| My Ideas on Costs and
Prices: |
Most of the services we can't really
do without seem to cost way too much anymore.
Telephones, cell phones, cable, water, gasoline,
electricity, etc.
I'm going to list the prices for things as I see
them. Explain my reasoning where I can and what
you might do to reduce the costs where I have any
ideas. |
| |
| Phones! |
A basic telephone should be around
$20.00 a month plus taxes and regulatory fees.
This is one that bothers me some but there's a
easy way out. After all a phone is very necessary
anymore. You need one to summon help via 911. To
communicate with your employer. To chase down
bargains and oppourtunities.
So what's my recommendation? Get the cheapest
landline phone package you can find. Nothing more
than you really need. A phone that rings and has
a dialtone when you pick it up.
Forget getting the "inside the home line
maintenance package". You can do that
yourself. Dialtone tells you that you can make a
call. Tell the telco to give you dialtone to the
Demarc and you'll take over from there.
Now you have a incoming phone and the ability to
make outgoing local calls. Here's where you need
and can justify the cost of highspeed internet.
Get Highspeed internet if you don't already have
it. Now get a IP type phone. You'll use the IP
phone to make those long distance calls.
The one I recommend is a Magic Jack. Magic Jacks
are cheap. Another is Vonage. Another is the
company that took over Zingotel's accounts. |
| |
| Cell phones! |
| Get a pay as you go phone. Don't use
it except in emergencies. Take it with you
always. You need a cell phone to call for help
when your car breaks down on the road or there is
a accident or to report crimes, etc. Don't use it
for idle chit chat. Wait until you get home and
call on the house phone. |
| |
| Cable TV! |
I really think cable TV is way over
priced now. The cable company we use jambs their
own commercials in to the programming on almost
all channels. That's income to them. Why in the
world should us consumers pay for the privledge
to view the cable company's commercials?
One thing you can do is put up a good antenna and
cut off cable every couple months especially
during the summer or whatever season is most
active for you and where you might not miss cable
too much. If you have trouble with an antenna
remember the rule - To get more signal put up
more wire. A bigger, taller antenna or a signal
amplifier at the antenna might give you a better
signal.
There's ways to stack antennas also. The standard
Yagi home antenna is a little hard to stack but
it can be done. And there's rotators or methods
to gain two directions or more with antenna
arrays. Another nice thing about having your own
antenna even with cable is you can still view TV
when the cable system is out.
Another idea is to carefully check with the
satellite companies when you receive ads from
them offering better packages. Watch those
contracts though. You might sign for a year with
only a few months at the bargain price. |
| |
| Municipal Water! |
Here's one to watch. In most places
municipal water isn't a bad deal but you need to
watch out for leaks. Another thing you might do
is watch your useage outside the house like
washing cars, filling pools and spas and watering
the yard and garden.
You can purchase a small meter and watch useage
where some communities will give you a break on
the sewer if the water useage means the water
never makes it to the sewer. You might also look
into gray water recycling.
Gray water is water used for washing dishes,
washing clothers and bathing. It's not potable
but it can be used for watering yards and gardens
or recycled into flushing toilets. Some
communities allow that with some extra
compensation back to the user and there probably
are tax breaks to make that more financially
viable. You use the water twice but only pay for
it once. |
| |
| Gasoline! |
| This one hurts us all but there are
things you can do and you've probably heard them
all. Keep the tires inflated properly to
manufacturer's specs. Keep the engine tuned. The
oil changed as needed per the manufacturer. And
drive easy. |
| |
| Electricity! |
This ones pretty easy. Just set your
thermostats back on the heaters including the
water heater and forward or higher on the AC.
Turn off the incandescent lights and any
appliances you don't need. watch the temp
settings on the fridge and keep the freezer as
full as you can. It's good to keep lots of food
and drinks in the fridge also. The less cold air
there, the less that escapes when you open the
door.
If you have two or more competing suppliers the
competition should drive the prices down some.
But you can help by being energy conscious. And
insulation might help a bunch. Attic insulation
first then any where else you can insulate. Don't
forget to insulate the hot water pipes in exposed
areas.Later,
Bill
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Beverage Mountain Homemade
Beverage Info |
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| www.JoeBageant.com |
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