the view from here
Yes, I like cable. It is better than bunny-ears’ channel selection and better than bunny-ears’ reception. I like having entertainment channels, watching do-it-yourself shows, catching movies, and seeing my favorite shows from the 70s and 80s late at night. I would rather have cable than not have cable, it’s true. But I don’t pay for cable. I haven’t in over a year. I didn’t have it at all in college, once I got my first apartment, and once I did manage to get it a few years ago, I kept calling to turn the service off. Of course, the cable company kept offering me deals to keep it on, and I did… until I moved to another city and they tried to charge me $60 a month for basic, non-digital cable with no box (which they claim is now mandatory.) That was the end. They offered me digital for a lower introductory price, but I don’t want a low introductory price. It’s designed to get me hooked into the higher price later, so forgettaboutit - that’s out. Now, I was lucky in my current apartment - when I plugged my TV into the wall, there was basic service on already. Who am I to argue with fate? I watch it, instead of struggling with bunny ears.
But that shall soon end.
I’m moving in with my honey to save money for the house, and nowhere in "save money" do I hear "pay for cable." He has bunny-ears. He feels the same way I do. He uses the neighbors’ wi-fi for internet, just like I do. He doesn’t keep a house phone, because a cell phone gets the job done justfinethankyou, just like I do. A man after my own heart. We will split the low rent on his one bedroom apartment, plus electric, gas and the food we cook - this will save me an additional $300 monthly after the storage fees on my stuff. I will promptly add this savings to my credit card debt payments until that’s paid, and then once it is paid (even faster than I’d planned), I’ll use the money I was using to pay debt to put together a down payment. Meanwhile, he will be using his savings on rent and utilities to clean up his debt and *ahem* get me my jewelry.
The question then, is whether I’d rather get all this accomplished later, rather than sooner, by spending $100 a month plus taxes and fees for cable, internet and house phone. The answer is a vehement NO! Say it with me: Every little bit helps. I am happy saving the money - this $1,200 a year - because I’d rather be married in my own home than watching Sanford and Son late at night in a rented apartment with a naked ring finger.
