Comments on: Cutting Expenses: Saying Goodbye to Mobile Net Access

By: Roman

Roman — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:09:55 +0000

Internet on a phone is a great thing i kept it on my cellphone and turned off my cable internet. Saved my like 30 bucks a month. ( i was getting really low speeds)No all i have to do is just turn on my blue tooth and i am online.

By: The Frugalista Files

The Frugalista Files — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:50:35 +0000

I have a free data plan on my cellphone after I threatened to leave for another provider. I am glad that I have it because I use my cell to check last minute facts on the internet after work. T-Mobile may work out a deal with you if you threaten (nicely) to change carriers.

By: fern

fern — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:26:36 +0000

Cutting recurring expenses can be very satisfying. Yesterday i cut my weekend subscription to the NYT. (I think it came to $10 a month.) Despite the appeal of walking down to the bottom of the driveway to fetch thepaper and curling up with it on a wintry Sunday afternoon, i rarely did that. instead, i read it in bits and pieces, often feeling “pressured” to read it since i’d already paid for it.

I knew my phone call to cancel it wouldn’t be a no questions asked transaction. The rep asked me why i was cancelling. Because i don’t have time to read it, i said. He suggested i put a 4-month vacation hold on. It was momentarily tempting to do so, since by September I may feel like reading it again, but i went ahead and ended it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:23:24 +0000

Cutting recurring expenses can be very satisfying. Yesterday I cut my New York Times subscription. Much as i liked the idea of walking to the bottom of the driveway to fetch the aper and curling up with it on a wintry Sunday afternoon, I rarely did that. It was more like reading it in bits and piecees and often feeling “pressured” to read it since i’d paid for it. And now that the weather’s getting warm, i’ll be reading that even less, devoting more time to outdoor yardwork.

I think the subscription (weekends only) came to about $10 a month. The customer service rep asked me why i was canceling. (I knew this wasn’t going to be a no questions asked transaction.) Then he tried to talk me into doing a 4 month vacation hold, which was tempting, since by September i may be in the mood to read the paper again, but i deerred, having already mentally decided that if i needed a NYT fix i could pick up the paper.

By: bo

bo — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:10:45 +0000

Did they make you pay a cancellation fee or anything since you didn’t have the service for a year?

Were you able to keep the voice service on your blackberry pearl?

By: DailySpends

DailySpends — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:59:42 +0000

About this time last year my wife and I did a full blown audit of our spending. We couldn’t believe we were actually paying £95.00 ($187) a month on our mobile subscriptions. We cancelled them – got PAYG and now spend just £20.00 per month. . . Amazing how these thing build up in blind ignorance!

By: Lau

Lau — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:56:30 +0000

Cap, well, that’s just mean. Mr. Blueprint has got to get more than a few e-mails a day now! :-)

Jessica, tell your husband a big THANK YOU and STAY SAFE (I don’t think anyone will be angry at me for adding: from all of us).

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:41:47 +0000

Really? When did you get the Blackberry Pearl? I got one too. The reason I have it and the data plan is because my husband is in Iraq and I don’t want to be glued to the computer for the next 12
months hoping he will get online.

Now I can continue my life and still manage to NOT miss any of his emails or IM’s- it’s my lifeline to him. I think it’s a worthy expense. When he gets home however is a different matter. But not one I will have to think about for the next year.

By: Cap

Cap — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:44:04 +0000

Lau:

Jim doesn’t get a lot of emails because he doesn’t have friends. Hah!

Like Meg’s hubby, I had it for work reason.. although I did find that I was brining work home (and to class) more than I want. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of people out there that NEEDS it for a very real work reason.. but there’s just as many of us that has it but can definitely live without. I get what you’re saying though, pretty much the reason why I cancelled it.

