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Personal Finance

What in the Hell is Up with the Cable TV Industry? Finally Cutting the Cord

by Evan

There is something fundamentally wrong with the cable tv industry as it is operating in 2020. After years of thinking about it, the ineptness and unnecessary fees finally got me to cut the cord.

My History with Verizon FIOS and Altice One (Cablevision)

In 2013 when I bought my second home, we went with Verizon FIOS and used them for the entire time 6 years we were there. We never had an issue with service, but like clockwork every 18 months I would have to call up and threaten to quit, and every, single time my price would come down to around what I was previous paying. It was extremely frustrating but felt like part of the process.

When we moved to the current home Verizon screwed up the move order so bad I may have lost my cool with a customer service rep., which I normally do not do. It was a disaster which could have cost my family a lot of money. We put in the move order, Verizon took down the wrong address, and on the day of the install despite being 1.5 miles away, the tech wouldn’t come here to install and then gave me an install date 4 or 5 days later. It was at this point I may have lost it and told them to “forget everything.” Those words apparently triggered their system to cancel the move order and the service (as opposed to just leaving me in limbo for a few days when I searched for a competitor). For most people, this wouldn’t be a problem. However, connected to that account was The Wife’s business phone number which she has had since 2005ish. Granted with e-mail it may not have been the end of the world, but nonetheless it could have caused a major problem.

So, I attempted to get them to give me just the phone service which they wouldn’t do because it was crossing area code lines (they perform that “courtesy” when the customer is also getting TV/internet). I had to scramble. I figured out that at one time in the past my parents had FIOS so I had a technician come out and install a phone line at my parents just so I could then send it to MagicJack. I did it and I was done with FIOS and was on Altice One’s double play (TV/Internet) with MagicJack controlling the home phone number.

This led to 5 months of MagicJack and Altice One. I was paying $125/mo for Altice One which included way too many channels that I didn’t care about and 200mbs internet service and $50 or so a year for Magic Jack. Notwithstanding the ease of everything being set up I was unhappy because the internet service was not living up to the speed that was being promised, and The Wife was unhappy because she missed Verizon’s interface. This led to a phone call with Verizon.

My Recent Experience with Verizon FIOS and Finally Cutting the Cord

I was told by the Verizon Rep that I would be getting approximately the same channels, I mentioned some of the main ones, and they said “of course.” The tech, who was very nice, spent about 3 hours wiring my entire house, and we were off. I quickly found out that the matched price wasn’t going to work because I needed to use their router for $15/mo if I was going to use DVR and On Demand – which of course I am since it is 2020! So now I quickly jumped from $125 to $140. Fine, not a massive deal I would be getting 1gb instead of 200mbps not that I am convinced it would matter but at this point, I decided I was in too deep. I am going to skip over the WiFi Password 1 hour on hold debacle that also occurred.

I went out that night and came home to find that I didn’t have some very basic channels like TBS, TNT and ESPN. Not amazing channels now that the NFL season is near end, but just weird to pay $1,680/yr not to have. This lead to a phone call that caused me to cut the cord. To get all the channels I had I needed to go up to $170/mo! What?! I was fine at $125 a week ago. But it was during that call I was finally able to verbalize my real problem with cable tv companies in 2020.

They are charging for unnecessary hardware. Why do I need to pay them $20/mo for a cable box? I just need the internet into my home and everything else can be handled on the cloud.

Verizon FIOS was charging me $20/mo for 2 boxes, and then another $20 for their DVR service and $15 for their router. That is $55/mo in charges that just don’t make sense in 2020! It was at this point I told them to shut down the TV service. They made the argument that their TV service was equal to Hulu’s in pricing, and they are correct until we add in the unnecessary hardware! It was that realization that made the jump easy.

My Current Television Set Up and The Costs Behind it

I am approximately 24 hours into this, so it is likely to change, but right now I am pretty happy writing this post.

First thing is that I picked up Hulu Live. I quickly chose that service over the others simply because my smart TV had a free one week trial so I figured why not? I actually signed up with this service while still on the phone with the CSR from Verizon. This week I’ll have to do a little deeper research on the right service for us (we already have NetFlix and Disney+ so that is sunk costs which was on the tab regardless). I think YouTubeTV may be something to look into.

The second move was to go from 1gig service back down to 200mbs service. We had it for the past 6 months with zero buffering issues. That may change as we go forward, but as long as I buy the right hardware (discussed below) increasing the bandwidth is a flick of the switch on Fios.

