$9.99 a month

Robbie wrote:

Brett_Murphy wrote: There is also the factor that more people can afford $10 a month than can drop $1000 one time.

That's your human nature I am talking about here. They are the same amount of money. If you can 'afford' one you can 'afford' the other. But humans tend to feel 10/month for 9 years is affordable and 1000 at once is not.

Technically, you're correct, but the nature of that expenditure varies quite a bit even if the end total is identical.

$10/month times 100 months = $1000 lump sum payment, indeed. BUT:

• Paying monthly leaves the bulk of that $1000 liquid and available as capital or for emergency cash flow issues.

• Buying as a lump sum means you've committed to the full amount up front instead of being able to adjust service level or change vendors at more or less any time. That's the benefit of pay-as-you-go.

I'm digging the fact that I can get Netflix for a few months when a series gets good reviews, then ditch it during the summer.

I use Amazon Prime a ton, so it's worth having.

I haven't figured out if I want Hulu Plus or not.

I will want CBS All Access if the new Star Trek series is only available via streaming. If I can view it OTA then I'll be set.

In reply to Duke:

Yes. You of course are correct. Even though many pay-as-you-go contracts are specifically written to make it difficult to change vendors or levels of service (looking at you cell phones and just about all financing plans).

I'm not arguing that the small monthly payment feels more appetizing, especially 'no-contract' options, really I'm just trying to help explain why so many companies seem to be pushing that direction.

Expensive software anyone? No longer a lump sum, now its a small monthly service.
Movies, music, video games, entertainment? Again, less buying discs, but more paying the service.
Business tools? just subscribe to the cloud! etc.

So I must be a caveman. We have no Internet at home, just our phones. No cable either. We have been that way for 2 and half yrs, and our kids aren't dead yet.

Although I may end up having to pay for internet because my sons school requires him to do certain things on the computer which sucks. I hate the school system sometimes.

Son_Of_Toyman wrote: So I must be a caveman. We have no Internet at home, just our phones. No cable either. We have been that way for 2 and half yrs, and our kids aren't dead yet. Although I may end up having to pay for internet because my sons school requires him to do certain things on the computer which sucks. I hate the school system sometimes.

Turn their phone into a hotspot and connect the computer via wireless or usb to the phone.

Depending on what they need to do for school, you might find a decently powerful tablet or Chrome Laptop, etc. will work instead of a full PC. Just have to find out what they have to do and go to a store and try it on one of their devices.

Robbie wrote: In reply to Duke: I'm just trying to help explain why so many companies seem to be pushing that direction. Expensive software anyone? No longer a lump sum, now its a small monthly service.

That's a different story. That's to prevent businesses from buying a seat of, say, AutoCAD for $5000 and then using that software for 10 years without upgrading. Which I think should be allowed, but of course it doesn't fit with the vendor's plans very well.

In reply to Stefan (Not Bruce):

The data limit on Verizon though is killer.

In reply to Robbie:

It kills me on software. I want to purchase a hard copy of software.

Games are the worst with DLC content as well. By the time you're through you're $200+ deep all while paying an additional $9.99 a month to play online

Son_Of_Toyman wrote: In reply to Stefan (Not Bruce): The data limit on Verizon though is killer.

Don't use Verizon, they're the Comcast of cellular service (AT&T is the TWC).

Unless you have a business account, they only want your money and for you to screw off because there's no real control on your part.

Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote:

Son_Of_Toyman wrote: In reply to Stefan (Not Bruce): The data limit on Verizon though is killer.

Don't use Verizon, they're the Comcast of cellular service (AT&T is the TWC). Unless you have a business account, they only want your money and for you to screw off because there's no real control on your part.

I was using Tmobile but they dont do 4g out in the middle of no where. Nobody else does either....

$9.99 for Motor Trend TV? Is that different than the free stuff they have on Youtube?

We swap - between Hulu, Amazon and Netflix. There's not enough time to watch all three services so we'll catch up on a show on one, switch to another that has current new episodes of something we watch, back to another service when new episodes of something we care about are released, etc. And if you just want to sit down and watch something, you can find something on any of the services.

End result is $8-12 per month, never more.

I do Netflix, an over-the-air antenna for local stuff and broadcast television, and YouTube.

Lots of YouTube.

Netflix and Amazon Prime here. We got Prime for the shipping (SWMBO is a big instant gratification person) but I've found that Amazon has a better selection of video than Netflix does. Free Hulu for me.

And if you're willing to plan a little bit, Netflix has a spectacular DVD selection. If you like to watch things that aren't the chosen 1% of content that's available to stream, it's well worth it.

captdownshift wrote: In reply to Robbie: It kills me on software. I want to purchase a hard copy of software. Games are the worst with DLC content as well. By the time you're through you're $200+ deep all while paying an additional $9.99 a month to play online

Honestly, I hate even free DLC.

It can turn a game I once loved into a game I hate. All because the developer/publisher/whatever decided after releasing the game to totally change it.

If you run out of Netflix stuff, check this out: http://mashable.com/2016/01/11/netflix-search-codes/#B60F24vnuZqw

We have Netflix, Google Music, Prime, Hulu, and another $7 for a shady TV download service along with an antenna. Prime is worth it for the fast shipping and file backup service.

BoostedBrandon wrote: I do Netflix, an over-the-air antenna for local stuff and broadcast television, and YouTube. Lots of YouTube.

I'm with this guy.

Although I am contemplating adding prime for the Clarkson and gang show.

Robbie wrote: Just think: cell phone plan = $80/month ish. or about $1000/year. Own a cell phone for 50 years? that's $50k, not counting interest opportunity cost or inflation etc. How many things will you spend $50k on in your life? I bet you can count them on one hand. (House, car(s), taxes, college, food, and oh yeah, internet cat pictures on the handheld).

Two more things on your list: heating/cooling fuel and electricity. Which have something in common with this cell phone concept - they're a service, not a thing. You're not paying $1k/year for the phone itself, you're paying for the infrastructure that lets you use it.

OTA antenna for casa de DX. 30-45 channels depending on which way the antenna is pointed. That gives us all the basic cbs,nbc,fox,abc,pbs, some cool foreign channels. I watch a lot of stuff on Youtube and any shows I miss on regular tv online. Netflix has a lot of cool documentaries as well.

What OTA antenna are you guys using? Mrs. Zero gave the green light to cut the cord!!

I just have basic cable internet service (data only, ~30Mb/s service from a 25Mb/s plan) for not too much a month. In addition there are only two yearly subscriptions; one for Xbox Gold (solely for playing Destiny really) and the other for Crunchyroll, which comes to around $10 a month for both. Free YouTube takes care of most my needs actually...lots of good free content on it for all different interests I have...

http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1450BF-Multi-Directional-Amplified-Digital/dp/B001GE6T9A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455314783&sr=8-2&keywords=rca+ota+antenna

This is the antenna we use.

slowride wrote: $9.99 for Motor Trend TV? Is that different than the free stuff they have on Youtube?

You ask and Freiburger answers-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdfU7DlEoyU

Strike_Zero wrote: What OTA antenna are you guys using? Mrs. Zero gave the green light to cut the cord!!

Amazon link.

I live too far from the local affiliates (rural area) for the indoor antenna to work. The house has a pole in the backyard from years back, so I mounted mine there.

I get roughly thirty channels, about half of which are KET (local PBS)

I cannot complain one bit.

In reply to The Hoff: Thanks! Might check that out.