what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[REWahoo]

Made the decision to cut the cord break the dish and cancel our satellite TV subscription. DW and I looked at what we watched and realized we could get most, but not all of it via over the air antenna (already in place) or streaming over the net. I calculated we'd have to upgrade the internet service to be able to stream what we wanted, but we could pay for the added internet cost three times over from our no satellite savings.

When I called to cancel - and insisted to Directv that this customer of 13+ years was really, actually, sincerely cancelling, they found a "select" package containing the channels we wanted with a price $12.50/mo less than we are currently paying. When I said no thanks, please cancel my account, I was offered a $10/mo discount In addition to a $10/mo discount I'm already getting. The net of all the discounts and the new select results in a total savings of $24/mo when you figure in tax (currently paying a total of $63/mo).

No contract, no commitment, so I said I'd give it a try. First time they try to raise prices on me, I'm gone. And this time I really mean it...

[pb4uski]

Went downhill skiing with DW. Conditions were good albeit limited trails open. Felt much better today than a few weeks ago as conditions were better.

Stopped and bought a couple smart power strips on the way home for the upstairs TV/DVR/DVD, etc and downstairs TV/DVD/Wii, etc. Have been analyzing various loads using a kill-a-watt type meter and am trying to reduce the power bill.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo net of all the discounts and the new select results in a total savings of $24/mo when you figure in tax (currently paying a total of $63/mo). No contract, no commitment, so I said I'd give it a try. First time they try to raise prices on me, I'm gone. And this time I really mean it...

Great deal, REWahoo! That's a huge savings and will pile up, month after month.

As for me, I had another one of those uneventful but delightful days of retirement, though I'm sure excruciatingly boring to some. I'm apparently as old as Methuselah so I will spare everyone the dreadful details....

Anyway, lots of fun and I'm getting rid of my cold (oh, darn, another one of those things that working people do too! When will I ever learn).

[dessert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Made the decision to cut the cord break the dish and cancel our satellite TV subscription. DW and I looked at what we watched and realized we could get most, but not all of it via over the air antenna (already in place) or streaming over the net. I calculated we'd have to upgrade the internet service to be able to stream what we wanted, but we could pay for the added internet cost three times over from our no satellite savings. When I called to cancel - and insisted to Directv that this customer of 13+ years was really, actually, sincerely cancelling, they found a "select" package containing the channels we wanted with a price $12.50/mo less than we are currently paying. When I said no thanks, please cancel my account, I was offered a $10/mo discount In addition to a $10/mo discount I'm already getting. The net of all the discounts and the new select results in a total savings of $24/mo when you figure in tax (currently paying a total of $63/mo). No contract, no commitment, so I said I'd give it a try. First time they try to raise prices on me, I'm gone. And this time I really mean it...

ReWahoo, I had the same experience when I tried to cancel Sirius XM radio last spring. When I said I wanted to cancel, they transferred me to someone who's job was to prevent me from canceling at all cost. The bottom line was that I renewed again for another year but at 1/2 the cost that I had been billed for. Can you believe that? I will call to cancel again this spring because I really do want to cancel but if they cut my bill in half again, I'll just renew. If not, then adios XM radio.
So for those of you who have XM, don't renew when you get your bill. Call to cancel and you just might be pleased that you did.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2bretired I had five young hunks in my backyard today. Unfortunately they left their shirts on but with such nice weather they were down to t-shirts. Having my flower border reduced in size since I'm not getting any younger.

Well now...

What were we talking about?

oh...flower border...yeah...

[Oddjobdth]

Got up took the garbage out then went and had brunch at the Yacht Club with other clients of my FA. (his yearly brunch for all) On the way home stopped and got the DW car washed, brought the garbage can in, did some laundry (with DW), played on the laptop, had a late lunch, took a nap, loaded 8' folding table into my truck and took it over to my sister, had dinner at my sisters since I took the table, home now reading e-mails, writing blogs. Watching a little TV.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oddjobdth Got up took the garbage out then went and had brunch at the Yacht Club with other clients of my FA. (his yearly brunch for all)

Am I correct to assume your FA has a yacht there, you and the rest of his clients do not?

