Author Topic: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?  (Read 8839 times)

Kitsune

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https://thebillfold.com/am-i-actually-saving-money-by-not-having-cable-7add92059829#.kzgbu1qk5

Spoiler alert: her conclusion is, no kidding, that cable would be cheaper than having 3 streaming services available + buying shows online.

The math ONLY works out if she pays 1/3 of the bill and her roommates (who currently don't seem to be interested in any of her streaming services, and aren't paying for it) pay for 'their share' of her cable plan.

Yeah, The Billfold. Life is cheaper if other people pay for your expenses. And cable is a necessity. And the sky is green.

Finance site, my tush.

MgoSam

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2016, 12:38:59 PM »
If you have to ask that question, you have a lot of things in your life that you should first examine.

Kitsune

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2016, 12:46:53 PM »
Yeah. I mean, there are definitely things I spend time doing that wouldn't bring joy to a lot of other people (reading, cooking...)

But if you're at the point where 'I would save money by having cable and having other people pay for it because I like TV so much' seems like a reasonable article to write for a wannabe-finance site... Aish.

zephyr911

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2016, 01:36:53 PM »
We all seem to be in agreement that this is an implausible solution. But if she could actually execute what she's talking about, the math would work. Right?

ketchup

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2016, 01:49:51 PM »
Her description of the joys of cable made me really uncomfortable.  You WANT to mindlessly skip through channels and waste hours on inane shit?  You aspire to that?

I can understand wanting to see particular shows that might be unavailable in other ways, but that didn't seem to be her focus at all...

At least be mindful with your television consumption, in whatever form it's in.  Shit.

And yes, cable is cheaper, if you arbitrarily cut the price in thirds and compare it to sticker price of your (far too many...) streaming services.  That piece is really just silly.

This is a personal finance blog?

Papa Mustache

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2016, 02:06:28 PM »
Well, those first run streaming rentals at $8 a pop do add up. Do that 30 times a month and cable is cheaper... -he he he-

The streaming services are less than $10 a month. Even all three would be less than cable.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2016, 02:09:00 PM by Joe Lucky »

Zikoris

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2016, 02:11:49 PM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.

ariapluscat

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2016, 02:15:08 PM »
i'm more confused by her premise.
if she wants to watch keeping up w kardashians, it's on hulu. which she has. so she could watch it.

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2016, 02:21:29 PM »
I wonder if she's found that quitting smoking doesn't save that much money because then you'll just take up cocaine.  Sure, she could just wait for the series she wishes to watch to be available at a library, make due with the options from 1 streaming service, or read a book, but then she couldn't complain about her tenuous financial situation.

AlanStache

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2016, 02:33:54 PM »
I am not clear if she has cable now or not.  But the dollar values she lists are for herself and three OTHER people, ie the cable bill is split four ways.  No shit that is cheaper than 20$/mon for Sling and 17$/month for 'buying' shows (is really a unlimited rental deal-you dont OWN it) and Netflix and Hulu. 

Also I would guess that netflix and hulu would not be removed if she got cable as there on demand-ness is really cool.  And you still have to 'buy' shows if you really like them too!

ketchup

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2016, 03:45:02 PM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

frugalnacho

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2016, 10:45:06 AM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with. 

ketchup

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #12 on: October 28, 2016, 10:52:06 AM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with.
And then you need to buy a refrigerator to store your leftovers, so that only makes it even more expensive!

Zikoris

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2016, 10:52:55 AM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with.

Oh, I've seen worse than that - What about people with no fridge, stove, pots, pans, or knives, no cooking knowledge, too illiterate to follow a recipe, no internet access to Youtube videos, no friends/family who can help them learn anything, and too physically disabled to leave the apartment to buy groceries, but also magically simultaneously working three jobs with no time to cook? Pretty much the only thing I haven't heard somewhere yet is "What about people with no arms or legs?"

frugalnacho

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #14 on: October 28, 2016, 12:00:35 PM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with.

Oh, I've seen worse than that - What about people with no fridge, stove, pots, pans, or knives, no cooking knowledge, too illiterate to follow a recipe, no internet access to Youtube videos, no friends/family who can help them learn anything, and too physically disabled to leave the apartment to buy groceries, but also magically simultaneously working three jobs with no time to cook? Pretty much the only thing I haven't heard somewhere yet is "What about people with no arms or legs?"