The internet service is $40/mo and Hulu is $55 – so I am going from $140/mo (or $125/mo or $170/mo depending on the number we use) down to $95. Life changing amount? Not at all, but I always felt like I was getting ripped off so even beyond the money this feels like a win.

The only thing I have left to figure out is the hardware. I think I am going to spend about $200 to $250 in hardware costs (figuring out Router w/modem vs Modem w/mesh) which will work for years without paying $15/mo for hardware costs. The crossover is pretty easy to figure out.

We’ll see where we land with this world, but I am excited to drop off their rip off boxes!

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Personal Finance

How to Treat Yourself and Stick to Your Budget

by Evan

We all need to stick to our monthly budgets no matter what. However, you should still leave room each month to treat yourself to an extra something. Here are some of the ways you can make sure that you stay on track while still allowing yourself your little extras.

Set Limits

One of the easiest ways to treat yourself and still stay on budget is to put a limit on what you can buy. For example, if you have a sweet tooth, you might decide that you are allowed to buy one box of chocolates for the month. If they run out, they run out and you can’t buy any more until the next month comes around.

You can even set these sorts of limits when you are playing games online. The right site like NetBet UK will be able to offer you controls over the amount you are depositing to play with. This means that you will never be able to lay down too much money and you can keep yourself and your spending on track.

Wait for Sales

If you have your eye on an expensive new item, you should always try to wait for a sale before you buy it. There is no better feeling than grabbing something at a fraction of its usual price. Make sure you do your research to find out exactly when the ideal time of year is; some shopping events like Black Friday do not always offer as good a deal as they might claim.

The advantage of waiting for a sale also gives you the chance to mull over the purchase. Will it be worthwhile or will it be something you use once and then put away in a cupboard? We live in a world where consumerism is frequently getting out of hand. If you know for a fact that you won’t get use out of the purchase, you should take a look for an alternative which you know you will use.

Compare Brands in the Supermarket

Food shopping can be one place where you can easily pick up some savings. Take a look at your current food shop and try to work out if there are any places where you could substitute a food product for something cheaper. For example, your favourite type of biscuit might be a lot cheaper if you decide to buy the supermarket own-brand over the named one.

You might even want to switch supermarket. Don’t be mistaken in thinking a more expensive supermarket means higher quality ingredients. You might be able to find the food you enjoy for the same quality and an even better price.

Treating yourself to the things you love the most while sticking to your budget might seem hard at first. However, with a little work, you should be able to get into a good routine of buying yourself cheap and cheerful treats so you can indulge in something extra without blowing the bank. Take a look at some places you could make cuts to your budget without sacrificing your current lifestyle.

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Personal Finance

How to Pay Less for Essay Writing Services: 5 Budget-Friendly Ways to Get Help

by Evan

At times, students cannot cope with a lot of assignments they receive from their teachers and professors. To cope with them all and meet their academic goals, smart students look at all available chances to solve the issues. Self-education is one of the keys but it may be not enough, especially when you have an urgent task. Thus, online help is the fastest and most obvious way out. Notwithstanding, the matter of price may be a huge disadvantage.

Online help should be paid in almost every case. Sometimes, academic essay writing services or individual ghostwriters set prices that are unaffordable for some students. Even though the price policy is not that expensive, it may be a problem for many people. If you want to run cheap but still get the help of high quality, read our helpful guide. It contains 5 budget-friendly recommendations on how to get cheap but effective help.

Take a look at our list of recommendations:

  1. Find reasonable offers.
  2. Order free sample.
  3. Look for discounts.
  4. Pay for certain parts.
  5. Customize your order.

You can combine all these options to get cheap or even chargeless help. They are simple and beneficial. Let’s discuss and analyze them all to provide more insights.

Recommendation #1

Your target number one is to make preliminary research. Just as you look for data before you begin to write your essay, you should find available offers. You should not be hasty or you’ll choose something expensive. There are various companies that have different price policies. It’s quite possible that two competent writing companies write papers of the top quality but their pricing strongly differs. Therefore, get as much data as you can and compare the options.

Recommendation #2

One of the best ways to save your money is to get free samples. They can be found in excess on the Internet. Private writers and big platforms offer their clients all types of academic papers. They are necessary to convince their clients that the quality of all writers is high. Of course, they are given for free. Besides, you can find different educational websites that offer free samples too.

