Anyone give up cable and tradition cell phone providers?

[chimilady]

I think it depends where you live. My nearly brand new car left me stranded on the tollway at 11 pm at night at 35 weeks pregnant and nobody stopped to see if I was okay during the two hours I waited for roadside assistance. Not even the police officer that was patrolling and honestly I would have been scared if they had. We live near Chicago and I will not travel without my cell.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I live in Philadelphia, not in a bad neighborhood, but certainly still an inner city neighborhood with crackheads like any other major city. When I was that far along, i probably would have gotten one, except by then I was on bed rest. Sorry that happened to you, but even with a big city with lots of crime, I don't see them as a necessity for most people. Not saying that people shouldn't have them, but I'm saying that necessity v. luxury is a little blurred by a lot of people, imo.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I live in Philadelphia, not in a bad neighborhood, but certainly still an inner city neighborhood with crackheads like any other major city. When I was that far along, i probably would have gotten one, except by then I was on bed rest. Sorry that happened to you, but even with a big city with lots of crime, I don't see them as a necessity for most people. Not saying that people shouldn't have them, but I'm saying that necessity v. luxury is a little blurred by a lot of people, imo.

Yeah I make the commute twice a week for school and we do not have landlines and have not had them for seven years. So i guess we just chose a portable home phone lolThat car was a lemon and left me stranded frequently but that was the worst!

My cell does more than a landline ever could but if we had a landline I can see how a cell would be less of a necessity. I guess we all just pick what we spend on.

On a side note if anybody reading works for a cable company I would really like ala carte pricing for channels

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[bettymae1121]

I've been with T-Mobile pre-paid for ages, but at the time I went from spending $60 a month to $10 a month. Now a days I spend $33 a month for plan with them that includes data for the used iPhone 3 I have (DH unlocked it for me). Other plans start at $50 a month so I'm still ahead.

As for cable, just cut the cord in August and with the exception of Election Night (missed my MSNBC coverage I haven't regreted it. We have an antena and betwen that and Netflix and Hulu I still have plenty to watch while saving $80 a month.

 

[Lewisc]

I think it depends where you live. My nearly brand new car left me stranded on the tollway at 11 pm at night at 35 weeks pregnant and nobody stopped to see if I was okay during the two hours I waited for roadside assistance. Not even the police officer that was patrolling and honestly I would have been scared if they had. We live near Chicago and I will not travel without my cell.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I live in Philadelphia, not in a bad neighborhood, but certainly still an inner city neighborhood with crackheads like any other major city. When I was that far along, i probably would have gotten one, except by then I was on bed rest. Sorry that happened to you, but even with a big city with lots of crime, I don't see them as a necessity for most people. Not saying that people shouldn't have them, but I'm saying that necessity v. luxury is a little blurred by a lot of people, imo.

Pay phones are all but extinct. Some kind of cellphone is probably a necessity for people for people who drive, particularly at night in unfamiliar areas.

Any phone, even unactivated, can call 911. That might suffice.

Need a little more. You can keep a prepaid phone for an annual cost of $35-$50. You have to buy a new card every 90 days. That doesn't include many minutes but enough for real emergencies.

Around $100 per year gets you at least 1000 minutes. Enough for emergencies and an occasional call home or call from home asking you to pick up a six pack or bottle of vodka.

I've never tried it. Not sure if it's true today (or if it was ever true)...A number of years ago an internet poster said you could always use an unactivated phone. Trying to make a call would get you an operator. You can make an (expensive) call at roaming rates using a credit card.

 

[ssawka]

If I had an unreliable car then I would probably have one in case of emergencies, but in this day and age, I don't find that it is necessary for anyone, unless of course they live on the road. I am never far from a phone, and the one time I was stranded someplace when I was pregnant, a stranger let me borrow their phone. And that has only happened once in 12 years, which hardly means it is a necessity.

That's great that you found a good samaritan passing by. I personally prefer to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on the kindness of others so that I can save a buck, but to each their own.

 

[letsgoreds]

We dropped cable over a year ago (antenna in attic + HD Tivo) and haven't missed it.

Cell phone, went with $30 Tmobile unlimited data + text + 100 minutes/month. Why spend more money than you have to?

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

I have a Tracfone with triple minutes, and when I get a 450 minute card I get 1350 minutes...pluse a code for 40-60 more minutes...and I have enough minutes for 5 - 6 months for around $80.

My wife has a Tracfone with a monthly 50 minutes...times 2 for double minute phone...for $10/month.

I had a Straighttalk phone for a while, and their $30 plan is great, but I think the Tracfone plan is a bit cheaper.

Straighttalk is also offering a home phone option. It's a device that uses the Verizon wireless network to connect your home phones, wired or portable. $15/month for unlimited domestic, or $30 for unlimited domestic and international.

 

[ssawka]

Cell phone, went with $30 Tmobile unlimited data + text + 100 minutes/month. Why spend more money than you have to?

It depends on what you use your phone for. If it is just for talking and texting, then you are correct, get the cheapest plan possible. If you have a smart phone and use it as a portable computer, then cheapest is not necessarily the best. We all have our priorities on what we are willing to spend money on. You earned it, spend it how you see fit.

