The Abundant Wife

Saving money on Phone, Internet, and Cable services is a common dilemma in the age of technology.  One needs to keep up with the changing times and save money simultaneously.  Here is how our family has resolved these issues:

Phone:

1. Ditch the Land Line.  When we got married, Brad and I already had Cell-Phones.  We didn’t feel that we needed a Land Line, and we’ve never missed it.  We pay $70/month for our 2 Verizon phones with 500 minutes.
2. Ditch the Smart Phone and its Data Plan.  Until Smart Phones and Data Plan prices decrease significantly, we will do without.
3. Purchase an iPod Touch.  For Brad’s birthday, both of our families pitched in to get him an iPod Touch.  It does everything a Smart Phone or Data Plan does as long as he is in a Wi-Fi zone.  Most places have Wi-Fi these days, and he can use his cellphone when he can’t get Wi-Fi.  Do you really need to be surfing the Internet while driving or walking around outside anyway?  Aside from the initial purchase price, there is no monthly fee associated with an iPod Touch.
4. Ditch the Texting.  Brad and I have the 2009 free flip phones with a number pad.  We haven’t had texting on our phones since 2007.  When texting became important for Brad’s new position, he signed up for a free texting app on his iPod Touch called “TextPlus.”  He was assigned a free phone number for texting, and now he can text as much as he wants at no charge.

Internet:

1.  Comparison Shop.  I called every Internet Provider in the phone book, and AT&T was consistently the lowest price in our area.  We pay $38/month for Wireless Internet.  Our Internet connection does not require a Land Line or Cable.

Cable:

1. Ditch the Cable.  We haven’t had cable since we got married in 2005.  We gave our TV away in 2010.  If you want to watch a movie, TV show, or sporting event, there are dozens of ways to view them on your computer or television screen (or even at a friend’s house or a restaurant) without paying for cable.  Do you really need hundreds of channels, commercials, and another monthly fee?  Try going without cable for a trial period, and you’ll begin to wonder why you ever thought you needed it in the first place.  (You may also begin to wonder why you suddenly have so much more time on your hands!)

 How does your family save money on your Phone, Internet, and Cable Services?

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