Useful Links

**sengsational** · 03-05-2016, 10:27 AM

If you've got cable internet, you can kick AT&T to the curb. Just buy an Ooma Telo. Without any of the add-on's, it's about $4.50/month. One time equipment cost is $99, plus $39 to port your old number. Installation is a snap...unplug your house from the land-line (at the network interface box) and plug the Ooma into any phone outlet. And, of course, connect the Ooma to your router. Done. Your same phones work just as they used to.

audreyh1 · 03-05-2016, 11:48 AM

I know the Fed targets core, because it's trying to deal with short term changes in inflation, and food and energy make it too noisy.

But for me - food and energy are the most noticeable, and both have dropped in the past year, whereas the year before they had risen strongly.

The other stuff? Hard to tell.

Another Reader · 03-05-2016, 02:49 PM

Chicken and beef have dropped, but produce has gone up significantly. Overall, grocery spending seems to be the same as a year ago.

Utilities are up as well. Cheap oil has not translated into cheap natural gas or electricity and water rates were raised because of the drought. I got the highest PG&E (combined gas and electric) bill EVER for December.

The local Toyota dealerships and some of the others used to publish their discounted new car prices and the local market was very competitive. Now the web sites only show manufacturers' incentives. Selling at an annualized rate of over 17 million cars means the consumer pays more and has fewer choices on the lot.

Lsbcal · 03-05-2016, 04:14 PM

Reminds me how big a surprise our last PGE bill was. Not a good surprise.

Mr._Graybeard · 03-05-2016, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational

If you've got cable internet, you can kick AT&T to the curb. Just buy an Ooma Telo. Without any of the add-on's, it's about $4.50/month. One time equipment cost is $99, plus $39 to port your old number. Installation is a snap...unplug your house from the land-line (at the network interface box) and plug the Ooma into any phone outlet. And, of course, connect the Ooma to your router. Done. Your same phones work just as they used to.

No cable available here.

Lsbcal · 03-05-2016, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr._Graybeard

The cost of my AT&T land line is up 25 percent from the bill at the end of 2014. We only have the home phone because DW holds a local political office, so she wanted a local number -- but this may be the tipping point to send us into wireless-only mode.

We've got an ATT line in addition to cell phones. When I called ATT to get a better deal I've succeeded in lowering the bill and getting caller ID for free.

Might be worth a call to one of their retention specialists. You might say something like "my wife wants to cut out ATT but I promised to call you and try to find a way to lower our monthly bill". That is the coward's way I've used to good effect.

travelover · 03-05-2016, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal

We've got an ATT line in addition to cell phones. When I called ATT to get a better deal I've succeeded in lowering the bill and getting caller ID for free.

Might be worth a call to one of their retention specialists. You might say something like "my wife wants to cut out ATT but I promised to call you and try to find a way to lower our monthly bill". That is the coward's way I've used to good effect.

The last time I used this ploy, they said, fine go ahead and leave. Then when I called to actually leave they had all kinds of concessions, but in my case, too late. Gotta be convincing.

Mr._Graybeard · 03-05-2016, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal

We've got an ATT line in addition to cell phones. When I called ATT to get a better deal I've succeeded in lowering the bill and getting caller ID for free.

Might be worth a call to one of their retention specialists. You might say something like "my wife wants to cut out ATT but I promised to call you and try to find a way to lower our monthly bill". That is the coward's way I've used to good effect.

Might be worth a try. It kinda frosts me the way they bumped up the monthly rate twice with no notification. But that's the way they are. I'm just glad they don't have the monopoly they used to have. Remember how they did business back then?

Fermion · 03-05-2016, 07:17 PM

I was a little upset the other day that wire and copper pipe were not cheaper. They were quick to raise the price when copper was $4 but have not dropped it now that copper is $2.20.

Rustic23 · 03-05-2016, 07:22 PM

10 years ago we spent $7.50 for two cheese burgers, fries and drinks. Same joint today for the cheese burgers only $7.00!

Lsbcal · 03-05-2016, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustic23

10 years ago we spent $7.50 for two cheese burgers, fries and drinks. Same joint today for the cheese burgers only $7.00!

They have indeed made it cheaper to kill ourselves.

Sunset · 03-05-2016, 11:12 PM

We dropped cable tv 12 years ago.
HD over the air and netflix are more than we want/need. The savings have been well over $7,000

Amethyst · 03-05-2016, 11:39 PM

When gas was high, the excuse for raising service call and delivery charges was "fuel costs." These charges are still higher every time we turn around, even though gas is cheaper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fermion

I was a little upset the other day that wire and copper pipe were not cheaper. They were quick to raise the price when copper was $4 but have not dropped it now that copper is $2.20.

Badger · 03-06-2016, 04:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset

We dropped cable tv 12 years ago.
HD over the air and netflix are more than we want/need. The savings have been well over $7,000

+1 My wife recently added Hulu as well. Still too much TV but she gets to see some of her favorite show finds that she never watched and I get out a good book.