 

[kwelch10377]

I live in Philadelphia, not in a bad neighborhood, but certainly still an inner city neighborhood with crackheads like any other major city. When I was that far along, i probably would have gotten one, except by then I was on bed rest. Sorry that happened to you, but even with a big city with lots of crime, I don't see them as a necessity for most people. Not saying that people shouldn't have them, but I'm saying that necessity v. luxury is a little blurred by a lot of people, imo.

I would not say it is blurred, I would say for some people they are a necessity. I don't have a landline, I am not really home during normal hours in which I can talk to people on a home phone and neither are most of my friends or family, plus I travel between Philly and Boston about every six weeks and with the lack of pay phones and people who would actually stop to help if something happened a cell phone is a necessity for me.

What is a luxury is the type of phone and service you have.

 

[gr8tdame]

It is very nice to be out on my lunch hour and be able to walk without being glued to my phone. It's nice to take my kids to a children's museum and watch them smile and play and get my full attention while so many other kids are begging their parents to pay attention to them as they're on the phone texting or chatting with someone else. I have to say my quality of life went up since getting rid of my phone. If I had an unreliable car then I would probably have one in case of emergencies, but in this day and age, I don't find that it is necessary for anyone, unless of course they live on the road. I am never far from a phone, and the one time I was stranded someplace when I was pregnant, a stranger let me borrow their phone. And that has only happened once in 12 years, which hardly means it is a necessity.

$140/month is $1680 a year, which is a trip to Disney for us. So no, I don't miss it at all. A Cell phone is just not my priority.

I couldn't agree more. My dh got me my first cell phone 18 yrs ago. It was huge. He was out of town a lot so he felt I needed it so the when my ds was at a preschool 2 mornings per week I could be reached. I used to drop him off drive 20 miles home so I could be by the phone. I have had a cell phone since then and use it only when necessary. I call it my electronic leash... LOL

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[finz2left]

Dumb question...how do you get netflix and hulu without internet?

We have Comcast and they charge $65.00 a month for JUST internet or for 10.00 a month more, we get internet and cable! Seems like a waste to just get internet

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Dumb question...how do you get netflix and hulu without internet?

We have Comcast and they charge $65.00 a month for JUST internet or for 10.00 a month more, we get internet and cable! Seems like a waste to just get internet

I never did figure that out so we ordered the blast package from Comcast for 39.99 a month with the high speed and the limited basic

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[sissy_ib]

Dumb question...how do you get netflix and hulu without internet?

We have Comcast and they charge $65.00 a month for JUST internet or for 10.00 a month more, we get internet and cable! Seems like a waste to just get internet

With Netflix you can still get the disks by mail, but for streaming you need internet service.

 

[torinsmom]

I don't think you can do streaming without the internet because it streams FROM the internet. IN my case, cutting cable will cut $100 off my bill, maybe more if I threaten to switch internet to another company. I'm hoping to get my bill down from $160/month to $40/month.

 

[DawnM]

Yuck. I hate how our TWC keeps going up and up. We only have internet.

They raised my rates to $55/mo for just internet. $5 of that is a new "rental fee" for a modem. So, I bought a modem. $10 of that is for higher speeds. I would cut that, but DH needs it when he works from home.

They told me TV would be an additional $45, so $100 aprox. for internet and cable TV. No thank you. That doesn't include boxes or DVRs.

I wish we had options.....but we don't. We get TWC or TWC.

Dawn

Dumb question...how do you get netflix and hulu without internet?

We have Comcast and they charge $65.00 a month for JUST internet or for 10.00 a month more, we get internet and cable! Seems like a waste to just get internet

 

[DawnM]

I do use data, but not much. I check email, look up addresses, do quick searches for things, not too much. And, 90% of the time I am in wifi.

I thought I would use a lot more on my vacation to Disney last month, but surprise surprise, Disney parks have wifi now, so I didn't use nearly what I thought I would.

I have the ST $45/mo plan with unlimited. This is because I am a blabber mouth and use about 3,000 minutes per month

The rest of my family doesn't talk nearly that much, in fact, barely at all. DH's cell is paid for through work. The kids each have a Spot Mobile $5 every 90 days plan. They just use it to call and text ME when they are out.

Dawn

It depends on what you use your phone for. If it is just for talking and texting, then you are correct, get the cheapest plan possible. If you have a smart phone and use it as a portable computer, then cheapest is not necessarily the best. We all have our priorities on what we are willing to spend money on. You earned it, spend it how you see fit.

 

[ssawka]

I do use data, but not much. I check email, look up addresses, do quick searches for things, not too much. And, 90% of the time I am in wifi.

I thought I would use a lot more on my vacation to Disney last month, but surprise surprise, Disney parks have wifi now, so I didn't use nearly what I thought I would.

I have the ST $45/mo plan with unlimited. This is because I am a blabber mouth and use about 3,000 minutes per month

The rest of my family doesn't talk nearly that much, in fact, barely at all. DH's cell is paid for through work. The kids each have a Spot Mobile $5 every 90 days plan. They just use it to call and text ME when they are out.

Dawn

See, we are the opposite. I use about 6GB per month myself. That is mostly because of streaming music.