By: Lau

Lau — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:53:02 +0000

jim,
Aaawww… :(
Well, there you have a great reason to drop the data plan then ;o). And if you’re “sitting around doing nothing or waiting for something”, you can always grab newspaper, magazine, or one of those sudoku/crossword books (I love sudoku!). I also always carry a notebook to write blogging ideas and to do things. Just a few ideas…
But I’m sure you get a few more e-mails than you’re leading on ;)

Meg,
If it’s for work, alright. I can surely understand you preferring to check a few e-mails, many times a day rather than a lot of e-mails a few times a day.
Social planing? hhmm, why not? Although I’m sure it impacts productivity at some point. You WILL be checking e-mail on your computer at one point or another during the day.

You know what, I’m not going to argue any further :o). I respect that some people feel that they need that sort of device – I personally don’t.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:28:30 +0000

I too did the same thing about a year and a half ago, and I have to say I don’t miss it. I get enough of the internet everywhere else I turn throughout the day. Go to work…bam! The internet. Go to the coffee shop…bam! Computers with internet. Go to the smoothie shop…bam! Computers with internet. Go home…bam! The internet. Go to the beach…ahh! No computers with internet thank goodness! Unless you wanna be like that guy in that commercial that stands in the middle of a swamp surfing the web, I doubt you’d miss this either. Better yet, my cell bill is $36/month. Congrats!

By: Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances

Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:51:54 +0000

Lau,

My husband needs it because he’s the tech guy for the company he works for and he gets a lot of critical notifications by email and he also does a lot of work by email. Whether he’s out in the field or spending time out and about, it’s more convenient for him to check his phone than to run home to check his email.

As for me, I run several websites so I’m constantly getting emails. I’d rather check my email here and there throughout the day while waiting in line somewhere or between classes or on the bus then spend hours checking it and responding to email at home.

Plus, I know a lot of people who do a lot of social planning via email like, “Hey, what are you doing for dinner tonight?”

By: y

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:50:05 +0000

Wait… I thought you won the lotto

;)

By: y

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:48:38 +0000

I have Helio’s 500min/month plan. $65/month for unlimited texting and internet. Can’t tell you how often my bf and I depend on it for traffic and places to eat.

It’s nice to have but I’m sure I’d survive without it.

By: jim

jim — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:17:59 +0000

Lau: Very few people NEED that feature, but a lot of people want it. I like it because I can read email if I’m sitting around doing nothing or waiting for something… I just don’t get much email. :(

By: Lau

Lau — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:46:49 +0000

I’ve always been curious as to why people need to check their e-mails when they’re not in front of a computer. What can be so important that can’t wait until you get to work/home and turn it on???

Anyway… cell phones companies make very much hard to resist offers on Blackberries and other “smart-phones”. You get it for free. Yay! But also get stuck paying for a data plan – because frankly, why get the phone if you’re not going to get the plan?

So, anyway, good for you Cap!!

By: tanyetta

tanyetta — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:46:48 +0000

I guess that answers my question if I should get a crackberry ;)

By: Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances

Meg from FruWiki and All About Appearances — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:40:31 +0000

I’d have to cut cable before cutting my mobile internet.

My husband and I both got Helio Oceans recently and we’re hooked. The plans aren’t cheap, but compared to what we were paying for Verizon, it seems like a steal (especially since we now have unlimited everything, including web access). Fortunately, my husband’s work now pays for most of our cell bill, and I’m hoping to pick up a little money at an upcoming yardsale since now I can sell my iPod, digital camera, PDA, old phone, and voice recorder.

The cable may be getting cut soon, though, since I can hardly ever find something really worth watching.

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:06:37 +0000

Ouch – I know it stings to eliminate these kinds of things, but in the end you did the right thing. We recently cut the cable down to basic cable – 13 channels for $12/month. We miss a few channels, but all in all it has been a great move for our family.

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:17:52 +0000

I did the exact same thing with my mobile plan a few months ago. I’m with Optus here in Australia, and it took at least 5 phone calls to get the plan changed.

The first time I was told it had changed, then I got my next bill with the full amount! I made sure to follow up before the next bill was sent, found it still wasn’t changed even though I had been told that it was, then (finally) got the plan changed after repeating this a couple of times.

I’ve gone from minimum spend of about $60 to minimum of $20, with a normal spend of between $30 and $40.