apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

why anyone would still have a landline is beyond me. i haven't had one since 97. either use a land line or use a cell phone. to me, that would be the first to go.

next would easily be cable/satellite. when i moved into my new place i decided not to get cable. instead just watch shows OTA or download them. can easily plug my laptop into my LCD tv via HDMI cables to watch the shows on a normal screen.
i would argue netflix isn't in the same category. if anything, that helps you stay in vs going out and paying more for one movie than an entire month of netflix.
i don't play video games, but is a rental service really worth it? how many games does one go through a month?
internet and cell phone are two things i couldn't live without. however, if you're cutting everywhere, consider lowering your minutes/text plan for your cell phone, or speed of your internet. you can save quite a bit in those areas and most people don't go near their full minutes/text message allotment nor do they really need the fastest internet available.

Cheers,M

i cant afford cable, so i went from dvr junkie to nothing last august. The only time i find it hard is when I'm at someone else's house who was the works. I have TW cable, and was able to get a box for local channels. Now I have intro offers like Showtime for free. I use the on free on demand channels when i'm bored, but it's all going to be cut once the free terms are over.

I think i need to get the very basic landline, because i tend to lose my phone a lot. Been able to cut cell service down since my sisters and i all text (at&t has unlimited texting for 30 bucks an account) and 90 % of the people we call are att customers as well. That has saved us about 30 bucks a month in charges. Going to try to cut our minutes down to the 550min plan since none of us use our minutes.

As for cutting interwebs. I think about doing it everyday. I'm tired of being constantly connected, but can't seem to stop using it. That would be 30 bucks a month more in my pocket... but 30 bucks isn't much for something you can use at any time at all.

If you really want to save money, the landline, game service, and cable/satellite/netflix can all go.
You're better off with a cellphone than a landline, most pc online games are free, and you can get any show on tv in both legal and illegal ways online, plus ota digital is quite nice and free.

Not sure cutting the interwebs would be smart. For one, it's the primary way of finding new jobs and can replace most of your other lost entertainment types. I did go from a 10MB connection to a 6MB when I was cutting costs. When I called up TW, I mentioned moving to AT&T DSL so they put me into the retention queue and I got down to $35 per month. I don't get cable TV. In fact, my TV will stop even working tomorrow. I'm looking forward to tossing it. :D

Got an iphone when my 5 yr old phone died in March, so I don't have many options cutting that down further. I only have the 450 minute plan.

Haven't had a land line in years. No video game subscription. I suspended NetFlix when I went unemployed in January. I got a job 2.5 months later, but never felt the need to go back, so that just got canceled.

Other cost cutting measures include being out of debt, using mint.com to help w ith budgets, using Costco to save (but only after price comparison), using Amazon subscribe and save for 15% off (Prime = 'free' shipping), making homemade foods!, buy generic foods, buy things used when you can, too.

I got rid of cable, but kept the $8.99 netflix package so I can watch TV shows instantly on my laptop. For the rest of the shows I just use Hulu. Between those two, I can find nearly everything I watch. Internet was a must for me since I work from home. I haven't had a landline in years either. You can ditch that and if you still "need" a landline, just use Skype or have it connect to your cell.

I also second Mike's suggestion of Costo or other wholesale stores. It's so much cheaper in the long run, even with the annual fee.

lol, I'm with Matt on the landline. I have a cell and Internet. No cable because I don't watch much TV, and if I do I'll find it online.

i cut landline years ago. only cell and net access. plus i use skype to minimize cell usage as well.

I would not cut the Internet or cell phone. If I am out of work I want to be reachable when opportunity calls. I can use the internet to make phone calls, job search, AND .... watch TV ( using Hulu and Boxee ).

