I watch television. I like to watch television. I like to listen to television when I am in nearby rooms doing unfun stuff like folding laundry. I have the television on right now while I am writing this blog post. I have cable television. Not even Net Flicks or those other services that hook your computer to your television. I like the commercials. They put the commercials in there so that you know when to flip channels. I love to flip channels.
I am looking on-line for ways to reduce my expenses and the first thing every article lists is to cut back on your fancy lattes. I get a take out tea about twice each month and it is usually when a coworker is doing a run to Tim Horton’s because we are having a busier than usual day at work and I need caffeine. My take out tea bill comes to about $3.00 per month. Not much to cut there.
The second thing that other financial bloggers and online newspapers and magazines want you to do is to stop having those wonderful television channels magically transported to your home. Stop cable, stop satellite, stop television. They seem to think we should all switch to Net Flix or watch television on or through our computers or sell your television and not watch anything.
I have a low internet bill and I did not pay extra for the fastest internet available that I would need to stream programs without those annoying delays. My cable/internet/landline costs me $124. per month. I have to work a single 7 hour shift each month to cover my communications bill. I could save more on the television but then my internet bill would go up and I would miss regular television.
On another topic,
I have decided to delay the decision to trade my HELOC (home equity line of credit) in for a traditional mortgage. I had a chat with Diane, my bank lady, and I could secure a mortgage fairly quickly if I thought interest rates were going to change. I could lock in an interest rate on the day that I started my application. I can start my application online so I can lock in an interest rate 24 hours a day if I get some sort of psychic feeling that rates are going to suddenly rise.
This means that I do not have to make a decision on HELOC versus mortgage. All the thought involved was making me dizzy because I was just spinning the same pros and cons around in my head over and over and over again.
There is a mortgage in my future. I just don’t have to jump in to it right now.
January No Spend upddate,
Stayed home. Spent no money. Watched tv. Still $17.00 until the end of the month.
I think interest rates are going to stay low for a least another 18 months. They may tick up 0.25% this year, but I would bet money it won’t go higher than that. I like HELOCs for their flexibility, but locking in a mortgage at some point wouldn’t be bad idea either
I will stick with the HELOC until interest rates rise. I am attempting to pay down $8,000 of debt this year while rates remain low. This finance stuff is a bit like fortune telling with a crystal ball.
I agree. I have tried to cut back as much as possible, but I can’t cut cable. that would make me feel deprived. everyone needs one vice and mine is HBO….
My vice is flipping between the different news channels. We don’t have HBO but I do pay for time shifting so I get channels from different time zones. I can watch the news from Newfoundland or British Columbia.
I won’t give up tv unless there is ever a time I literally cannot afford my bills. As for now, it stays. I LOVE having it on while doing chores.
The television noise keeps my brain occupied while I am doing chores so I don’t think so much about how much I hate doing chores.
It’s great to hear from another person who values their cable subscription enough to say that is a bill worth keeping. Could I go without cable? Possibly. Could my wife go without it? Not a chance!
Then you should keep the cable Rob. I believe in the old saying “A happy wife a happy life”.