kids
7. Your TV/Internet/Phone bill.
Welcome to the Dad Cents, 10 ways to put money back into your budget without stopping the fun stuff, series. The countdown continues.
7. Your TV/Internet/Phone bill.
Are you paying an arm and a leg to be connected?
My wife and I sat down last week to watch TV, and as she scrolled through our at least 200 channels she said, “How can there be nothing on TV?” Our world has dramatically changed even from the time I was in college. As I sat down today to write, my wife’s comment reminded of my college years and the Bruce Springsteen song 57 Channels in which he sang “There’s fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on…”.
Today, we have the opportunity to be as connected as we desire. Our Televisions, internet service, phone service and mobile service give us the ability to be in the know and always in reach of our friends, family and work. Smart phones allow us to do all of these things in one device!
The key question is: Are you paying too much to be connected?
Media companies want us to buy their bundle! These packages are advertised relentlessly via billboard, radio, the internet and TV. The gist of the ad is you will pay less for their bundle than by purchasing elsewhere. The media companies are using the same theory as the insurance companies.
The theory the media companies’ use says you will be more likely to remain a customer because of the number of connections you have to their company. For example, one company is easy to work with, but if you have your phone with one company, the internet with another, and TV with yet another, you will have to pay multiple bills get multiple statements and have more companies to deal with. However, are they giving you the best deal?
Companies are always changing the rules but many times, the bundles, are not the best deal. Just recently, I was encouraged to look into my service by my bank account because we could not afford the bill. I thoroughly looked through all the opportunities and found I could save $35 per month and actually get faster internet service by making a change out of a bundle!
Keys to making a good decision:
- Does your rate eventually increase?
- Can you get good or better service by separate companies?
- Are you buying the package that has more channels than you actually watch?
- Will you share band width with your neighbors?
- Can you get internet service without purchasing phone service? (VOIP service can be very inexpensive)
Is it possible for everyone to use these ideas? Maybe, but I will make one promise. If you do not try, you will not save money!
Make sure also to watch for our next Savvy Dads webinar!
New series: 10 ways to put money back into your budget without stopping the fun stuff!
The economy has been brutal to many and putting money back into the budget would be helpful to many families. Over the next several weeks, online I am going to write 10 posts covering easy, advice practical methods to reduce your spending without ending your daily Starbucks run, Sonic happy hour or eating out on Fridays. Alternatively, your conscience may speak and encourage you to begin giving more to your church or a ministry in need!
If you apply the ten ideas I will share with you, I believe you will have the potential of putting $100-$400 per month back into your budget. Some of you may know and already be applying some of these ideas, but together they can dramatically help you improve your monthly cash flow.
The first series post will be Friday, May 20th at www.dadcents.com/blog. Please share this with your friends!!!
1.20.2011 Proverbs 20:4
Proverbs Post #29- 
Today I was reading in chapter 20, treatment and verse 4 jumped out to me today. It says:
20:4 The sluggard will not plow during the planting season, try so at harvest time he looks for the crop but has nothing.I have an admission to make! I am guilty as charged. What was I charged of you ask? I am guilty of being a sluggard. I want great things for my daughters, but I struggle with following up with every way I should be preparing them for life!
Ok, my wife and I are being intentional, but we are not as successful as I know we should be. There are several areas in which I struggle with my daughters. I struggle with having regular devotions, reading to them and the list goes on. The gist of the verse above is that if we do not work or put forth the effort, we will not get results. The application to parents and kids would be something like this. If you do not teach your children biblical principles while they are in your home as adults they will live according to worldly standards and not follow God!
What about you? I noticed a great disconnect in our country when I ask parents what they want for their children and what they are actually doing for their children. They have big aspirations, but they are falling short in the application stages. I want to encourage you to look at your family and ask yourself the following question.
Are you being a sluggard?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts
10/20/10 – Proverbs 20:12
Proverbs Post #2-
I have been reading through the book of Proverbs for most of the last four years. I followed the path many have when reading this book, by reading the chapter that matches the day of the month. I am going to attempt to write daily, on a verse that speaks to me as I read. Today I was reading in chapter 20, since it is the 20th day of the month, and verse 21 struck me today. It says:
20:12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees –
the Lord has made them both.
As I read “the ear that hears and the eye that sees” I thought of my daughters ears and eyes. I wondered how my actions were effecting their eyes and ears. Am I being an example of Jesus or an example of the world to my precious girls?
The next line that says “the Lord has made them both” refers to God giving us these abilities but also, as the foot notes in the Net Bible state, “but it also emphasizes their spiritual use in God’s service.” Reading the notes deepened my conviction in regards to my daughters since my desire is to be an example they can follow. I need to help them learn how to use their eyes and ears for God’s service.
What kind of example are you to your children or those who see you in the world?
I want to challenge you to take up reading the Proverb of the day and the entire chapter as well. Lord, please help each one of us to keep our focus on things above and not the things of this earth. Amen.
I am using the Net Bible to quote from for these posts.