Excuse me?  Bob Oblong can cook.


TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #15 on: October 28, 2016, 08:10:49 PM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with.

Oh, I've seen worse than that - What about people with no fridge, stove, pots, pans, or knives, no cooking knowledge, too illiterate to follow a recipe, no internet access to Youtube videos, no friends/family who can help them learn anything, and too physically disabled to leave the apartment to buy groceries, but also magically simultaneously working three jobs with no time to cook? Pretty much the only thing I haven't heard somewhere yet is "What about people with no arms or legs?"

Except for the sarcastic no arms/no legs bit at the end, which in my opinion would be a very plausible reason for not cooking, you've described the low end of the US entitlement class. The "three jobs" they're working are all running around screaming and destroying the house or apartment, and they are required to be in diapers until at least age 3. Incidentally, they don't clean either. They just drop garbage wherever they happen to be, and they are incapable of closing a bag of bread or putting a lid back on a jar of condiments when they are done using them. That's why everything has to be single-serving.

Zikoris

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #16 on: October 28, 2016, 08:58:21 PM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with.

Oh, I've seen worse than that - What about people with no fridge, stove, pots, pans, or knives, no cooking knowledge, too illiterate to follow a recipe, no internet access to Youtube videos, no friends/family who can help them learn anything, and too physically disabled to leave the apartment to buy groceries, but also magically simultaneously working three jobs with no time to cook? Pretty much the only thing I haven't heard somewhere yet is "What about people with no arms or legs?"

Except for the sarcastic no arms/no legs bit at the end, which in my opinion would be a very plausible reason for not cooking, you've described the low end of the US entitlement class. The "three jobs" they're working are all running around screaming and destroying the house or apartment, and they are required to be in diapers until at least age 3. Incidentally, they don't clean either. They just drop garbage wherever they happen to be, and they are incapable of closing a bag of bread or putting a lid back on a jar of condiments when they are done using them. That's why everything has to be single-serving.

You had some of those people living with you recently, didn't you? How did that saga end? I'm not sure if you updated or not.

Papa Mustache

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #17 on: November 01, 2016, 11:50:09 AM »
Except for the sarcastic no arms/no legs bit at the end, which in my opinion would be a very plausible reason for not cooking, you've described the low end of the US entitlement class. The "three jobs" they're working are all running around screaming and destroying the house or apartment, and they are required to be in diapers until at least age 3. Incidentally, they don't clean either. They just drop garbage wherever they happen to be, and they are incapable of closing a bag of bread or putting a lid back on a jar of condiments when they are done using them. That's why everything has to be single-serving.

And THAT is what keeps me from going back to being a landlord... Seriously. Maybe we rented to the same class of people.

ariapluscat

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #18 on: November 01, 2016, 12:29:34 PM »
This reminds we of some of those "Cooking is more expensive than eating out!" articles where the home-cooked option involves buying a big steak, a whole container of premade potato salad, and a a cake or something for dessert from the grocery store bakery.
My favorite are the ones that assume you have no staples at home already, so even a basic-bitch meal costs $20 in spices alone!

And that's assuming you even have an oven to start with.

Oh, I've seen worse than that - What about people with no fridge, stove, pots, pans, or knives, no cooking knowledge, too illiterate to follow a recipe, no internet access to Youtube videos, no friends/family who can help them learn anything, and too physically disabled to leave the apartment to buy groceries, but also magically simultaneously working three jobs with no time to cook? Pretty much the only thing I haven't heard somewhere yet is "What about people with no arms or legs?"

i might just be living in an overly expensive housing area, but i can kind of see their logic. i had such a hard time finding a studio w a decent kitchen without being way over priced. there were either 'we have a microwave, college sized fridge, and a foot of plastic covered counter space so that's basically a kitchen right?' and then 'recently refurbished w granite counter top kitchen for luxury 1 bedroom'
it does in total save money to find a decent kitchen in the middle, but the rent increase can be intimidating to say the least

KCM5

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #19 on: November 01, 2016, 01:21:00 PM »
Except for the sarcastic no arms/no legs bit at the end, which in my opinion would be a very plausible reason for not cooking, you've described the low end of the US entitlement class. The "three jobs" they're working are all running around screaming and destroying the house or apartment, and they are required to be in diapers until at least age 3. Incidentally, they don't clean either. They just drop garbage wherever they happen to be, and they are incapable of closing a bag of bread or putting a lid back on a jar of condiments when they are done using them. That's why everything has to be single-serving.

