Billing

Like everyone else around the world, GPOM and I are actively trying to figure out how to decrease some of our bills. We've reduced our Netflix to streaming content only, because my DVD player doesn't seem to work anymore. Figures. It's adorable and pink and girly. Also, the last movie I saw was Bridesmaids, and that was at the theatre. I simply don't have the patience to watch movies. Oh, I watched The Social Network in November sometime. That was good.

Anyway...I mention the Netflix because every so often when we go over bills, GPOM gets this look in his eye when he notices the TiVo bill. Now, I love my TiVo, I use it every single day, I can barely stand to watch on-time programming anymore, I've had it since 2005, and I think the fourteen dollars a month it costs is well worth it. I watch a lot of TV, folks. A LOT. And I am not ashamed.

So I spoke with TiVo today after looking at subscription rates on Ebay to see if I could lower the cost of the subscription. No such luck. Even though I saw someone selling a box with a ten-dollar subscription rate, I couldn't get anything lower.

Now I'm considering this: Get an upgraded TiVo box, keep the current monthly rate, upgrade the internet service to a higher speed, begin to use wireless networking to update TiVo (mine currently uses a landline connection), and get rid of the home phone, which costs about forty dollars each month.

Current:
TiVo - $13.95
Internet - $33.95
Phone - $40.00
TOTAL: $87.90

New thought:
TiVo - $13.95
Internet - $56.95
TOTAL: $70.90

OK, so about fifteen dollars less each month. But I love my home phone. I don't want to get rid of my home phone. Also, I have to factor in the cost of a new TiVo box. A quick glance tells me it's about one hundred dollars. Plus I'm noticing some wireless adapter which seems to be about twenty-five dollars. Let's say an initial investment of one hundred fifty dollars (shipping, you know). It would take ten months to come out even, before I see a savings at all. Now I'm seeing that the upgrade is HD, which may mean I have to buy HD for the cable as well. If memory serves, HD is an additional approximately fifteen dollars each month. Looks like I'll come out even.

Thoughts, you guys?