6 Month Ting Update

If you haven't been an avid reader of my blog here, then you may be unaware of the potential benefits of switching your phone plan over to a discount provider.  About 6 months ago, my Wife and I switched over to discount service provider called Ting, and the results have been pretty great thus far.

Here are the previous posts on the subject:
Post 1
Post 2

It's time for a 6 month checkup to see if the results have been fruitful as I have hoped.  Over the past 6 months, I have spent a total of $352.29 which includes purchasing two refurbished LG Optimus's (Optimi??).  Taking away the cost of the phone, this works out to a bill of about $40/month.  Previously, I had been with Verizon, had 2 simple feature phones and was paying over $88/month.  If I had stuck with them, I would have spent a total of $616.

If there was ever any doubt on whether you should switch, consider what you would do with another $264 in your pocket.  Overall, the service has been great, and the phones have been working fine.  The only downside I can see is that the phones work on the Sprint network which is rather sub-par when compared to Verizon or AT&T. 

While we're on the subject of cost cutting and bill reduction, here's another concept that as saved my Wife and I tons of cash...get rid of your cable bill.  I know, I know, the thought of only having a set of bunny ears on your TV may be terrifying, but think of what you are currently paying.  Cable bills can range anywhere between $20 - $200/month and can literally drain you of money.  The promise of more entertaining shows is a hard thing to give up, but try this exercise when deciding what you want.  Write down a list of all the TV or movie channels/shows you actually watch.  Don't write down the ones you would like to see, just the ones you currently watch.  Does this start revealing a picture of your actual usage?  Chances are, you don't make much use of the 200+ channels at your disposal.  Possibly downgrading to a more simple package might be worth it.

If you want to take a more extreme step, you can consider cancelling your cable TV altogether.  There are many more ways of fulfilling your entertainment needs today then there ever was.  As a first stop, try this sub-reddit.  My Wife and I have been off of cable for over 4 years and haven't looked back since.

Wonderful Moment of the Day:  Rides from friends!