And THAT is what keeps me from going back to being a landlord... Seriously. Maybe we rented to the same class of people.

You rented to families with children? Possibly :)

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #20 on: November 01, 2016, 02:16:21 PM »
You had some of those people living with you recently, didn't you? How did that saga end? I'm not sure if you updated or not.

I didn't update. What I did do was enforce the agreed-upon departure date. I did this, operating entirely within the law. But as those who are familiar with my landlording strategies are aware, I'm not a nice person.

It took a few months to restore the house to some semblance of its former order, but nearly all trace of them is now gone.

MgoSam

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #21 on: November 01, 2016, 02:40:05 PM »
You had some of those people living with you recently, didn't you? How did that saga end? I'm not sure if you updated or not.

I didn't update. What I did do was enforce the agreed-upon departure date. I did this, operating entirely within the law. But as those who are familiar with my landlording strategies are aware, I'm not a nice person.

It took a few months to restore the house to some semblance of its former order, but nearly all trace of them is now gone.

I remember reading about these "tenants" but I can't recall which thread they were under, care to help me out?

Also, has your daughter learned from this? I recall you saying that you housed them in order to educate your daughter.

RWD

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #22 on: November 01, 2016, 03:03:15 PM »
You had some of those people living with you recently, didn't you? How did that saga end? I'm not sure if you updated or not.

I didn't update. What I did do was enforce the agreed-upon departure date. I did this, operating entirely within the law. But as those who are familiar with my landlording strategies are aware, I'm not a nice person.

It took a few months to restore the house to some semblance of its former order, but nearly all trace of them is now gone.

I remember reading about these "tenants" but I can't recall which thread they were under, care to help me out?

Also, has your daughter learned from this? I recall you saying that you housed them in order to educate your daughter.

I can help. It was in Overheard on Facebook. Starts here: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/overheard-on-facebook/msg1181250/#msg1181250

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #23 on: November 01, 2016, 04:12:11 PM »
You had some of those people living with you recently, didn't you? How did that saga end? I'm not sure if you updated or not.

I didn't update. What I did do was enforce the agreed-upon departure date. I did this, operating entirely within the law. But as those who are familiar with my landlording strategies are aware, I'm not a nice person.

It took a few months to restore the house to some semblance of its former order, but nearly all trace of them is now gone.

I remember reading about these "tenants" but I can't recall which thread they were under, care to help me out?

Also, has your daughter learned from this? I recall you saying that you housed them in order to educate your daughter.

I can help. It was in Overheard on Facebook. Starts here: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/overheard-on-facebook/msg1181250/#msg1181250

My daughter has learned many things, although her housekeeping skills have regressed. Specifically, she has learned:

* She is not an adult
* She is not independent financially
* She is not in a position to support a family
* She is not ready to take on the responsibility of child care (can you hear those little tubes tying themselves? I can...)
* Babies and toddlers may be cute but they're a ton of work
* Cleaning up after other people sucks atomic monkey balls
* The entitlement class can afford to overspend because someone else covers their basic expenses; it's easy to get by and enjoy a very high standard of living when you mooch off someone else
* When you do something for somebody that they're capable of doing for themselves, they NEVER STEP UP
* A member of the entitlement class is not your friend, no matter how charming they may be
* No matter what you do for an adult member of the entitlement class, it's never enough
* When the (adult shaped) infant is actually removed from the nipple, there will be a tantrum
* The Velociraptor play sucks when you're the one on the receiving end, and
* I know what the fuck I'm talking about when I tell her no good will come of something, and finally
* I'm really not a nice person, I'm just very kind to the people I favor, and her particularly

Overall I believe I've enabler-proofed my child and given her the wherewithal to stop that kind of relationship early. For that, I'll tolerate some damage to drywall, carpet, and other things.

