watch tv and take advantage of the DVR he has too. I'm not going to lie, I watched the season premier of What Not to Wear last week, thanks to the satellite dish service he pays for.

It blows me away, when will this plateau? I just want to live comfortably in my own house with extra cash to have fun with. Learning to budget is a lifelong process, I think. I've done pretty well this last year and I hope I keep it going smoothly.

What are your thoughts? Let's open conversation!

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