How much are you paying for your TV, Internet, Phone

[Sue J]

$85 for DirecTV. We don't get any Premium packages, sports packages or movie channels, just regular cable channels, but we have 5 TVs and one TiVo.

$47 for Cable Internet

$22 for Vonage basic (500 minutes which includes LD. We never come close to using 500 minutes)

Our 2 cell phones are prepaid. No cost at all if you don't use them, .15 per minute only when you use them. No expiration. Maybe $50/year for both phones combined.

All those costs are including taxes, fees, etc.

 

[SecondCor521]

$0 per month for over the air local digital TV. I think I spent about $12 net after the government coupon for the converter box. I check out free DVD's and VHS movies from the library about 1.5 miles from my house.

$0 per month for Internet. I use various free WiFi hotspots around town.

$16.67 per month for phone. I use a T-Mobile prepaid plan and buy $100 worth of minutes whenever I run out, which according to Quicken has happened twice in the last 12 months.

2Cor521

 

[Koolau]

Cable TV - $50
Internet (cable) - $30
Cell #1 (plan) - $35
Cell # 2 - $8

Total - $123 (approx.)

 

[scrinch]

DSL - $30
Basic Landline - $25
Cell Phones - $150 for 4 lines w/ 1500 shared minutes and unlimited data/messaging
No TV

Total - $205

 

[sindy9001]

Landline phone $ 35
Cell phones (2) $26
cable & internet:$115
This is not too much for me.

 

[Walt34]

Extended service cable - $57/month.
Verizon unlimited long distance and DSL Internet - $97/month. (Around here, everybody is long distance and DW talks a lot so it's worth it to ensure domestic tranquility.)
Two Tracfones - $13/month. We don't use them much.

 

[OAG]

Comcast "bundled" services; loaded cable, DVR, high-speed internet, telephone ~$215/mo. Prepaid T-Mobile cell, less than $10/mo.

Wow, this must win some sort of prize!

 

[freebird5825]

I forgot a few extras (medical alert feature and service) that are included in the higher price item:

All-In-One package - $167/month for hi speed Internet, security + fire alarm + 911 notification system including immediate call panic buttons for police/fire/ambulance, free lifetime service including replacement of all batteries & monitoring equipment, basic cable TV, land line telephone.

Cell phone - $76/month for 2 person plan

 

[Khan]

~$150/month for cable and dsl and landline and cell phone.

Seriously thinking about dropping cable entirely.

 

[RonBoyd]

$180.77 a month (current bill) -- no cable/satellite

Land line - 14.88
DSL - 28.00
ISP - 24.99
First Line Wireless - 49.99
2nd Line Wireless - 14.99
Nite & Weekend - 10.00

Sub total - $142.85
Taxes and other foolishness - 37.92

Total - $180.77

 

[RonBoyd]

While we are on the subject. This is what really bugs me:



Sorry about the formatting (it was originally for my own use) the 3rd and 4th columns are phone lines and column 5 is total minutes used.

 

[WanderALot]

$35-40 for basic land-line (no LD) and DSL --varies due to taxes
$35 for DirecTV (including DVR), this will go up by about $20 in 1 year.
$60 for 2 cell phones

Total about $130.

 

[HFWR]

~$100/mo for digital cable and HD box + cable internet (TWC/RR)
~$40/mo for cell (ATT)

 

[Frugality_of_Apathy]

$40 for Internet(DSL) and $10($1 per day used plus $0.10 a minute and free after 7 pm) for cell phone. The TV is strictly for movies and games.

I used to have a $40 monthly cell plan with 1000 minutes but rarely did I break the 120 minute barrier making a by the minute plan a much better deal for me.

 

[Gumby]

While we are on the subject. This is what really bugs me:

View attachment 5850

Sorry about the formatting (it was originally for my own use) the 3rd and 4th columns are phone lines and column 5 is total minutes used.

Interesting study here http://www.ucan.org/files/Teletruth_study_phone-deregulation_failure_2009.pdf (look at item 4 under "wireless" section) which says that when all is accounted for, the average cost of cell phone calls is $3.02 per minute, because people pay for substantially more minutes than they actually use.

 

[RonBoyd]

Interesting study here http://www.ucan.org/files/Teletruth_study_phone-deregulation_failure_2009.pdf (look at item 4 under "wireless" section) which says that when all is accounted for, the average cost of cell phone calls is $3.02 per minute, because people pay for substantially more minutes than they actually use.

Yikes! An 87 page document. I barely was able to struggle through the 7-page Table of Contents. Please don't make me read the whole thing.

Are you saying the article implies that I should be tickled that I am only paying 43¢ when the average for other folks it is over 3.00? I am astounded.

Of course, it somewhat explains why no one (Verizon, At&T, Car Toys, and several online websites) can find a lower fee for what I require.

This is worse than the cable/satellite TV rip-off. (Same technique, however.)

 

[Gumby]

Last year, I looked at our cell phone bills for the prior six months and realized that we had used a grand total of 18 minutes during that entire period. At $59 per month for our cell phone plan, that worked out to almost $20/minute. I looked for a cheaper monthly plan, but that was the lowest they had, so we switched to prepaid phones.

 

[REWahoo]

Last year, I looked at our cell phone bills for the prior six months and realized that we had used a grand total of 18 minutes during that entire period.

Made me look.

DW and I gave up the land line for two cell phones a couple of years ago. According to the report I just ran, over the last year we've averaged a combined usage of just under 1,000 minutes - per month. I accounted for 20% of that total.

 

[modhatter]

Well that is enlightening. Only one person paying more than I do. Guess I need to control my "wants".

Would really like to ditch AT&T though. They have been a nightmare. But only other option is cable phone and internet which would cost more. I thought of getting rid of land line and getting Ooma, but then I would have to pay $60 for cable internet instead of $38. Just can't win.

 

[W2R]

Well that is enlightening. Only one person paying more than I do. Guess I need to control my "wants".

Would really like to ditch AT&T though. They have been a nightmare. But only other option is cable phone and internet which would cost more. I thought of getting rid of land line and getting Ooma, but then I would have to pay $60 for cable internet instead of $38. Just can't win.

If it makes you feel any better, I will probably be paying as much as or more than you after I retire. I am planning to go for a much upgraded cable TV package, and I will also be upgrading to a slightly more expensive cell phone contract. I might ditch my landline, or not.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Pay 163

Unlimited phone
Cable internet
Cable TV with HBO and Stars

Dumping cable TV soon as HBO and Stars deal runs out.

Then Comcast will offer me another deal for 6 months. Oh the tricky webs we weave. Highway robbery out here

 

[REWahoo]

Well that is enlightening. Only one person paying more than I do. Guess I need to control my "wants".

OK, I'll fess up. Cell phones $80, internet (air card) $62, Sat tv $63...a total of $205/mo.

 

[HFWR]

OK, I'll fess up. Cell phones $80, internet (air card) $62, Sat tv $63...a total of $205/mo.

We forgive you 'cause we know you're holed-up in Fortress Wahoo, trying to avoid the rattlesnakes, scorpions, fireants, mosquitoes, scorching heat, F5 tornadoes, and tumbling tumbleweeds...

I'm sure I left something out...

 

[Lakedog]

Cable TV + internet $73.81
Cell (prepaid t-mobile) $7.50
Landline (local/security system) $16.06

The prepaid greatly reduced cell costs --- used to pay around $45 a month for cheapest cell plan with coverage in my area. Called landline provider to threaten cancellation, and they reduced my monthly cost by $10 if I would keep it (used to be around $27).