That would be my cell phone sitting on the counter charging. The little stone sitting next to it? I have no idea where that came from.
Any way, My phone is with Metro PCS. Wade and I had 2 lines for $90 a month. It's paid up until the 13th of July. I'm not sure if I want to continue with them and just cancel out his phone. More likely it will be closing out that account and opening one in my name. The phones were under his name. Or maybe I want to switch to someone else. So tell me who is your cell phone through and do you like the service?
Another change is internet security. Wade always insisted that we had to have Norton. Every year we paid somewhere between 60 and 80 dollars to renew. I know there are others out there that are free and I've heard they are quite good. So tell me what you use for internet security.
Third change may be the cable. I know I have to have the internet but I'm wondering if I really need the cable. My daughter has sling tv and she really likes that. I know some of you use roku or hulu or other services.
So now it's your turn. I'm all ears ready for your adivce and opinions.
18 comments:
I don't know about the phone, but I do think you should get one in your own name..
do you have windows 10 on your computer? if so it comes with really good internet secutiry for free, also our cable internet has a good one, both are free. I am waiting to see what everyone says and YOU KNOW I will have ideas as soon as I close this....I clicked notify me so I can follow whom says what.
Windows Defender (as Sandra mentioned) is an excellent way to go for free. Also, I use Firefox so as an add-on I have ad block plus, so no advertisements popping up when I surf the net. (It's also free). As for cable, I just don't do it at all! The tv we watch is thru digital antenna. Free stations (26 stations in our city) Any cable show...we watch thru our laptop.
Now with laptop/desktop we use our phone hotspot thru Sprint (we love Sprint! About $30 cheaper than Verizon and more GB than Verizon also. It works for us in many ways.
I would get a phone in your name. If you like your provider stay with them. We use Verizon, but we boat and we need to make sure our phones work in all the different places we go.
Many already weighed in on the free virus protection. Our computer guy said never to pay for virus programs. He's convinced that's where the viruses come from for the most part. We also use IObit Malware program that is free.
We don't have cable? We have Roku and with that we have Netflix and Amazon Prime. All the television we need and no commercials.
Getting rid of things that you don't want or need is a wise thing to do. We often spend way more than we realize on these things. Shopping around or eliminating unwanted services is a good thing.
Have a fabulous day and weekend, Ann. Big hug to you and tons of scritches to Gibbs. ♥♥♥
Good idea to ask for others' choices/advice --but remember that you are the one who knows what you need/want.... We have Verizon and love it --because the service across the country is GREAT... But--as you know, we travel a lot and need that service... The main thing is to start getting things in your name.
I can't help you with a Windows computer since we have Mac's. I agree that you don't need to pay for a virus protection program. There are plenty of free ones out there.
We have Direct TV --and watch quite a few cable shows along with Netflix and Amazon Prime... SO ---right now, we still have cable. It all depends upon what you watch. There are a lot of options --so check them all out before making a decision.
Good Luck...
Hugs,
Betsy
1. We switched to T-Mobile when we got smartphones this year (I know, late to the party). You would need to check for coverage tho - My husband was just in Vermont - in Burlington he had 4 bars, in Milton he had zip. But they do have great unlimited plans, including 55+ but I don't know if you qualify for that yet. In all fairness, Verizon and even At&T both have great coverage but they were way more expensive for us. (And we hate Verizon on general principles coupled with previous bad experiences.)
2. Lots of free anti-virus programs, just google them, since I have a MAC, I probably have different ones than you might need - I have Avira(free) and Malwarebytes (free) - they work just fine. Norton can actually be more of a hindrance than a help, so I have read.
3. We are about to drop our Triple Play Comcast service to high-speed internet only. The only thing we watch on 'live' tv is the afternoon local news and for months now we haven't been able to because between 4 and 7pm the picture snaps, crackles and pops and then goes out. Comcast doesn't care, so neither do I. We have a Roku box and pay for Netflix, Britbox, Acorn and Hulu. (My Amazon prime subscription also includes tv and movies). I actually spent yesterday comparing Sling TV to Hulu Live and for us, Hulu Live gives us the most bang for our buck. Once I downgrade I will be saving about $100 a month (Score!)
I live in an urban area so what is available to me might not be available to you - you're gonna have to filter through all these suggestions and then check what's available in your area.
You probably have more choices for things on the east coast than we do in our neck of the woods but I have Verizon because it has the best coverage for where I go. J has AT&T because his cell phone is used at work and in the hospital tech room, it's the only service that works. There are places where he has service and I don't so it really helps to find a service that has coverage for all the places you go to.
We have Norton but it's free with our Comcast internet service. We also use Malwarebytes which is also free.
Too many sports to watch here to cut the cable so again we have Comcast but oh how I hate them! We don't have other options unless we went with a dish and that's not something I want to deal with.