I also learned some things about my daughter: she hates my guts, we have an attachment problem, and in order to change her situation she must be allowed to become physically, emotionally, mentally, or financially uncomfortable enough to come up with the fix herself.
« Last Edit: November 01, 2016, 09:55:27 PM by TheGrimSqueaker »

Sibley

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #24 on: November 02, 2016, 08:12:06 AM »
*snip*

I also learned some things about my daughter: she hates my guts, we have an attachment problem, and in order to change her situation she must be allowed to become physically, emotionally, mentally, or financially uncomfortable enough to come up with the fix herself.

Which means she learned some of those things too. The lesson sometimes takes a while to come to the conscious mind, and then she has to have the maturity to admit her faults to herself.

And she may hate you now, but I bet eventually she'll appreciate you.

Papa Mustache

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #25 on: November 02, 2016, 08:17:40 AM »
Except for the sarcastic no arms/no legs bit at the end, which in my opinion would be a very plausible reason for not cooking, you've described the low end of the US entitlement class. The "three jobs" they're working are all running around screaming and destroying the house or apartment, and they are required to be in diapers until at least age 3. Incidentally, they don't clean either. They just drop garbage wherever they happen to be, and they are incapable of closing a bag of bread or putting a lid back on a jar of condiments when they are done using them. That's why everything has to be single-serving.

And THAT is what keeps me from going back to being a landlord... Seriously. Maybe we rented to the same class of people.

You rented to families with children? Possibly :)

We rented to people with children and low education people in general. We were the group that tried to domesticate these folks and help them transition from the country shack to life in town. I am exaggerating a little but some of these folks were not adults though they had adult bodies.

It was just an exercise in frustration from a business stand point. We came out ahead financially in the end but were down several thousand dollars for repeating repairs b/c we apparently rented our properties to farm animals that looked like humans a few times. Eventually someone came along and wanted to buy us out and we sold out.

The properties now aren't nearly as nice as they were when we kept them up and I'm sure the new owners have a thicker skin than we did. We went the extra mile for folks and a few times it just wasn't worth it. I am thankful to have met and known the good ones though.

I wouldn't mind doing the rental business again but I want to upgrade the customer quality a bit. Own property in a better neighborhood next time. Move beyond the folks deciding whether they'll pay rent or buy smokes...

MOD EDIT: Let's be a little more tasteful than calling people animals, please.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2016, 05:42:58 PM by arebelspy »

fattest_foot

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #26 on: November 02, 2016, 08:55:53 AM »
Back on topic, I'm not sure why the alternative to cable is "all of the streaming services."

Why not just one? And why can't her roommates split the cost of those, as well? I mean, it sounds like their cable is communal, so they should be able to do the same thing with streaming.

But yes, I think the most disturbing thing was it sounded like she wanted cable so she could "watch the channel guide."

ohsnap

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #27 on: November 02, 2016, 10:35:15 AM »
Her description of the joys of cable made me really uncomfortable.  You WANT to mindlessly skip through channels and waste hours on inane shit?  You aspire to that?
...

That was the first thing that struck me.  Could the piece have been written tongue-in-cheek?  Unlimited channels "soothes the mind"?!  I really thought she was joking.

Lanthiriel

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #28 on: November 02, 2016, 02:24:24 PM »
Back on topic, I'm not sure why the alternative to cable is "all of the streaming services."

Why not just one? And why can't her roommates split the cost of those, as well? I mean, it sounds like their cable is communal, so they should be able to do the same thing with streaming.

But yes, I think the most disturbing thing was it sounded like she wanted cable so she could "watch the channel guide."

Right? I didn't think people did this, but someone literally told me once that I was a jerk for suggesting they cut cable because Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon prime are more expensive than basic cable.

Me: "I thought you didn't watch that much TV."

Her: "We don't."

Baffling.

Shadow99

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #29 on: November 03, 2016, 01:23:58 PM »
I'm clearly in the minority on this, but it actually is cheaper for me to have cable and internet than internet and streaming. As far as I know, the only broadband/fiber internet provider is Comcast in our area, and for the speed we need for the home office, it's less expensive for cable+internet than just full-priced internet (just need to call to add a bundle discount when the deal runs up).

I'm surprised this isn't a more common experience.

