If you cut cable, what do you do now?

[Anonymous]

We have Verizon FIOS for internet and phone. Like everyone else, Verizon has great intro rates, especially if you include cable, since that's what they want you to do. Sooner than you think, the intro is over and you're paying the big bucks. I think we're paying $90 for internet and phone when you include all the taxes.
We watch stuff through the antenna and on Amazon Prime. If you love sports, you can buy the season for NFL, NHL, MLB.

[Anonymous]

Haven't had cable in a long time. DVDs from the library and watch some shows on the internet.

Do you really need a sprinkler system? Or alarm? Those are usually money wasters too. Sold by salesmen who prey on our fears.

[Anonymous]

We recently stayed in a VRBO that only had Amazon Prime and Netflix. There was nothing to watch!

[Anonymous]

I watch network shows over the air. If I miss it, I catch up on Hulu or the network website. I can get HuluPlus or Netflix through my bluray player, but I don't see the need to spend the money.

[Anonymous]

I read, I interact with live people.

[Anonymous]

Netflix, antenna box, fios for internet. No cable.

We cut our land line, but I miss it. When I call home re: groceries, etc. no one picks up their cell phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No landline. Totally unnecessary in this day and age.

I disagree with that. We have a landline because we have multiple people in our household, not all of whom have cell phones, and one of whom has a life threatening allergy. I can just imagine a scenario where I am out running errands, my husband goes into anaphylactic shock, and my young child is digging through pockets/etc trying to find a phone to call 911, after she's potentially helped administer an epi pen to her dad. A landline is a low-cost safety feature.

What may be slightly less necessary is my insistence that my landline be copper. My landline is always on and we have a corded phone in the kitchen. Our phone is not "on until the backup power supply dies." The power can go out for 5 days, and we will still have phone.

I am risk averse, so I think my belief that a copper landline is necessary is likely to be overkill for some people, but I question the situations where people think landlines aren't necessary at all.

We cut cable television, but I'm unwilling to cut the landline. Call me a paranoid Luddite!

Thanks for the response. What is your copper landline provider?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No landline. Totally unnecessary in this day and age.

I disagree with that. We have a landline because we have multiple people in our household, not all of whom have cell phones, and one of whom has a life threatening allergy. I can just imagine a scenario where I am out running errands, my husband goes into anaphylactic shock, and my young child is digging through pockets/etc trying to find a phone to call 911, after she's potentially helped administer an epi pen to her dad. A landline is a low-cost safety feature.

What may be slightly less necessary is my insistence that my landline be copper. My landline is always on and we have a corded phone in the kitchen. Our phone is not "on until the backup power supply dies." The power can go out for 5 days, and we will still have phone.

I am risk averse, so I think my belief that a copper landline is necessary is likely to be overkill for some people, but I question the situations where people think landlines aren't necessary at all.

We cut cable television, but I'm unwilling to cut the landline. Call me a paranoid Luddite!

Thanks for the response. What is your copper landline provider?

Not true, the landline is not always on. During the 2012 storms, we lost the landline too. It is not the same like we had back 20 years ago with the rotary type phones. When the cell phone towers went out in our neighborhood, the landline was dead too.

I was insistent on having the landline for emergencies after the 911. But what's the point, if it is serviced by the same cellphone tower?

[Anonymous]

So does HuluPlus have all the current seasons of all the various network and basic cable shows? Or just some shows/some episodes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have verizon fios for internet
Hulu
Amazon prime videos
Netflix

No landline. Totally unnecessary in this day and age.

OP here. Thank you. I agree with you that landline is unnecessary, but we need it for the fire sprinkler system. Alternatively, we can set up a wireless fire and alarm system, but we need to pay about $200 upfront and $20 more each month. I am hoping that there are cheap landline options out there.

The verizon landlines can be really cheap. Just reduce all options down to dial tone only. You don't pay anything for 800 numbers, the alarm systems, or incoming calls. Plus there is no dependency on battery back-up for this power outage prone area. My Oct 2013 bill would have been about $20 if I had a published number. Dialtone is $10 but the whole thing doubles based on taxes:
Current Charges
Dial Tone Line 10
Non-Published Service 3.63
Current Activity Total $13.63
Total Taxes, Governmental Surcharges and Fees $3.34

Total Verizon Surcharges and Other Charges & Credits $7.03
$24.00
-3.63
$20.37

All those surcharges are about $2 to the state and the rest is federal.

We spend about 105/month for cable /internet/landline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have Verizon FIOS for internet and phone. Like everyone else, Verizon has great intro rates, especially if you include cable, since that's what they want you to do. Sooner than you think, the intro is over and you're paying the big bucks. I think we're paying $90 for internet and phone when you include all the taxes.
We watch stuff through the antenna and on Amazon Prime. If you love sports, you can buy the season for NFL, NHL, MLB.

I just called Verizon to cut cable. We now have just Internet and phone
And we pay a little over $100, including all charges and taxes. Do you have the fastest Internet?
I was wondering why we are paying $10 more. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have verizon fios for internet
Hulu
Amazon prime videos
Netflix

No landline. Totally unnecessary in this day and age.

OP here. Thank you. I agree with you that landline is unnecessary, but we need it for the fire sprinkler system. Alternatively, we can set up a wireless fire and alarm system, but we need to pay about $200 upfront and $20 more each month. I am hoping that there are cheap landline options out there.

The verizon landlines can be really cheap. Just reduce all options down to dial tone only. You don't pay anything for 800 numbers, the alarm systems, or incoming calls. Plus there is no dependency on battery back-up for this power outage prone area. My Oct 2013 bill would have been about $20 if I had a published number. Dialtone is $10 but the whole thing doubles based on taxes:
Current Charges
Dial Tone Line 10
Non-Published Service 3.63
Current Activity Total $13.63
Total Taxes, Governmental Surcharges and Fees $3.34

Total Verizon Surcharges and Other Charges & Credits $7.03
$24.00
-3.63
$20.37

All those surcharges are about $2 to the state and the rest is federal.

We spend about 105/month for cable /internet/landline.

This sounds like a good option. Not sure whether we have it in my area. Where are you? I am in Montgomery county. I heard that in areas where fios is available, dial tone option is not available. Digital phone replaced dial tone phone, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently stayed in a VRBO that only had Amazon Prime and Netflix. There was nothing to watch!

this. netflix's streaming options are still pretty lackluster. i have hulu plus and hardly ever watch anything on it. things have to improve a shitload before i would consider cutting cable.

[Anonymous]

I have Roku box, HD antenna (Mohu leaf) and Amazon Prime. No landline, so I just pay for internet (currently on a promotion for $30/month).

[Anonymous]

I have HD Antenna, Tivo & Netflix. Also Amazon, but not Amazon Prime (doesn't work on Tivo).

On our other TV we have HD Antenna and Roku (and there we get Netflix and Amazon Prime).

When we first cut cable we did not have the Tivo. I missed being able to turn on the news (ie - CNN) when I wanted to watch. Network TV news is not on at a convenient time for me. Now, I have the Tivo set to record the news every day (PBS, BBC and ABC) so that it's always there for me. When we got Tivo we cut Hulu. We can tivo the full season of whatever current show.

If you watch a lot of sports - check out Roku's website to see the channels they have and whether you'll be able to find what you want to watch between that and HD Antenna. I've heard a lot of people decide to keep their cable for the sports.