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Post by Randle-El on Apr 15, 2015 10:07:17 GMT -5
I have not had a landline in years. I think the last time I had a landline was 13 years ago, when I was single and lived in a house with a bunch of roommates. My wife and I have never had a landline, and we only got smartphones a couple of years ago when we discovered the wonderful world of MVNOs. Between switching to an MVNO and not paying for cable TV and all its accompanying expenses, we're saving a good bit of money. I also work from home full-time, and my employer partially subsidizes my Internet access (which is required for work), so we're saving even more money.
I'll be honest though -- between my wife's job and mine, we could probably afford a full cable/Internet package and the standard smartphone fees from a name-brand provider. But part of the reason we use alternatives is principle. I'm personally convinced that cable and telecom companies are among the greediest and most unethical businesses on the planet, and are exhibit A of what happens when monopolies are allowed to exist. Even if we save just a little bit, I'd prefer to support good competition rather than continuing to enable their fleecing of customers.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 15, 2015 10:39:42 GMT -5
The only reason I still like having a landline is that it's the number I give to everyone. I use my cell phone for emergencies and for calling out, but I hate the idea of being able to be reached at any given time. I go home and check messages to find out what people want from me.
Is that anti-social?
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Apr 15, 2015 10:40:07 GMT -5
If you use it instead of Netflix, it's about the same price. ($99/year = $8.25 per month) Then you also get free 2 day shipping any time you buy anything, which comes in handy when you're buying birthday presents and such.  I think there's now a music and e-book part that gives you access to some stuff, too, though I don't really use either. If you're not using the streaming video part, it's probably not worth it unless you buy ALOT of stuff you need right away. Since you have Netflix, a quick check to see if what you want to watch is on one, the other, or both probably make it clear The Amazon Prime interface on our HD TV is a lot more obnoxious than our Netflix interface, so we only use it as a last resort. I think we've watched one television series through it in the two years we've had it. Definitely not worth it. The interface isn't the problem for me. Amazon Prime buffers constantly. Annoyingly constantly. To the point of being pretty much unwatchable. Netflix very very rarely buffers. However, I've done the math and I buy enough from Amazon to make the free shipping worth the expense. |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Apr 15, 2015 10:40:18 GMT -5
I'll be honest though -- between my wife's job and mine, we could probably afford a full cable/Internet package and the standard smartphone fees from a name-brand provider. But part of the reason we use alternatives is principle. I'm personally convinced that cable and telecom companies are among the greediest and most unethical businesses on the planet, and are exhibit A of what happens when monopolies are allowed to exist. Even if we save just a little bit, I'd prefer to support good competition rather than continuing to enable their fleecing of customers. Well said. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 10:54:54 GMT -5
I wish my wife would cancel her Amazon Prime account. I use Amazon a lot, but I just don't see the value. I think I love my Amazon Prime account more than life itself. I can get just about anything I want in two days, or for $4 extra, overnight. That, alone, is worth the Amazon Prime cost. As for cable, I only really watch tv between 8 and 9 at night. But the shows I watch, I have to have, and I won't part with anything for them. But, if it was up to my husband, cable and home phone would have been ditched years ago. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 10:57:20 GMT -5
The only reason I still like having a landline is that it's the number I give to everyone. I use my cell phone for emergencies and for calling out, but I hate the idea of being able to be reached at any given time. I go home and check messages to find out what people want from me. Is that anti-social? No. Well, if it is, I'm anti-social, too. I just hate talking on the phone, period. And if someone calls me, it better be because they absolutely NEED something. I'm awful for admitting that. But, most of the time I am working and cannot really talk on the phone anyway. And when I'm not working, that is my down/family time. And I don't want to "just talk" then either. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 10:57:58 GMT -5
God, I'm a total a-hole.
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Apr 15, 2015 10:58:59 GMT -5
No, I COMPLETELY agree with your last two posts.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Apr 15, 2015 10:59:09 GMT -5
I canceled the the satellite and home phone recently and couldn't be happier. I've long since gotten out of watching TV the old fashioned way where you schedule Monday or Thursday night to watch a show or two. I have an XBox Live account and I watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc, all through that account. I've had zero problems with Netflix and have found a ton of stuff to watch. I finally watched all of Breaking Bad, I've been watching documentaries, animated shows, you name it. Binge watching, or watching an episode or two a day, and finishing a season quickly is how I like to watch TV shows nowadays. I will say that I didn't like Hulu. The idea of paying a subscription fee AND having to endure advertising is intolerable for me. I get it when listening to something like a free podcast, but a subscription model for old Star Trek episodes? Ridiculous.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 11:00:40 GMT -5
No, I COMPLETELY agree with your last two posts. Hahahaha! I'm glad that we agree that I'm a total a-hole, Shax. You just made me laugh so hard my eyes teared up. |
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Apr 15, 2015 11:01:41 GMT -5
No, I COMPLETELY agree with your last two posts. Hahahaha! I'm glad that we agree that I'm a total a-hole, Shax. You just made me laugh so hard my eyes teared up. Was in the process of editing that when you responded. LOL |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 11:02:35 GMT -5
Hahahaha! I'm glad that we agree that I'm a total a-hole, Shax. You just made me laugh so hard my eyes teared up. Was in the process of editing that when you responded. LOL HA! Stop making me laugh! |
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Post by DE Sinclair on Apr 15, 2015 11:16:34 GMT -5
The only reason I still like having a landline is that it's the number I give to everyone. I use my cell phone for emergencies and for calling out, but I hate the idea of being able to be reached at any given time. I go home and check messages to find out what people want from me. Is that anti-social? No. Well, if it is, I'm anti-social, too. I just hate talking on the phone, period. And if someone calls me, it better be because they absolutely NEED something. I'm awful for admitting that. But, most of the time I am working and cannot really talk on the phone anyway. And when I'm not working, that is my down/family time. And I don't want to "just talk" then either. If that's the criteria, then sign me up for the a-hole club too, because I completely agree with both of you. My cell phone is provided by my job, but even if it wasn't there are very few people I'd give the number to. I simply don't want to be available to everyone all the time. I've long thought the introduction of cell phones is one of those "did things just get better or worse" moments. |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Apr 15, 2015 11:23:33 GMT -5
I haven't been able to cut the cord on cable because of college football. That's pretty much the only reason I have cable still...but it's reason enough.
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Post by MatthewP on Apr 15, 2015 11:41:19 GMT -5
I used to have DirecTV satellite, mainly to get Packers games on NFL Sunday Ticket, but they kept bumping up the price year after year. Eventually I realized that it was cheaper to go to the nearby sports bar and buy lunch and several beers for Packers games, so I dumped DirecTV. Never watched other channels enough to really miss them.
And now that the sports bar has become a Packers bar, it's not only cheaper but much more fun to watch games there!
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I think there's now a music and e-book part that gives you access to some stuff, too, though I don't really use either. 