 

Such samples are copyrighted. Accordingly, they cannot be used by students as their own projects. They serve as examples of how to compose this or that piece of writing. You can learn a lot from them. Pay attention to the structure, word choice, style, the way examples are implemented into the text, how to make correct quotations and so on. Find the required paper, make notes and analyze them. Afterward, use them in your own projects.

Recommendation #3

You should not miss the opportunity to get some discounts. Almost every academic writing company offers its clients some discounts. They are commonly given to the newcomers and the most loyal clients. The longer you collaborate with a company the more benefits you enjoy. Some companies likewise offer discounts to people who place big orders. Don’t forget about this possibility.

Recommendation #4

Mind that you are not obliged to pay for the full paper. You’re free to order whatever part of an essay you want. Moreover, you may need a certain service. For example, you want to rewrite some parts of your paper or edit them. You are welcome to make such an order. The cost of every quality essay writing service is different. Accordingly, you can save a lot of money because you won’t order the full paper.

Of course, if you need the full paper you can order only certain parts. You may not have enough money to buy it. Therefore, you may but the introduction and thesis statement. After you receive the needed sum, you can buy the main body paragraphs and at the end, the conclusion and list of references. It’s up to you to decide what to buy and in what order.

Recommendation #5

It’s of great importance to find writing companies that allow full customization of the orders. This sets a client in the full charge of his/her order. We’ll explain its importance. First of all, fill out the order form. It contains some fields that should be obligatorily specified. These are as follows:

 

 

  • The type of your paper (essay, dissertation, case study, article review, coursework, etc.);
  • The kind of help (writing, editing, citing, referencing, proofreading, etc.);
  • The length (your company may measure the size counting words, lines, pages or characters);
  • The deadline;
  • Personal helper (native or non-native speaker);

 

Afterward, use an online calculator to sum up the total cost of your order. If the price doesn’t suit your financial possibilities, change some of your demands. Every point affects the price.

 

For example, the types of papers and kinds of academic help have different prices. A dissertation will be more expensive than a common essay. The length and deadline also affect the total cost. The longer your order is the more fees will be charged. If you set a long deadline, the price will be cheaper compared to an urgent order.

 

As you can see, the possibility to customize the order is really important. Some websites don’t provide freedom of choice and you are forced to follow their rules and restrictions. Make sure that your choice guarantees the required freedom. Change the demands of your own order until the price suits your pocket and save the money.

 

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Personal Finance

Enviable Money Management Habits that Yield Great Long Term Benefits

by Guest Post

Earning a 6-figure income is not possible for everyone. Therefore, it is always considered wise to make the best out of what is at hand. We have read about the wealthiest people in the world having some habits that make them so unique and well, rich. It is their habits that make them what they are today. The reason behind their fortune is certain financial habits that they have been following, which have yielded them long term benefits. Here are some of their enviable money management habits that will teach you organizing and managing your finance.

Planning a Budget and Making Everything Automatic

Budget is the most fundamental unit of any management. A budget helps you in knowing your capabilities of paying and earning and affordability, on the whole. According to various studies, women are very efficient budget planners as it is their natural and inherent quality. Common housewives have mastered this skill and run their households with the utmost smoothness. Learning the art of setting a budget is very resourceful especially when you wish to establish better financial management in your life. Besides, taking advantage of e-facilities is also very helpful. Making your payments automated by linking them with your savings accounts, so none of your bills go unpaid, is considered as a more user-friendly way of money management.

Always Keeping a Track of What You Are Earning and What You are Spending

It is not like you do not wish to save money. The only thing is that you do not know the right way to do it. More often than not, there is just one means of earning in many people’s lives, so it is easier to know how much you receive though; it is difficult to keep a track of the expenditure. Many successful businessmen and personalities have people working for them to keep a check on their income and expenses. As an individual, you may not be able to afford an entire department of employees to work on your account; however, you can do your bit by keeping bills of everything you purchase. This is the simplest way of tracking your money.

Clearing off Debts for Moving Towards a More Organized Finance

Managing money does not only benefit you financially, but also makes you march towards financial success. One of the first things you must do before investing your money anywhere is clear off all the debts that you have on yourself. Debt-freedom makes you feel stress-free and doesn’t disturb your income immensely. If you don’t have any debts, you are off to a good start already, however, if you do, start clearing them by paying a little, every month, as soon as you get your salary.