AlanStache

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #30 on: November 03, 2016, 01:57:34 PM »
I'm clearly in the minority on this, but it actually is cheaper for me to have cable and internet than internet and streaming. As far as I know, the only broadband/fiber internet provider is Comcast in our area, and for the speed we need for the home office, it's less expensive for cable+internet than just full-priced internet (just need to call to add a bundle discount when the deal runs up).

I'm surprised this isn't a more common experience.

The basic interweb levels here are more than fine for basic streaming and home use.  Yes the package deals are not that much more but the are for a limited time and dont include equipment & taxes or the channels you actually want to watch. 

frugalnacho

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #31 on: November 03, 2016, 02:03:38 PM »
I'm clearly in the minority on this, but it actually is cheaper for me to have cable and internet than internet and streaming. As far as I know, the only broadband/fiber internet provider is Comcast in our area, and for the speed we need for the home office, it's less expensive for cable+internet than just full-priced internet (just need to call to add a bundle discount when the deal runs up).

I'm surprised this isn't a more common experience.

The basic interweb levels here are more than fine for basic streaming and home use.  Yes the package deals are not that much more but the are for a limited time and dont include equipment & taxes or the channels you actually want to watch.

I think he's saying the package deal is actually less than the stand alone internet.  As if that somehow makes any sense, though I have heard of that.

ooeei

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #32 on: November 03, 2016, 02:09:05 PM »
Back on topic, I'm not sure why the alternative to cable is "all of the streaming services."

Why not just one? And why can't her roommates split the cost of those, as well? I mean, it sounds like their cable is communal, so they should be able to do the same thing with streaming.

But yes, I think the most disturbing thing was it sounded like she wanted cable so she could "watch the channel guide."

Right? I didn't think people did this, but someone literally told me once that I was a jerk for suggesting they cut cable because Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon prime are more expensive than basic cable.

Me: "I thought you didn't watch that much TV."

Her: "We don't."

Baffling.

I ran into that at my last apartment, and got talked into getting cable as well since it was "free" and came with amazon prime for a year.  What wasn't free was all of the taxes, surcharges, and equipment fees that totaled up probably an extra $15/month due to the cable.

Indexer

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #33 on: November 04, 2016, 09:02:14 PM »
I have cable. My HOA pays for it and there is no way to not have cable here. I haven't plugged it up...  Seriously, I have cable, but I've never actually attached the cable to the TV. Last place I lived, my roommate had cable, I never plugged the cable into the TV.

Reason:  I have netflix. Netflix lets me watch what I want, when I want it, pauses when I don't want it, and it doesn't have commercials.

When I go to someone's house and they have cable on and I see a commercial... I feel like I've went back in time 10 years. It's like having one of these.


Zikoris

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #34 on: November 04, 2016, 09:27:32 PM »
I have cable. My HOA pays for it and there is no way to not have cable here. I haven't plugged it up...  Seriously, I have cable, but I've never actually attached the cable to the TV. Last place I lived, my roommate had cable, I never plugged the cable into the TV.

Us too. Our apartment building includes cable, but the outlet isn't where we want to have our TV, so we just don't bother with it. We don't have Netflix or anything either - we just have zero interest in watching anything. When something interesting is happening, we can generally find free livestreams online - for example, election night coverage.

Lanthiriel

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #35 on: November 05, 2016, 09:40:34 AM »
I have cable. My HOA pays for it and there is no way to not have cable here. I haven't plugged it up...  Seriously, I have cable, but I've never actually attached the cable to the TV. Last place I lived, my roommate had cable, I never plugged the cable into the TV.

Us too. Our apartment building includes cable, but the outlet isn't where we want to have our TV, so we just don't bother with it. We don't have Netflix or anything either - we just have zero interest in watching anything. When something interesting is happening, we can generally find free livestreams online - for example, election night coverage.

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

Zikoris

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #36 on: November 05, 2016, 10:09:36 AM »
I have cable. My HOA pays for it and there is no way to not have cable here. I haven't plugged it up...  Seriously, I have cable, but I've never actually attached the cable to the TV. Last place I lived, my roommate had cable, I never plugged the cable into the TV.

Us too. Our apartment building includes cable, but the outlet isn't where we want to have our TV, so we just don't bother with it. We don't have Netflix or anything either - we just have zero interest in watching anything. When something interesting is happening, we can generally find free livestreams online - for example, election night coverage.