Just curious for those of you willing to give up land lines and cable, how do you get your internet service? I have a land line only for my DSL which is a pain and an expense I could really do without. I understand from this thread http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/phones/fancy-white-designer-phone-for-landline-lovers-055186 that there is a "dry loop" option, but when I checked on it I can't get it at my location! I'd love some advice on getting high speed internet of some sort without DSL or cable because I'd love to cut my land line and cable will be the first thing to go when the need arises. My employer has already cut jobs 50% so yes I think about it almost daily.

cable, netflix, xbox live in that order

I can't live without internet or phone

I don't have a television, so no need or want for cable or satellite. I rarely watch movies and don't really like watching movies anyway, so no Netflix for me. Don't have a cell phone either, and I'm not getting one until I need one.

Out of all of those, I'd probably cut back on video game online subscriptions; a nice thing to have, but not a necessity. I use the internet for doing a lot of things, and have a landline for when I need to do phone things (but I'd probably cut that if I got a cell phone).

Losing the cable and the landline, even a cell phone is a lot easier to do if you have high speed internet access.
I'm on the 'don't have Cable or a Landline' bandwagon. Also, don't have any gaming subscriptions or pay my own cell phone bill (my parents are still using the family plan cha-ching).
I could give up my NetFlix, but if I ran out of money I think I would use it more, like someone else mentioned because I wouldn't be going out to movies or for drinks with my friends, nearly as often. Rather stay home with a 2$ rental and a bowl of cheap stove top popcorn (it's cheaper than the microwaved kind).

no landline
no tv/cable/satellite
no game subscriptions

i use:
library for books/movies
watch movies on my DS, play online for free

I would consider necessity first. If you need internet or cell phone for work than that's the last to go. Then the non-essentials like sat tv, netflix and video game subscription. I think a netflix subscription (I don't work for them) is worth so much more than what you pay. While Cable/Sat are nto a good value considering you can get OTA. I have both but when I didn't two movies a week and OTA tv was adequate entertainment.

i don't do a lot of texting so about a year ago i switched to virgin mobile and my cell bill went from $52 a month to about 25.00. Cable bill, subscribed to $18 a month service, (just to get reception in my building, basic channels and cspan/usa/whatever) but the Comcast guy hooked me up with enhanced service three years ago by mistake (65$ service). they've been out twice to repair and never turn it off so i don't say anything.

Netflix I suspend for a few months at a time. sometimes i get busy with work and hardly watch any movies at all, so it just takes a minute to turn it back on. landline is a hard habit to break (I guess 20 somethings are used to not having it) but my service is down to 12.00 a month, just basically to keep it on and 30 calls allowed per month, which i make maybe 3.

DSL just went away, i always am able to tap into someone else's unsecured line. no problems connecting for two months. that $30 goes to my higher electric bill in the summer months (AC). and if i do reconnect later i can get a promotional price.

Netflix should not be in the same category as cable/satellite. Netflix costs me less than $10/month, so it really wouldn't make a huge difference. Cable/satellite is a bit difference since the cheapest option is usually about $35/month.

Wish we could get rid of the land line but our cell phones do not work on the tiny island we live on and do business from 6 months a year. I do use Skype but the power here on the island goes out often enough to make our internet unreliable (even with a backup generator). We save money by eating at home...even when we splurge on lobster, we cook it at home--it's not really a splurge when lobster is cheaper than steak at $4.99 lb.
Katy
http://fengshuibyfishgirl.com

I don't even bother with any of these services besides a cell phone. *shrugs* I just can't afford it.

I got rid of my landline on and off years ago (2001?), depending on what my cell service was like in the various apts I lived in. I currently have Tmobile at home, or what ever they are calling it nowadays. My cell gets service off of my WiFi, not cell towers. I recommend it.
I am addicted to HGTV (shocker, since I read Apt Therapy and am a designer), so I can't get rid of my cable...
I do tend to waste my netflix subscription... hmm, maybe I should think about getting rid of that...

I turned off our satellite and no one noticed for over a month. I work from home running videogame websites so I can't turn off my internet or game subscriptions but I did down grade my home phone to the most basic service. The best thing we did to save some money was buy an old digital projector so instead of shelling out tons of cash taking the kids out to a movie we have movie night in the backyard. It's fun we make popcorn and invite friends over to share. We found the projector for $100 on craig's list, that's about what it would have cost for 2 movies at the theater for all of us.