Exploring New Ways for Increasing Your Income

It has been found that doing a freelancing job can fetch you more money than doing a fulltime job. Since you are the one who decides how much you want to work and you are the boss of your own pay, you tend to be less stressed out and more focused. It is always better to increase your earnings instead of spending way little than what is required and putting everything into savings. It is not humanly possible. Killing your present desires for securing your future, will disturb your present, which is practically incorrect. Part time jobs work great in such cases. Working online for two to three hours every day will also bring you a better income.

Sketching the End Results of Everything You Do In Your Head First

Money management becomes better if you know where you are heading. Draw a sketch in your head about what will lead to what before actually getting your hands into the job. Wrong investments can make you suffer from even deeper regrets. Study the market a little before investing in any kind of mutual funds or policies. Refer to an expert, if you think you are dense about economics. Also, familiarize yourself with various financial settlement tools like, structured settlement, an injury insurance claim that helps you receive full medical expenses, periodically or all at once, in severe cases of accidents known as catastrophic accidents.

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Personal Situation

Recalculating My Monthly Nut

by Evan

It has been about a year since I calculated my monthly nut so it is about time I lay it on the line for both readers and myself.  I would hate to lie to myself about my family’s spending.

What is a Monthly Nut?

A monthly nut is your fixed costs, month to month, absent job loss or disability that will be there waiting for you.  A monthly nut is not the same as a budget.  A budget is whether you are over buying clothes or certain types of food, while a monthly nut is made up of items like heat and other contractual obligations.

While a budget can change month to month it is unlikely your monthly nut will outside of direct inertia to change something (i.e. shop for cheaper insurance, pay off a debt, etc).

My Monthly Nut

When I originally calculated my monthly nut I came up to about $4,400 per month. That number has increased pretty dramatically in the past year due to some very obvious factors:

  • I moved from a townhouse to a much larger home (with a much larger tax bill and higher utilities)
  • The Wife’s lease is up in the next few months and “we” have decided to buy a minivan next.  This will increase her car expenditure from $339 to probably about $500, so I just included the $500.  It could be less, but regardless it won’t be forever once we pay off the future note.
  • I have increased my life insurance, significantly and will be providing an update as to that in the next few weeks when it finalizes.  As such, I have just included the expected increase in price here.

Everything is rounded up:

Expense Cost Notes
Mortgage, Taxes andH/O Insu $3,000
 Sprint Cell Phone Service  $135  The Wife and I have a shared plan with unlimited data and texts and minutes that we don’t come near but can’t reduce.
 Verizon FIOS  $150  Home phone, Internet and TV
 Life Insurance  $400  Not exact as I am in the midst of updating my insurance but includes ins on my life, my wife’s life and child’s life 
 Alarm System  $30  Contract based on new equipment provided
Law School Loan Payment  $255  I paid off my smaller loan and this one is locked in at 3.5% but going to take a while to pay off, so unlikely to be removed from the monthly nut for years
Car Insurance  $225  Covers The Wife and My Auto Insurance.  We recently just priced this out.
 Electricity  $172  “Budgeted” monthly cost.  I inherited this from the previous owner so I have no idea if this is too much for my family’s need.  This might be lowered if we use less electricity than the last homeowner
 Gas  $17  Again, this is the budgeted monthly cost.   The only thing running on gas is our cooking and our hot water.  The reason it is so low is because of the next item which is new to me.
 Oil  $300 I have zero clue how much oil we will use in a year, but I do know it costs about a grand at current rates (which I locked in) to fill up the tank so if I have to fill it up 3 – 4 times a year we are in this world
 Gas  $300  Reviewing my American Express Bill from last year it looks like The Wife and I spend about $300 a month on gas.  This number is something we should be able to fix with a little better planning.
New Car $500  As explained above we are getting The Wife a new car in the next few months
 Food for Home $540 According to AMEX this is what we spent at the following shops: Target, Stop and Shop, Shopright and Trader Joes – last year. I am not sure how much is food and how much is other since I don’t go to any of those stores except Trader Joes.
 Total:  $6,024 Wow.

 

Missing items that could be shut off right away:

  • Water – Poland Springs $40
  • Pet Insurance $50
  • Average household purchases: $225
  • No clue on restaurant/bar expenditures

Ever try to calculate your monthly nut with this much detail?  It is pretty rare that I put myself out there this much but feel free to comment!

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