Hah! I'd love to rip out that ugly cable outlet, but I'm in a rental. I did stick my little microwave stand in front of it, so at least I don't have to look at it.

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

ohsnap

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #37 on: November 05, 2016, 10:36:44 AM »
...

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

Ha, I don't think you (or I) are like most Americans though.  When we bought our house, we needed to redo a lot of wiring.  Our son wanted CAT5 (I think?) wiring in his room - he's a gamer - so we agreed to do it, and that was his birthday present.  But the electrician told us since he was running it upstairs he should put it in the master bedroom too, along with a cable connection on the wall.  It wasn't much to add it, so we decided where someone would be most likely to put a TV across from the bed, and he put the wires in.  And we now have a dresser mirror over it.  If we ever try to sell the house we'll beg/borrow a wall-mounted TV so that prospective buyers will know they can have a cable-ready TV right across from the bed!

WildJager

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #38 on: November 07, 2016, 04:13:50 PM »
...

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

Ha, I don't think you (or I) are like most Americans though.  When we bought our house, we needed to redo a lot of wiring.  Our son wanted CAT5 (I think?) wiring in his room - he's a gamer - so we agreed to do it, and that was his birthday present.  But the electrician told us since he was running it upstairs he should put it in the master bedroom too, along with a cable connection on the wall.  It wasn't much to add it, so we decided where someone would be most likely to put a TV across from the bed, and he put the wires in.  And we now have a dresser mirror over it.  If we ever try to sell the house we'll beg/borrow a wall-mounted TV so that prospective buyers will know they can have a cable-ready TV right across from the bed!

If you (or anyone else who happens to be in a similar situation) ever come to needing ethernet in a room, especially in a rental, check out powerline adapters.  I needed to get ethernet (CAT5 is the cable type) to our home office for interwebs use, and luckily found a solution without having to actually wire anything.  The system, for around $50, transmits an ethernet signal via your established power lines via point A to point B modules.  I was a bit skeptical, but it's actually a super impressive and effective system.  Much cheaper than buying powerful WiFi routers to plow through concrete walls, and much simpler than rewiring a house. 

ariapluscat

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #39 on: November 08, 2016, 08:27:30 AM »
i live in a rental so i have a really beautiful set up:
Ethernet cable runs along the wall with key areas taped down to keep safe from cat claws.

Still cheaper than paying for cable.

Shadow99

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #40 on: November 08, 2016, 10:28:59 AM »


I think he's saying the package deal is actually less than the stand alone internet.  As if that somehow makes any sense, though I have heard of that.
[/quote]

Correct, it actually costs less for me to have cable and internet (including fees, taxes, etc.) than to just have internet at retail price at the speed needed for the home office.

Guses

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #41 on: November 10, 2016, 10:55:31 AM »
...

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

Ha, I don't think you (or I) are like most Americans though.  When we bought our house, we needed to redo a lot of wiring.  Our son wanted CAT5 (I think?) wiring in his room - he's a gamer - so we agreed to do it, and that was his birthday present.  But the electrician told us since he was running it upstairs he should put it in the master bedroom too, along with a cable connection on the wall.  It wasn't much to add it, so we decided where someone would be most likely to put a TV across from the bed, and he put the wires in.  And we now have a dresser mirror over it.  If we ever try to sell the house we'll beg/borrow a wall-mounted TV so that prospective buyers will know they can have a cable-ready TV right across from the bed!

If you (or anyone else who happens to be in a similar situation) ever come to needing ethernet in a room, especially in a rental, check out powerline adapters.  I needed to get ethernet (CAT5 is the cable type) to our home office for interwebs use, and luckily found a solution without having to actually wire anything.  The system, for around $50, transmits an ethernet signal via your established power lines via point A to point B modules.  I was a bit skeptical, but it's actually a super impressive and effective system.  Much cheaper than buying powerful WiFi routers to plow through concrete walls, and much simpler than rewiring a house.

While powerline Ethernet works, I was not particularly impressed in the delivery speeds that we got. The basic adaptor we got could deliver only 10-20 mbit. Compared to gigabit Ethernet (CAT5e), it sucked. I haven't measured but you are also probably giving up on very precious 5-10ms by passing through 2 adapters. A gamer would not be happy with that.