[Oddjobdth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Am I correct to assume your FA has a yacht there, you and the rest of his clients do not?

No he has no yacht yet. lol He is a member tho. Some of the clients are just members too, not me, I actually don't own a boat, but have full access to two, one in the water all the time and one on a trailer. I keep them clean and full of gas and the owners are happy. Sometimes my hardest decission is to which one to take out.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Stopped and bought a couple smart power strips on the way home for the upstairs TV/DVR/DVD, etc and downstairs TV/DVD/Wii, etc. Have been analyzing various loads using a kill-a-watt type meter and am trying to reduce the power bill.

What an appropriate place for a dumb question.

What's a "smart" power strip? I think I have our house pretty well tricked out with the "other" type but I'm always looking for improvements...

[W2R]

I was curious too, so I searched for it and found these:

Amazon.com: smart power strip

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Stopped and bought a couple smart power strips on the way home for the upstairs TV/DVR/DVD, etc and downstairs TV/DVD/Wii, etc. Have been analyzing various loads using a kill-a-watt type meter and am trying to reduce the power bill.

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I was curious too, so I searched for it and found these: Amazon.com: smart power strip

That is pretty cool. Thanks!

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords ....What's a "smart" power strip? I think I have our house pretty well tricked out with the "other" type but I'm always looking for improvements...

It was new to me too Nords. It has two different sets of plugs; one set that are always on like a regular plug and another that are only on when a "control" device is on. The objective is to minimize vampire (standby) power draw.

So in my case, the Dish box/DVR and radio will be plugged into the always on plugs and the TV will be the control device and the DVD, Wii and TV headsets will be switched devices. When I turn the TV off it will kill power to the DVD, Wii and TV headsets and eliminate any vampire power draw of those devices.

I ran the kill-a-watt with my current set up and will run it again with the smart strip and get a sense as to what the savings would be. The smart strip was ~$20 at my local hardware store.

[TromboneAl]

I like it; my rough calc is that if the phantom load it saves is 13 watts, it would take 1 year to pay back the $20 expense.

Hey kids want to impress your frugalista friends by doing calcs like that in your head? Here's how: run the numbers with your electric bill to determine how much it would cost to have a 100 watt light bulb on 24/7 for a year. With that you can calculate a watts to $/year conversion factor. For me it's 1.5.

[Meadbh]

I am sitting at Le Tub in Hollywood Beach, FL, and a bird has just dropped a sachet of sweetener on the table from a tree above my head. This place is quirky!

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I like it; my rough calc is that if the phantom load it saves is 13 watts, it would take 1 year to pay back the $20 expense. Hey kids want to impress your frugalista friends by doing calcs like that in your head? Here's how: run the numbers with your electric bill to determine how much it would cost to have a 100 watt light bulb on 24/7 for a year. With that you can calculate a watts to $/year conversion factor. For me it's 1.5.

Do you mean 150 rather than 1.5?

[tangomonster]

Adopted a new kitty after euthanizing my 19 yo guy last Thursday. Will be bringing her home on Friday!

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI Sunday night I won an auction and will be getting my Woody Woodpecker talking hand puppet by the end of this week.

MUST NOT POST!!!!!!!!!!!

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI Sunday night I won an auction and will be getting my Woody Woodpecker talking hand puppet by the end of this week.

MUST NOT POST!!!!!!!!!!!

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangomonster Adopted a new kitty after euthanizing my 19 yo guy last Thursday. Will be bringing her home on Friday!

+1

Glad that you will be giving that little bundle of fur a good and loving home

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh I am sitting at Le Tub in Hollywood Beach, FL, and a bird has just dropped a sachet of sweetener on the table from a tree above my head. This place is quirky!

Have fun on your cruise !