I can't get off the grid!!!!
Okay....I sold my house and am now moving into a rental house. It is 5 times better than what I had, at 1/2 the price.
I thought....what better time than now to eliminate Cable TV, Phone service, and Internet.
As I am finding out......I am trapped.
I have to have a home phone for the Security System in my new home. To watch any Basic (SH*TTY) TV, I have to buy a Digital Converter Box, and in regards to Internet.....I don't need it, but I love to pay all of my bills online. WOW am I trapped.
And I love to come to the DP everyday.
So, I used to have Comcast.....and still do as of today. But I signed up for FIOS. Tell me if you think this is a good deal?
They have a huge promotion going on right now. I can cancel it within 72 hours.....but I want your input?
The pricing is as follows....
$131 per month and I get 295 TV Channels including all of the top HD, I get home phone service, and their top tier internet. I have 3 places in my new home that I want internet, as well as the HD TV. They will give me FREE Wireless Router, FREE Modem, and $450 in Rebates if I follow the rules. The rules are as follows.
If I sign a 1 year contract I instantly get a $150 Prepaid Visa Card, and the other rebates are a little funny...but I will do it. If I send them $100 in grocery receipts and/or gas receipts, they will send me a $25 gift card 12 times.
I have never used FIOS? Am I doing the correct thing??
What do you think?
I was thinking about just getting a regular home phone line, and buying the digital boxes.....but it just seems too lame.
Your input would be nice.
Never sign a Contract. If
you pay month to month you will be better off. But that is sometimes hard to get month to month payments. It is worth the extra money though.
ya...
Ya...if you really want to be off the grid, you'd probably have to reject most high tech and electronics...that and not live in the U.S.
FiOS is pretty good
and sounds like youre gettin a decent plan. the way i look at it, 10 years from now we wont be able to have this lifestyle, so I enjoy it everyday that i can while its still there, even if that means being part of the system.
become self reliant, but dont make a shittier lifestyle for you and yours in the process....
takeaction...
what on earth is this post really about? It certainly isn't about getting help to get off the grid!
First,
you're not serious at all about "getting off the grid" and you're not "trapped".
You want to be on the "grid" and you want consumer information about which is the "best deal" to stay as far into the grid as you can possibly insert yourself.
So, to answer that question, which is the real one, I can say that my mother has FIOS and she likes it.
I haven't had a TV of any kind for 13 years and I don't want ANY channels. I only have the most basic local phone service with dial-up internet service(56k).
Somehow, I survive.
The "trap" is in your mind.
no TV and 56k net?
are you just saying that to look cool on here? =)
LMAO!
Only on Daily Paul..Look good for your friends and pretend to have no tv and dial up...that seriously made me laugh.
Simple-
You really don't need TV, it's trash anyway- the web is good enough.
Our FIOS costs $27/month. Got it down from $37 by calling and told them I considered canceling.
Our Fios came with free equipment and free installation.
It doesn't sound like you're getting much of a deal.
Think of it- $131 for 1. Idiot box, 2. phone 3. web.
Really- you're paying $26 for phone and $37 for web= $63
You're paying about $70 for stupid TV. Do you really want it that bad? Some people have to have it- how else would we get most of the Youtube videos?
Forget the free stuff- that's only good for 1 year.
But, if you like that kind of stuff and can send in your paperwork on time....then you'll make out well money wise.
Sounds like
they'll have enough access to keep you well entertained.
A better suggestion for your time and $$:
Take 40FRN and check out
www.appleseedinfo.org
Does the idea's below work
Does the idea's below work if you live out in the middle of no-where? I currently have Dish network and Hughs net. One phone line, 2 (800) #'s through Skpye that work great for incoming voice,but 'skippy' when I speak, and five cell phones that work great when in the city but are unrelyable at the farm.
Jody Wallce??
I have been reading about FTA. This is amazing. Do you have this?
Yes I do.
Yes, I have FTA and it works great.
Drop Cable TV, Internet is all you need.
Try and find a local Internet provider and give them your money instead of supporting the Big Boys. Or only get the internet from them.
Hook up your computer to your TV. Most everything on TV is available on the internet (Hulu) even some Live events. NBC's "30 Rock" premiered the first episode of the new season on the internet almost 1 week before it aired on TV.
Get one of those USB internet phone jack things they sell on TV for 19.99.
Oh and the "Free" router and modem are not free. You will be charge a monthly fee (rental) on top of your monthly price.
____________________________________________
The Federal Reserve, Stealing the American Dream since 1913
Check out the videos I'm watching on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/sharpsteve2003
I Vote Ron Paul!
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My YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/sharpsteve2003
Do NOT get a Magic Jack!!!
Read that contract! You give them access to your entire computer!
Truth exists, and it deserves to be cherished.
Good to Know
I had not heard that. I don't have one. I go with cell phone family plan works best for me at this time.
____________________________________________
The Federal Reserve, Stealing the American Dream since 1913
Check out the videos I'm watching on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/sharpsteve2003
I Vote Ron Paul!
My News Twitter http://twitter.com/sharpsteve
My YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/sharpsteve2003
Can't you just get another computer?
Wait till you see the new coop I'm building. Get your tools ready---you'll LOVE it!
Explore Orthodox Christianity
Does Not Compute
"I thought....what better time than now to eliminate Cable TV, Phone service, and Internet."
"$131 per month and I get 295 TV Channels including all of the top HD, I get home phone service, and their top tier internet. I have 3 places in my new home that I want internet, as well as the HD TV."
Obviously you weren't very serious about going off the grid and eliminating TV if you were that easily swayed into subscribing to 295 TV channels and making plans to put three HDTVs in your home.
Do you really need 295 TV channels? How many of those do you honestly plan to watch?