Hope you find what works best for you! Ask co-workers, friends and neighbors to see who provides the best stuff for your area!
I use Norton, had a free one and it crashed my email
There are those changes but maybe you don't have to do them all at one time. I have AT&T for my cell, internet and cable. I do it that way so it is all one bill and I have not changed it cause I hate dealing with changes like that. Most times if you change something with AT&T then the bill takes months to get fixed correctly. My daughter just went with them and hates it. It has been a hassle from the get go. As for Cable I have Direct thru AT&T. My laptop protection has always been AGV - paid. This last time with the issue of my laptop screen going out I just went with Windows Defender that comes on the laptop. You can go into your task bar and once Norton has been removed you can turn on Defender. It is free.
Phone: at the very least, call your current provider and have it put in your name. We switched from Verizon or T-Mobile...but really, my wisest advice would be check with neighbors and see has the best reception.
Internet Security; we have McAfee. I'd be a little leery, myself, re free. Usually one gets what one pays for. ;)
TV/Cable: we use PS Vue. It's cloud based. We use Roku to get it. It's half, literally half, the price that DirecTV was. We pay about $50/mo. We do also pay $5 for Acorn (British TV) and the cheapest streaming Netflix (I think $8/mo) and temporarily CBS All Access. SO glad we got rid of the ridiculous cost of cable! I suggest you view Sling and PS Vue online; compare prices, and compare TV stations available. Based on what you like to view. See which fits you best.
Good luck!
Grace, if you read this, check out PS Vue before you make your TV decision. We love it!
p.s. we were paying for Netflix, Acorn and CBS All Access on top of DirecTV as well. :)
I just did that when I saw your comment LOL It looks like you can use a Roku box to access it but Hulu Live is also $39.99 so if we got PS Vue for that price we would still be paying an additional $11.99 for Hulu (the no commercials version) - We watch a lot of shows on Hulu - it has all the network shows we like, available just one day after they air on 'live' tv...
I use Verizon - I pay 60 something dollars a month for one phone. I've never used any other company but I'm happy with it. If I had to do it all over I wouldn't get cable - I never had sling but heard good things about it. I stopped buying Norton and just use Windows Defender already built into my computer and something called Malware Bytes that I get online for 24$ a year but I might cancel that too and just use Windows Defender - I think it's enough. I think malware bytes might have a free version too. You could check your computer and see if you have Windows defender - usually Norton disables it.
I use Verizon and pay a fortune. I got my mom a phone with Cricket. She only pays about $35 a month. I use Malwarebytes for security. It does everything a person would need. The commenter above me has the price, which is good. If you have Windows 10 you probably don't need anything extra unless you like to visit the shadier part of the internet. I don't have any specific recommendations for TV. I use everything. Just use whatever you might want for the cheapest price. For most people, Hulu and Netflix on a Roku or other device is good enough.
I wish I could help you Ann, one thing I like is a have a smart TV and get Amazon prime and Netflix, so watch very little regular TV. I miss MSNBC etc. since I only have basic cable now, but phones and TV cable keep going up in price. My daughter carries my phone on hers and has Verizon for a long time, so must be good for them. I sympathize with all the changes that have to be made. I know how confusing it can be. Thinking of you!!
We use Verizon- have all internet and phone in one unlimited data plan. I have no idea what Om pays, because that is his bill. Our TV is an antenna with a converter box.
Take your time in deciding..these can be expense to re-sign up for if you disconnect, so think long and hard about what you want before quitting and signing up for something new.
Phone--check with friends and family in the area. Check with young people who like to use data...that is important if you are in the car and need navigation. Check for coverage where you travel most. That is an issue. We have t-mobile, and it is getting better, but there are down spots. I also have a work discount, so that is why we went with them. I pay $115 for 4 phones with unlimited data.
Cable--sit down for a week or two and write down what you watch and when. For me, we watch more in the winter, so try to account for that if you are the same. We have the bundle (basic cable, internet and phone) and pay $121.00 and have to negotiate that price every stinkin' year. We hate the phone and never use it, but I think they sell our phone number to keep the rates down. If we ditch the house phone, our cable/internet bill goes up substantially. We have Apple TV and share a Netflix account with the kids to keep that available and low cost. You really have to track what you are watching and what you really need before deciding.
Computer safety--we have AVG and pay for that each year. I don't know anything about that...not an expert.
That is a lot to think about all on your own. Do what you can and live with your decision. All of that stuff can get really expensive, so you have to make cuts somewhere. We do all the time.
We have had Verizon for as long as I can remember. We like them because we have always had excellent reception every where we go. Cable is one that we need to downsize, get rid of premium channels but we love our two DVR's and can't bear to get rid of them. I love my Fall prime time TV and I don't want to search for them on other service. However I think it is time for cable to give our better prices. I have Norton on my computers. I believe it is over $100. now! Good luck making these choices.
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