A reminder on the importance of eliminating recurring expenses

[kcowan]

Well, there is that. Yes, it really is $60 a month because it includes the TV listings (my mom doesn't have cable either). She does gets lots of people calling her on her phone but thankfully she hasn't gotten sucked into anything...

We never scrutinized MILs expenses. She lasted until 93. But on one visit, we noticed an invoice from the auto association. We asked her about it and she said she liked their magazine. She had not had a car for 3 years. We convinced her to buy a magazine subscription instead.

After she passed on, we cancelled all her subscriptions. One was the cable company. They screwed up the cancellation. When they followed up with us, we gave them her forwarding address, the funeral home.

The collection company called a few months later and claimed we should pay the arrears to avoid a bad credit rating! We explained that she no longer had a need for a credit rating.

 

[Katsmeow]

We never scrutinized MILs expenses. She lasted until 93. But on one visit, we noticed an invoice from the auto association. We asked her about it and she said she liked their magazine. She had not had a car for 3 years. We convinced her to buy a magazine subscription instead.

I was surprised to find that Mom pays for a AAA subscription. She does (well, did) still drive. But, not that much. Maybe she did it in case she had a flat tire. Don't know.

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

I was surprised to find that Mom pays for a AAA subscription. She does (well, did) still drive. But, not that much. Maybe she did it in case she had a flat tire. Don't know.

I remember canceling my AAA membership on the phone - and part of the script from the call center was to remind you that if you are in someone else’s car and they get a flat tire - you can use your card to get it fixed.

It is sad that they use fear as a motivator.

 

[Katsmeow]

I remember canceling my AAA membership on the phone - and part of the script from the call center was to remind you that if you are in someone else’s car and they get a flat tire - you can use your card to get it fixed.

It is sad that they use fear as a motivator.

And, with a lot of insurance policies nowadays you get flat tire coverage anyway. So AAA isn't even needed....

 

[kannon]

Any advice on how to use a VOIP like Oama for multiple phones?

We have Verizon FIOS so have high speed internet. Like to get rid of landline via Verizon and use a VOIP. Problem is we have 3 phones throughout the house. Anyone use Oama for multiple phones?

Thanks

Kannon

 

[Hermit]

Any advice on how to use a VOIP like Oama for multiple phones?

We have Verizon FIOS so have high speed internet. Like to get rid of landline via Verizon and use a VOIP. Problem is we have 3 phones throughout the house. Anyone use Oama for multiple phones?

Thanks

Kannon

I think all you would have to do is disconnect the phone line at the place it comes in to the house or where the FIOS unit connects to the phone lines if that is the case. Then plug Ooma into a wall outlet. I dont know how many phones the Ooma unit can drive, but you should be able to ask Ooma.

 

[Sojourner]

Problem is that it is hard to upgrade to the most current safety equipment.

+1

 

[Sojourner]

I think we fit into a minor group of people who just don't bother shopping once we are set with one company that has served us reasonably well. I hear that people save money by switching insurers around. We've been 15 years with the same home/auto/umbrella insurer.

Loyalty such as what you're describing generally ends up being quite costly to consumers over the long run, unfortunately. I was a loyal customer of State Farm for many years, always just paying my premiums for auto and home every year without thinking too much about the price. But after my home insurance premium jumped up by about 15% suddenly about ten years ago, I decided to shop around. I ended up switching to a lower cost insurance company after giving State Farm the opportunity to retain me as a customer and match the significantly lower price I found, which they declined to do. So much for loyalty. Since that time, I've saved several hundred bucks a year, easily, just on home insurance, and by shopping around for lower internet, satellite/cable TV, and natural gas providers on a regular basis I've probably saved an additional couple hundred bucks a year.

 

[ncbill]

I think all you would have to do is disconnect the phone line at the place it comes in to the house or where the FIOS unit connects to the phone lines if that is the case. Then plug Ooma into a wall outlet. I dont know how many phones the Ooma unit can drive, but you should be able to ask Ooma.

Or just buy a cordless phone with a base and multiple remote handsets.

I think my Panasonic set came with 4 total - 3 remote and one on the base.

The base just plugs into the cable company's VOIP modem.

The handset on the base provides power to the base during a power outage (VOIP modem has its own battery backup)

 

[CaptTom]

Loyalty such as what you're describing generally ends up being quite costly to consumers over the long run, unfortunately. I was a loyal customer of State Farm for many years, always just paying my premiums for auto and home every year without thinking too much about the price...

Every insurance company ad claims that "customers who switched to [this company] saved an average of [some high number] percent."

Are they all lying?

No. IF you take the time to shop around, you'll save money. They offer low rates to new customers, and raise the prices annually for existing customers, knowing most of us are too lazy to shop around.

So simply by switching - doesn't matter to which company - you save.

There is no such thing as loyalty in big businesses any more. They have no loyalty to their customers, and they have no loyalty to their employees. If you cling to some old-fashioned sense of morality that includes loyalty to a big corporation, you're a chump.

Ask of them the same thing they'd ask of you: "What have you done for ME lately?"

 

[kcowan]

I remember canceling my AAA membership on the phone - and part of the script from the call center was to remind you that if you are in someone else’s car and they get a flat tire - you can use your card to get it fixed.

It is sad that they use fear as a motivator.

On our voyage down to PV MX, we stopped at friends in Sonora. Next morning the truck had a flat. No problem, host has Triple A. They came and put the spare on no charge.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We are fans of AAA. I do watch recurring expenses but that is one we keep. We had a battery replaced this year in one of the cars. Their prices are competitive - and they come right to your driveway to do the install and have a long warranty period. Last year we had a breakdown on a busy freeway with our dog in the car and AAA came to the rescue in short order. We take a lot of day trips so it is worth a hundred dollars or so a year for us to know if we're stuck at a remote park they will come and get us.

 

[kgtest]

The AAA membership is prettier inexpensive considering the benefits.


My DF bought my wife a membership along with his when he signed up a month ago. Reasoning was he and DW have over 120k miles on each perspective vehicle. Low and behold DF ole crown Vic fuel pump crapped the bed two days after the membership card came. Instead of calling me to help him tow it which he normally would do...he called aaa. Time with my kids is way too valuable to be helping dad tow cars around town right now. There's a time and place.

I was shocked he paid the corner repair shop to fix it for $400 but when he got the bill he insisted had he known it be hot high he would have crawled under that crown Vic dropped the tank and pulled that fuel pump himself.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Any advice on how to use a VOIP like Oama for multiple phones?



We have Verizon FIOS so have high speed internet. Like to get rid of landline via Verizon and use a VOIP. Problem is we have 3 phones throughout the house. Anyone use Oama for multiple phones?



Thanks



Kannon

I don’t know how it works, but our Ooma unit is plugged in to the computer and we have 5 phones on it. Basement, kitchen, and 3 bedroom phones (one is the “office”). DH set it up. It was easy.

 

[albireo13]

We have AAA Plus, which covers free towing for 100miles.
We've used that feature 3 times in the last 5 years (car breaking down on a trip).
It's an expense we'll keep.

 

[Dtail]

We have AAA Plus, which covers free towing for 100miles.
We've used that feature 3 times in the last 5 years (car breaking down on a trip).
It's an expense we'll keep.

+1 for AAA Plus
Some roads in FLA one doesn't want to hanging out too long.