Snarkiness aside, I pay $49.99 a month for a landline with unlimited long distance + DSL, both through Verizon. I used to have Comcast, but their internet service in my area is horrible and I get better speeds using cheaper DSL than I did on their overpriced cable internet. I've used this arrangement for years without any problems (and I'm a heavy internet user who runs a home business out of my residence and is quite the fan of torrents, so I'm using it for more than just checking email/forums). I also used to have $10/month basic TV service through Comcast which provided the main broadcast networks. It's a nice option for those who live in an antenna-unfriendly area.
Okay it does not compute?
You tell me you pay $50 a month for Sh*tty DSL, when I am offered it all for $131. DSL is garbage. I am used to 20 to 50 mbps. DSL is a few times faster than dial up. Have you ever experienced 50 mps? It rips. But I am trying to break free. It is hard. I am spoiled just like most of us.
I am canceling the Verizon set up. I am ordering the the Dish Free internet as per Jody's post. I will pay nothing in the end.
I have to have a land line ($14 per month) for my security system.
For me, it's not worth $1572
For me, it's not worth $1572 + taxes/fees/surcharges for TV that I don't watch and the ability to load up the Daily Paul a half-second faster. That's fine if it's worth it to you, but claiming that "you're trapped" and "you want to break free" in the same breath that you talk about putting three HDTVs in your house and spending over a thousand a year on TV just makes you sound like a hypocrite. It's childish to hide behind the "wahh I'm spoiled" excuse instead of changing your lifestyle to where you want it to be.
Here is how I look at it:
Here is how I look at it: you may be forced off the grid sooner or later -- either because you have no money, the service will no longer be available, or you will have to make tremendous sacrifices of liberty to do so. You should start to ween yourself from it now. I recommend dropping TV completely first. You will find that you really do not miss it -- especially if you have Internet access anyway. We have cable Internet, but we do not subscribe to any TV package (DSL is not available here). I may not be getting a "good deal", but then I am not being programmed either. Better yet, start building a collection of books and learn to enjoy reading more.
I believe we are all going to be facing major lifestyle changes in the next year. The more changes we make now while we still have a lot of our creature comforts available the easier it will be when most of those comforts are gone and we have no choice.
agreed
I have nothing but internet. I specifically chose to lose "value" by taking just internet over adding basic cable for only ten dollars more... or whatever.
Here lately I have been using the internet solely for research on what books i need to have for the future... as well as seed and tools....emphasis on the books...you won't believe how valuable they'll be to you...
-Paix et Liberte.
The Libertarian Roots of Marxist Class-Conflict Theory
"The War Prayer - Mark Twain"
Amazing
You tell people how to get a thousand TV channels, a hundred satellite radio stations and high speed internet all for free! ...and they respond with why they rather PAY for TV and dial-up Internet - seems like the usual response I get when I tell someone about Ron Paul :)
Some of us can't put up an
Some of us can't put up an antenna or satellite for one reason or another.
Look at the big picture.
Look at the big picture. The economy ain't gettin no better. Think about when your job is gone. I bought a nice house in a "bad neigorhood" and have dogs and a good alarm system and it's paid for. Now that my income has piddled out, I still have a place to hang my hat. I have a phone line, no cell phone and pay $6.96 mth for chumpy Net Zero internet and a converter box but never watch TV anyway.
Got a place in the country I'm working on. Point is if I didn't have my house paid for I'd be living in a tent city. And I feel blessed.
Do you really need that security system?
There are cheaper, less invasive ways to establish good home defense.
Ditch the TV and buy a good SW radio - much more entertaining and you get real news as opposed to that circus side show on the boob tube.
As for paying bills online and any other online activity, many coffee shops offer free wi-fi. Visit them once a week or every few days and you can pay your bills and catch up on other news sources.
You can download httrack or a similar program to 'mirror' any site you read extensively for offline use, just as if you were connected. (You can set how deep you want to mirror a site)
There is also free internet at public libraries but some require you to 'sign-in' and thus they can track whatever sites you visit. But it will do in a pinch.
If you are concerned about privacy, you can install Ubuntu Linux (among others) on a thumb drive that you can plug into any kiosk internet terminal and surf as if it were your own computer and not theirs. No trace of your activity would be left on the kiosk.
As for FIOS, we are just getting that now here in my city and those prices seem a bit steep compared to what I'll be paying. (but you are talking about a massive TV package so maybe not)
Eveyone needs a Security System!
Everyone needs a Security System... that IS how I make money :) Really I own an Alarm company... Who's going to defend your property and alert you to a problem when you're not home? Also, the fire protection (with even only one monitored smoke detector) is worth the price. If you wait for the neighbors to see fire coming from your windows to call the Fire Department it's too late. With an Alarm the Fire Department shows up before your neighbors even know anything is on fire.
Jody
Thank You
You have changed the entire game.
Free Internet
The best way (I know of) to get free internet is to buy this Wi-Fi antenna that receives signal from up to 4 miles away http://tinyurl.com/dgm4wo
The guy selling them can tell you how to send this signal to your router and redistribute it locally. You can also get a "cellular back-up" for your security system and do away with the home phone.
or u can do this for practically nothing!!
http://www.viddler.com/explore/babblin5/videos/7/
after making your antenna booster, you may want to use a wifi radar to locate free hotspots. This works well for me because i live in a jungle of bookstores and coffee shops:
http://easy-wifi-radar.en.softonic.com/
Nice, but...
it's one-way - reception only. That's fine for reading news and watching online TV, but you won't be able to post comments in forums, or send e-mail. You'll still need to visit closer to a wi-fi router to have bidirectional access.
It is a nice implementation of a Hooverman design tailored for wi-fi though. I hope to build a full scale model for TV this summer to put in my attic.