This was 5-6 years ago, maybe the new ones are much better.

RWD

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #42 on: November 10, 2016, 11:13:46 AM »
...

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

Ha, I don't think you (or I) are like most Americans though.  When we bought our house, we needed to redo a lot of wiring.  Our son wanted CAT5 (I think?) wiring in his room - he's a gamer - so we agreed to do it, and that was his birthday present.  But the electrician told us since he was running it upstairs he should put it in the master bedroom too, along with a cable connection on the wall.  It wasn't much to add it, so we decided where someone would be most likely to put a TV across from the bed, and he put the wires in.  And we now have a dresser mirror over it.  If we ever try to sell the house we'll beg/borrow a wall-mounted TV so that prospective buyers will know they can have a cable-ready TV right across from the bed!

If you (or anyone else who happens to be in a similar situation) ever come to needing ethernet in a room, especially in a rental, check out powerline adapters.  I needed to get ethernet (CAT5 is the cable type) to our home office for interwebs use, and luckily found a solution without having to actually wire anything.  The system, for around $50, transmits an ethernet signal via your established power lines via point A to point B modules.  I was a bit skeptical, but it's actually a super impressive and effective system.  Much cheaper than buying powerful WiFi routers to plow through concrete walls, and much simpler than rewiring a house.

While powerline Ethernet works, I was not particularly impressed in the delivery speeds that we got. The basic adaptor we got could deliver only 10-20 mbit. Compared to gigabit Ethernet (CAT5e), it sucked. I haven't measured but you are also probably giving up on very precious 5-10ms by passing through 2 adapters. A gamer would not be happy with that.

This was 5-6 years ago, maybe the new ones are much better.

A quick search on Amazon shows gigabit powerline adapters. Sounds a little unbelievable, so I looked into actual throughput tests. Look like the best ones are only capable of 100-150 Mbps. Could still be usable, but not going to even match newer wireless speeds.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/charts/powerline/bar/89-up/11

Slee_stack

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Re: The Billfold: Am I Actually Saving Money by Not Having Cable?
« Reply #43 on: November 10, 2016, 11:25:55 AM »
...

This reminded me that when we bought our house, the living room and all three bedrooms had been wired for wall mounted TVs with cable. We repainted the whole place before we moved in and ripped each and every one of those coaxial cables out and filled in the holes. It was good for my soul.

Ha, I don't think you (or I) are like most Americans though.  When we bought our house, we needed to redo a lot of wiring.  Our son wanted CAT5 (I think?) wiring in his room - he's a gamer - so we agreed to do it, and that was his birthday present.  But the electrician told us since he was running it upstairs he should put it in the master bedroom too, along with a cable connection on the wall.  It wasn't much to add it, so we decided where someone would be most likely to put a TV across from the bed, and he put the wires in.  And we now have a dresser mirror over it.  If we ever try to sell the house we'll beg/borrow a wall-mounted TV so that prospective buyers will know they can have a cable-ready TV right across from the bed!

If you (or anyone else who happens to be in a similar situation) ever come to needing ethernet in a room, especially in a rental, check out powerline adapters.  I needed to get ethernet (CAT5 is the cable type) to our home office for interwebs use, and luckily found a solution without having to actually wire anything.  The system, for around $50, transmits an ethernet signal via your established power lines via point A to point B modules.  I was a bit skeptical, but it's actually a super impressive and effective system.  Much cheaper than buying powerful WiFi routers to plow through concrete walls, and much simpler than rewiring a house.

While powerline Ethernet works, I was not particularly impressed in the delivery speeds that we got. The basic adaptor we got could deliver only 10-20 mbit. Compared to gigabit Ethernet (CAT5e), it sucked. I haven't measured but you are also probably giving up on very precious 5-10ms by passing through 2 adapters. A gamer would not be happy with that.

This was 5-6 years ago, maybe the new ones are much better.
I also had craptastic results from those adapters.  I suppose its YMMV.  Make sure its easy to return form wherever you buy from.

I ran 5e to a couple locations.  Absolutely a hassle, but worth it as I tend to regularly move large files between two different rigs.