I am one of those who long ago cut his land-line for reliance on a mobile phone only existence. I did so at the time because it made sense to have only one number and to always have that number with me. It was a convenience decision. It was not financial.

If saving money were my primary concern; I'd think long and hard about whether or not keeping the mobile phone makes sense. It might be convenient, but a mobile phone is not the financially responsible option.

The cheapest solution is a VOIP system; but that is only the case as long as you discount the monthly cost of a high-bandwidth data connection. Otherwise, a land line is significantly cheaper on a monthly basis than a mobile phone.

Look at it this way; if it gets bad; when you have to decide between the electric bill or the cell phone...you'll wish you kept the land line instead.

Always drop cable first. Firing a monopoly feels transgressive and it's one of my favorite cheap thrills.

Most mobile phone plans are more expensive to cancel than to keep, so I don't consider that option.

Before mobile phones, I used to move every two years and one of the best parts was dropping phone and internet services while I waited to get my old renter's deposit back.

Each apartment was serene. I'd throw a cassette in the VCR (it played movies from a tape!) if I needed entertainment.

My land line has been gone for nearly 7 years. I text a lot, have an unlimited package, and only use about 450 minutes a month for about 45.00 total. I'd rethink the Netflix though. I also got rid of cable tv over two years ago, but I keep my 3 at a time plan with Netflix, because really, I can rent nearly 99% of everything that I want to see on tv. All shows are coming out about 6 months or so after seasons end, sometimes sooner, so me (and frankly, most of my friends) practice our tv habits that way. No cable bill, just see it all on dvd later. Another thing I did to economize is get rid of the P.O. Box. I had moved several times in a 3 year period and just got it to be sure i got all my mail, and then somehow I just never got rid of it. But I did six months ago. So that's an expense some people have that they could save on to.

In response to DMSTUDIO, I used Speakeasy when I had DSL purely because of the fact that you didn't have to have a land line to use it. They routed through existing technology but didn't require a land line package. That said, if it's available, Clearwire is amazing and cheaper than my DSL was. And requires no cable, no phone line, no nothing.

The only two I would KEEP is the cell phone and the internet connection for matters of necessity. When you're laid off and looking for work, or even looking to exploit your free time to your own benefit, the cell phone and internet keep you in touch with the world. In times of desperation, they are crucial tools for CREATING work, while everything else is entertainment.

I currently do not pay for cable/satellite tv/netflix or a video game online subscription. I utilize my local library for DVDs, ane also can find the cable tv shows I want to watch online for free. I only have the basic landline service (for the days when I work at home and am on conference calls - it's easier to use the speakerphone on it, and also I have previously gotten a better rate by combining it with DSL service than stand alone). I may check again into the cost difference of removing it - I don't WFH very often. I suppose if I was extremely tight on money (and still had none of the above), I would ditch the internet, as I could use it at the library. Cell phone would be the last thing to get rid of.

I've never even had a landline, so there's nothing there to cut.

But we did recently decide we don't need cable tv, however. No problems thus far. Infact, we're spending less and less time in front of the tv.

Agreed with other comments. Cut the satellite, and depending on how you use your phones, the phone line.

Keep high-speed Internet, to watch shows on Hulu, or the major broadcasters websites.

Invest in a Digital TV converter and antenna. There are websites (meritline.com) that have cheap antennas that work well.

Best of luck and take this time to reinvent yourself if the job opportunities are not there for you!

I cancelled my cable a year ago and only briefly re-connected it.

I don't have an online video game subscription so that's neither here nor there.

My home phone is the next to go... but my cell phone and my internet can stay...

I have internet, netflix, and a cell phone (which I currently don't have to pay for). I COULD cut the netflix, but really need the internet to run my business. If (when)I did pay for my cell phone I would need to keep that too.

My internet and cell phone are business expenses. I would get rid of my landline in an instant, but the cell phone reception in my neighborhood is awful.

