Update: Cutting Cable

We quite cable a few months ago. Cable bill was $167/month with very few stations. We had downsized the service severely, yet it continued to grow in size nearly every month. That pattern of growth was a reminder of the 10 to 15 times we had renegotiated the package and price only to have the price grow even more quickly thereafter. Comcast has no seniors program. Comcast has no true deals for the consumer. Only good deals for themselves.

There were two holdups to cutting the cord previously. Rocky simply put his foot down on the decision. Second, Wi-Fi connections were important to me, and I didn’t want them interrupted.

Finally, however, with gas costing $100 a tank, I said yes to a Wi-Fi deal from T-Mobile. Gone was cable and in was streaming. During the pandemic we had learned how to use streaming better and liked it. Today we are firmly in the streaming family.

Also gone are negative newscasts, millions of irritating ads and breaking news announcements that were hardly breaking. Our negative moods switch to neutral, then to positive.

The T-Mobile service is $50 per month including taxes. We are saving $117 per month. Of course, we have two more streaming apps but those only cost about $20 per month. So, we are saving the equivalent of one tank of gas per month.

Medical insurance is stable, but benefits have declined. Meds are more costly with deductibles and co-pay changes. Food is more expensive. But we no longer travel due to health issues. We do not eat out often and when we do it is either delivered or we get it at a drive-thru. Living simply is living cheaply.

Discipline is needed to a degree. The pandemic taught us survival skills that soon became a norm. Along with that came a cheaper cost of living. We read more. We research more on the internet gathering news the old-fashioned way, from the sources! And we indulge in special interests, family and relaxation. All in all, not a bad way to live.

We are binge watching documentaries, animal shows and science programming. We are more up to date on many topics. We are involved in the outside world using remote technology. Although we miss road travel, we are safer at home and doing pretty darn good for two old coots.

Currently I am researching elder care and assisted living options for the two of us. A long slog is ahead. More discipline required, I fear. But then, we are schooled in that.

August 8, 2022