I don't play video games and haven't had cable in years. I only watch three TV shows, so I'm keeping my Netflix account.

@JoeyBrill: Your statement that it's cheaper to keep a mobile phone plan than to cancel it is incorrect.

Most cancellation fees are in the $125 range. Most plans are approx $50 by the time you're done with all the taxes and fees. A land line is half that. If you have both and cancel the cell phone, in less than three months you are saving money. If you only have a cell phone and start up landline service that stretches out to five months. But, afterwards you are saving $25 a month.

If you're trying to save money cell phones are a luxury. I'm honestly dismayed at the number of people who feel that this is a better economic option than a land line. I suppose the mobile operator's have done an incredibly good job over the past ten years, but it's simply not the case.

Look at this site for the costs of cellular service and then tell me how the luxury of a cell phone makes economic sense?

Read the BillShrink Blog article on
cell phone plans.

The cheapest smartphone costs nearly $2,600 over two years. A comcast unlimited land line costs roughly $600.

If you are trying to save money, and you aren't required to have one for work, then a cell phone is a modern luxury...and one people in dire economic circumstances would be very smart to live without.

We get movies from our local library. They have current movies and even tv/cable show sets. We might be a season behind, but it's saved us tons of money!

We've been feeling the pinch recently, my partner got made redundant, and admittedly, it was only a part-time job, but the extra £250 a month made all the difference.

For us however, we couldn't even consider cutting any of the services we use at home.
Landline: Only use it for local calls and the internet.
Internet: Absolutely essential for us, couldn't go without it.
Sky TV: Again, another essential as reception for free digital TV is really poor in our area.
Mobile phones: I use mine for work everyday, and we put about £5 a month top-up on my partners, for emergencies.
Game subscriptions: Keeping my partner subscribed to EVE online has stopped him going mad over the last few months. He's plays it when I am out at work, and it stops him getting bored.

Instead, we've cut out other things. We rarely get any alcohol any more, and we never have take outs. I haven't had my hair done for over 4 months The roots look horrendous, but never mind.

We used to buy at least one new video game every month, but instead we've been borrowing games from friends and we've started playing retro games that are available on open source.

We went down a quality grade on our groceries. Most of the stuff we can't even tell the difference, and those few that we did (like cooked meats and bacon) we stuck to our regular brands. I don't buy vegetables at the store any more, we make do with what we have grown ourselves.

@paintedfish: great suggestion on using the local library. I've also heard several unsolicited rave reviews on redbox video rentals which are only $1.00 a night. Depending on your viewing habits it might be a much better option than Netflix.

Consider Skype as a low-cost alternative for outgoing calls - don't they have $.01/min plans for calls to other phones? I got rid of cable TV a few weeks ago when I moved but internet is the necessity for almost everyone these days, I would imagine, so I kept that. The only other luxury I have is Sirius Satellite Radio. I watch Joost and Hulu when I need visual stimulation and get a bunch of video podcasts, with an occasional movie rental from iTunes. On the plus side, I find that I listen to a lot of NPR, PRI and BBC, and spend a LOT less time in my apartment instead of vegging out watching crap on TV.

In almost every instance I would cut a land-line before the internet. In fact, it was killing me to have to pay AT&T for a land-line when all I wanted was the internet, but because they only offer DSL, we were forced into it. I think it's just a scam to get more money. We were basically paying $70 for internet. RIDICULOUS!

Cancel Cable/Satellite and make your computer a TV.

Get free digital channels with the antenna:

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hvr950mac.html


This is especially prudent if you live in a big city like NYC where there are lots of basic channels available.

I am so impressed with all of you people cutting cable. I almost want to try it now that I know others actually do it. I thought it was a myth that people lived without cable...and dvrs.

I already live without cable. I get 3 channels with my antenna (Canada hasn't made the switch yet) and get DVDs from the library. If I lost my job I'd probably stop using my cellphone (it's pay-as-you-go) and consider cutting the internet. I have an Eee Pc so I can use wireless or go to the library.